This second Ordnance Society survey, which is the first of its kind, has been designed by the Ordnance Society to fill a gap in the data available to enthusiasts, academics and researchers, concerning Breech-Loading and Quick-Firing Guns in the UK.  Its aim is to record a comprehensive range of data on individual guns, including photographs where available, and to make it freely available. It will comprise of both British and Foreign guns including Trophy guns and those purchased for use by the British Armed Forces.

This is the second update to the National Artillery Survey since June 2022.  A lot of tidying up and consolidation has been carried out, with the total number of guns recorded now standing at 590.  The latest version of the database is: –

NATIONAL ARTILLERY SURVEY (Dec 2025) Update 7

The latest update of our survey includes a very rare and old (1877) French 90mm RBL gun, which was recovered from a sunken WW2 armed merchant ship, the SS Eastfield.  There is some information include with the entry, and an article on the history will appear in our next Newsletter.

Like our first survey, we are grateful for your ongoing support.  Announcements have been noticed recently that the ‘Land Warfare’ area at Duxford is to be closed, and the various exhibits will be moved to other locations.  It is hoped that these location changes will be recorded in our database.  Information on unrecorded guns will also be very welcome.

There are of course some gaps or errors in the details in the database, and the Ordnance Society would be pleased if you could fill in, or correct any of these, or supply photos.  If you can help, please send any information, using either the single-item, or multi-item Data Input Forms, or pictures, via e-mail or post. Both addresses are on the bottom of the Data Input Forms below.  If there is a minor correction, then an e-mail referencing the ‘RECORD No.’ and the update detail will be fine.

NATIONAL ARTILLERY SURVEY DATA INPUT or UPDATE FORM – portrait

NATIONAL ARTILLERY SURVEY DATA INPUT or UPDATE FORM – landscape