Wiard rifle

The Wiard rifle refers to several weapons invented by Norman Wiard, most commonly a semi-steel light artillery piece in six-pounder and twelve-pounder calibers. About 60 were manufactured between 1861 and 1862 during the American Civil War, at O'Donnell's Foundry, New York City: "although apparently excellent weapons, [they] do not seem to have been very popular". Wiard also designed a rifled steel version of the Dahlgren boat howitzer (a 12-pounder (5.44 kg) weapon with a bore), among other gun types. Further, Wiard unsuccessfully attempted to develop a rifled gun for the US Navy and proposed a gun. In 1881 he unsuccessfully proposed various "combined rifle and smoothbore" weapon conversions of Rodman guns and Parrott rifles.

Wiard described two calibers: a six-pounder (2.72 kg) rifle with a bore, and a twelve-pounder (5.44 kg) smoothbore weapon with a bore. All survivors are rifled, though this may have occurred long after manufacture; this was a common practice during the war. Surviving Wiard guns vary considerably in manufacturing details and markings. Documentation survives for orders of 45 6-pounder Wiards, six 12-pounder Wiards (though at least 13 survive), and 12 12-pounder Wiard rifled howitzers. Provided by Wikipedia