The 18-cwt label on Pathfinder's 12-pounders records the gun's weight, rather than the shell's. A British long hundredweight equalled 112 pounds, while the American short hundredweight equalled 100 pounds. Eighteen British hundredweight made each gun 2,016 pounds, just under a long ton. Depending on the record, this kind of figure can cover the gun alone or the gun and mount. Either way, weight high in the hull makes the label relevant to topweight and stability.
Notable Point · 17:30-21:01
Reading gun weights in hundredweight
A short explanation of British hundredweight shows why the stated weight of a gun matters to a warship’s topweight and stability.