Help with identifying this field piece

[Shipka]

Can anyone help with identification of this mountain gun?

[Dewbakuk]

Do you have any info at all? Theatre might help.

[Svennn]

That looks a big bore for a short barrel.  Can't help I'm afraid but pretty sure the board on the pole in front of it will have all the info. required

[Fanis]

Any chance it's one of those 75' mountain guns used in the Abyssinian adventure? Just a guess mind you and a long shot at that.

[sukhe_bator]

The bronze barrel makes it mid C19 and a smooth bore muzzle loader. There are no obvious rifling grooves visible. A common pattern was the 1828 9pr French Mountain Hwz. but the muzzle is wrong for that with no dispart sight. That pattern saw service right up until the 1890's and it was even copied in India and Japan. It looks a larger bore than that...
Shame you didn't have a photo of the information board as well - all the Tech info would have been on that being a Museum display.

[Fanis]

http://markerhunter.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/confederate-mountain-howitzer/

any chance it's this one?

[Dewbakuk]

Could it be South African? A whole host of custom, one off guns were made during the Boer War and other battles at that time.

[sukhe_bator]

Dewbakuk - the bronze barrel makes this unlikely. By the Boer war period we are talking about iron for barrels almost exclusively. It is more likely a variant of French 'Napoleon' (III) patterns widely used during the ACW and beyond. The French dominated the world military stage until they were knocked off their pedestal by the Franco-Prussian War. Then not unsurprisingly Prussian designs became more popular!

[sukhe_bator]

Possibly another example of this one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DSCN5244_fortlaramie12poundermtnhowitzer_e.jpg

[Totleben]

http://blogs.elcomercio.pe/saldetucasa/2009/10/grandes-batallas-de-la-guerra.html 

[sukhe_bator]

I'm with Fanis on this one. It looks more like a Model 1838 12pr than the French 1828 to me, but the cheek pieces of the carriage and the oblique angle of the photo make a positive ID difficult.

[Shipka]

All I know is it is a Mountain gun..if one assumes the stand with the info card is at chest height that gives some impression as to size

[sukhe_bator]

Shipka' s correct - wheel dia. approx. 3 feet, designed to be broken down onto several mules. Almost certainly a howitzer designed to lob explosive shells up to 1200 yards - shell weights anywhere between 9 & 12 lbs in weight. Inocuous looking but nasty. Not the kit you want in the wrong hands. This is a predecessor of the famous screw gun of Kipling fame...

[Shipka]

Here is a better pic;