21. Gunner's Level and Sight

Signed: .GEORG.ZORN. .1.6..2 4.

  Fig. 33 (third from left).

The most common surviving gunnery instruments are not complex devices such as Klieber's ornate confection but combined sights and levels. Georg Zorn's quadrant level is a typical example, with a rigid plummet and sliding sight. In use as a level, the instrument would be set up near the breech of the gun. With the brass quadrant aligned with the gun's axis the plummet reading on the levelling arc would then be read from the side. On the reverse of the instrument the scale of the levelling arc is graduated in points of the gunners quadrant, with equal parts in the range 6-0-6. The arc scale on the front is graduated in unequal parts 9-0-9 and is meant to be used with a particular type of artillery. Likewise, the sight operates not with universal units but two particular scales, from 1-10 on the front and 1-7 on the reverse. When used as a sight, the instrument would be placed transversely across the gun barrel. Rather than an arched or angled foot, to ease transverse placement on a gun barrel, the instrument has a flat base whose underside carries a subdivided inch scale.

The maker Georg Zorn was based in Augsburg and amongst his production were more elaborate artillery instruments such as Zubler's 'geometrical gunnery instrument' (catalogue no. 13; Dreier, p. 111; Zinner, p. 597).

Height: 88 mm

Inventory no. 38,318


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