WATERVLIET ARSENAL 1861 DATED GUNNER’S LEVEL

WATERVLIET ARSENAL 1861 DATED GUNNER’S LEVEL

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$2,250.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2026-9292

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The gunner’s level was an essential tool enabling an artillery crew to correctly aim a cannon even if not on level ground. This one is clearly marked across the top on one side with an eagle over “U.S. / WATERVLIET / ARSENAL/ 1861.” These are constructed of flat, heavy sheet brass with a round-topped vertical section with parallel sides that expands rapidly at the bottom to form a wide hollow crescent whose two points rest on short steel rods that would rest on either side of a cannon barrel without marring it. On the opposite face from the one with the marking, a horizontal spirit level is mounted on a short shelf held by two screws parallel to a line drawn between the points of the crescent, enabling the gunner to determine when it is level. A perpendicularly mounted flat steel slider with a pointed end can then be lowered to the surface of the barrel at its base, touching its highpoint, which was then marked with chalk and used in sighting by the gunner. The slider has a small brass knob at top and passes through a screw-fastened brass guide bracket at top and a slot in the shelf holding the spirit level below.

This is complete, with functioning spirit level and the knob in place on top of the sliding pointer. The markings, both the eagle and the lettering are clear. The brass shows some mellow, aged tones mixed with darker brown, aged areas and a few areas somewhat lighter from handling. The body of the spirit level is copper in tone with some darker stains at right. The screwhead are dark and have good slots. The crossband holding the pointer is dark. The steel pointer itself is light gray with dark gray spotting. Please see our photos.

Artillery tools like this are scarce make clear the connections between science and gunnery, why mathematics was important at military academies, and why the students with the highest standing often ended up in the engineers or artillery. This one also has both a good arsenal stamp and very early war date.   [sr][ph:L]

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