A Rifled Muzzle Loader (RML) is a type of large artillery piece invented in the mid 19th century. In contrast to smooth bore cannon which preceded it, the rifling of the gun barrel allowed much greater accuracy and penetration as the spin induced to the shell gave it directional stability. Typical guns weighed 30 tonnes with 10" diameter muzzles, and were installed in forts and ships. Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ... Rifling is the means by which a firearm gyroscopically stabilizes a projectile. ...

This new gun (and the Rifled Breech Loader (RBL) which followed it) generated a huge arms race in the late 19th century, with rapid advances in fortifications and ironclad warships. Armstrong cannon at the Chulachomklao fort, Samut Prakan, Thailand A Rifled Breech Loader (RBL) is a large artillery piece which unlike the cannon and Rifled Muzzle Loader (RML) which preceded it, has rifling in the barrel and is loaded from the breech at the rear of the gun. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ...