47mm Hotchkiss rapid-fire gun on a pedestal mount, 1895

The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss breech-loading, rapid-firing cannon was developed by the French firm Hotchkiss in 1885. The gun turned out to be very successful and was bought almost all over the world, and in some countries its licensed production was established. In Russia, production was launched at the Obukhov plant, in America the William Crump company was hired for production, in Austria-Hungary — Skoda plants, and in Britain — by the Elswick Ordnance Company. In total, about 2,950 guns of this type were produced for the British Navy alone. These guns were installed on ships as mine-resistant caliber, and on destroyers - as the main armament. The first samples of QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns had rigid machines, without anti-rollback devices. It was believed that the ship’s structures were able to absorb the recoil of a small-caliber cannon.