3-pounder (47 mm) Vickers / Maxim gun on a bollard mount, 1885

The appearance of high-speed destroyers caused the need to arm heavy ships with rapid-firing small-caliber guns. Previously installed guns, the 47- mm QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss gun did not have sufficient killing power, so it was decided to develop new more powerful shells and a new gun for them. The development of guns was carried out by Vickers in 1900-1903. The first order for the production of 147 guns was received in 1904. The guns were intended to be mounted on cruisers and large ships as mine guns. Later, QF 3-pounder Vickers began to be installed on smaller ships. By 1911, the ships were armed with 193 guns of this type, but they did not become standard armament in the Royal Navy.