[note 1] When Britain adopted rifled ordnance in the 1860s it still had large stocks of serviceable but now obsolete smoothbore guns.

[4] A number of different fuzes could be used enabling shells to either burst at a pre-determined time (and range), or on impact.

This nature of gun was designed for both land and sea service, though for the latter it was increasingly obsolete not long after introduction.

To maintain maximum capability the gunners aboard the Nelson were drilled for both Smooth Bore and Rifled ammunition, and so the guns retained the original Millar Pattern sights as well as having one set of R.M.L.

The gun mountings for coast defence in both British and colonial locations varied enormously.

Many were mounted on wooden garrison carriages on open platforms and were used for gun drill, as well as range practice.