Centre of Gravity

The point of a body about which all its parts are balanced. This is a matter of great importance in cannon, both for mechanical manœuvres and for ordinary handling. In all large guns in the United States, and in many in Europe, the axis of the trunnions pa es through the centre of gravity of the gun. Such guns have no preponderance, and need no support in firing except the trunnions. This innovation was introduced by the genius of Rodman, and brought many advantages in the handling of heavy guns. In projectiles, the centre of gravity , or inertia , is also a thing of moment. Spherical projectiles in which this point does not coincide with the centre of figure are said to be eccentric, and are subject to certain deviations (see Projectiles ); deviation of the relative position of these points influences the flight also of rifle projectiles.