Oldest cannon
Who
Dardanelles Gun
Where
United Kingdom (Fort Nelson)
When
1464
The world's oldest dated cannon in existence, is the Dardanelles Gun, cast in 1464 for Sultan Mehmet II in Turkey. It is made from bronze, weighs 16.8 tonnes (37,037 lb), measures 5.2 m long (17 ft) and had a range of 1,600 m (5,249 ft) when firing a 600-mm diameter, 304-kg (670-lb) projectile. The bombard is currently on display at the Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson, Hampshire, UK. The gun is actually in two parts, joined by an incredible gun screw thread. It is thought that this was to aid transportation of the gun. This record is based on the fact that the date is engraved on the gun. Others may exist that are older, but do not have this engraving and are therefore dated by their style.