US Navel Gun 3"/50 caliber
The 3"/50 was used on virtually every US Naval ship in WWII and the Cold War era.
They remained in limited use until the early 1990s on some smaller US Naval vessels and a few are still in use in other navies and as shore mounted salute guns.
The 3"/50 was primarily an anti-aircraft gun on larger ships and was the main gun on Destroyer Escorts and other smaller vessels.
In Naval nomenclature 3-inch/50 Caliber means the barrel has a 3" bore diameter and the barrel is 50 caliber diameters long ie 3"x 50 or 150" long.
Duel purpose refers to the cannon being used for both direct fire and anti-aircraft use. Quick Firing refers the ammunition projectile and case being "fixed" together in one piece so that loading is quick.
The example on display was made by Continental Can Co. Inc. Chicago, ILL in 1943.
The museum's other example was made by G.M. Corp. Fisher Body Div in 1942 and is now at Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota.
