U.S. Navy 16-inch Iowa-Class Battleship Ammunition Display - complete with projectile, propellant bags, propellant cans, and display stands

Restored Inert U.S. Navy 16-inch/50-Caliber Battleship Gun Ammunition Museum Display

Item Overview

Bring the scale of an American battleship’s main battery into your own collection with this extraordinary, full-size U.S. Navy 16"/50-caliber ammunition display. Custom built by Ordnance.com using original U.S. military ammunition components, this exhibit combines authentic naval history with meticulous restoration and custom-fabricated structural-steel display stands. The Mark 14 projectile, six propelling-charge bags, and two Mark 4 propellant tanks are all original U.S. military items—not reproductions and not components manufactured by Ordnance.com. We restored these historic components and built the stands to present them as a coordinated, free-standing museum exhibit. Measuring an impressive 13 feet 5 inches long, the display presents the major ammunition components for a single battleship gun round. This one-of-a-kind, custom-built display is available exclusively from Ordnance.com and cannot be purchased from any other seller anywhere in the world. The display contains no gunpowder, explosive filler, or other energetic materials.

Identification and Features

The buyer receives the complete ammunition display shown in the photographs, including all original military ammunition components and both Ordnance.com-built stands. The projectile carries the markings MK14 MOD0, D873, and NSN 1320-01-181-2273. The propelling-charge bags and tanks carry D846 and NSN 1320-01-323-3623 markings. These identification details, together with the restored finishes, fabric construction, and tank markings, make the exhibit especially useful for explaining the size and complexity of battleship ammunition.

• One original, inert 16"/50-caliber Mark 14 Mod 0 High Capacity projectile: Approximately 64" long, or 5 feet 4 inches, with an olive-drab body, yellow nose band, yellow identification markings, polished copper driving band, and the nose assembly shown in the photographs. This is the 1,900-pound high-capacity projectile type, restored for static display without explosive contents.
• Six original, inert propelling-charge bags: Full-size military fabric charge bags with white covers, laced sides, handling straps, and distinctive quilted red ends. Arranged behind the projectile, these represent the six sections of one complete propelling charge, not six separate rounds. All are empty of propellant and other energetic materials.
• Two original, empty 16" Mark 4 aluminum propellant tanks: Restored military storage containers, also commonly called propellant cans, with gray finishes, end covers, handles, locking hardware, identification stencils, and historical warning markings. Each tank held three charge bags in service. Visible stamped markings include “16 IN TANK MK. 4,” “T.A.C.U. Co.,” and “1944,” adding World War II-dated components to the display.
• Two custom-fabricated structural-steel display stands: Designed and built by Ordnance.com specifically for this exhibit, these matching black stands support the projectile and charge bags at viewing height, with the two propellant tanks positioned below. The propellant rack is approximately 8 feet long. These stands are our custom-made contribution to the display; the projectile, charge bags, and tanks are original military components. Both stands are included, eliminating the need to source or fabricate separate display supports.

How It Worked

The Iowa-class battleships used separate-loading ammunition rather than a single cartridge with a large brass case. The projectile and bagged propelling charge were separate ammunition components, while the aluminum tanks served as storage and transport containers. The tanks were not cartridge cases and were not fired from the gun. This exhibit makes that distinction immediately clear: the projectile is displayed ahead of the six charge bags, while the containers that held those bags sit underneath. Visitors can see how much equipment and ammunition were associated with just one shot from a battleship’s main battery.

Weapon Applications

This display represents ammunition for the 16"/50-caliber Mark 7 naval guns carried by the four completed Iowa-class battleships: USS Iowa (BB-61), USS New Jersey (BB-62), USS Missouri (BB-63), and USS Wisconsin (BB-64). Each ship carried nine of these guns in three triple-gun turrets. The 16" designation refers to the gun’s bore diameter, while “50-caliber” describes a bore length 50 times that diameter, approximately 66 feet 8 inches. These enormous weapons formed the ships’ main batteries for surface combat and shore bombardment.

The Scale of Battleship Firepower

The markings on the displayed charge bags reference a 593-pound full service charge and a 1,900-pound projectile traveling at 2,630 feet per second. At that marked velocity, the projectile alone would carry approximately 204 million foot-pounds of kinetic energy. A live high-capacity projectile of this type also carried approximately 154 pounds of Explosive D. The Mark 7 gun could reach targets more than 20 miles away and had a nominal firing rate of two rounds per minute. Across a battleship’s complete main battery, that amounted to a theoretical combined rate of 18 rounds per minute under suitable conditions. Standing beside this display turns those otherwise hard-to-picture figures into something tangible. This is the largest and most powerful caliber ammunition that the US military has ever used. That amount of firepower has never been matched, nor will it ever be again. That is a sad fact, but this beautiful display preserves that history for future generations to marvel at our country's past military might. 

Historical Background

Commissioned during World War II, the Iowa-class battleships went on to serve across several generations of American naval history. Members of the class provided gunfire support during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, operations off Lebanon, and the 1991 Gulf War. Their high-capacity ammunition was an important part of the shore-bombardment role, supporting forces ashore against coastal defenses and other land targets. USS Missouri also became the setting for Japan’s formal surrender on September 2, 1945. This exhibit preserves a physical connection to that battleship era through original military artifacts, showing not just the imposing projectile but also the charge bags and storage equipment behind the guns’ operation.

Condition and Restoration

Ordnance.com meticulously restored every original military component and brought the entire exhibit together as a finished, museum-quality presentation. The restored projectile, carefully presented charge bags, refinished propellant tanks, and custom-built structural-steel stands make this a turnkey display rather than an unfinished restoration project. All ammunition components are inert or empty and contain no energetic or explosive materials. Historical ammunition markings and warning labels are part of the restored presentation and do not indicate live contents. This display is intended solely for collecting, education, and static exhibition. Please check the pictures for the condition and details of the actual display.

Shipping, Crating, and Insurance Included

The purchase price includes all shipping costs: crating, packing materials, freight shipping, and insurance. Ordnance.com will ship this complete display directly to your home, business, or museum anywhere within the contiguous United States. Residential and commercial destinations throughout the lower 48 states are included. There are no separate charges for the crating, packing materials, freight transportation, or shipping insurance described here.

Ideal For

This display offers a commanding centerpiece for a military or maritime museum, gun store, firing range, veterans’ organization, private collection, or dedicated military-history room. Its open arrangement allows viewers to study the original components individually while appreciating the scale of the complete exhibit. With the restoration completed, both structural-steel stands included, and insured freight shipping covered, it is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a substantial, turnkey naval-history display without having to locate the military components, commission the stands, or undertake the restoration yourself.

Approx length 161", Approx width 38", Approx height 47", Approx weight 2250 lbs.

Contact us for lead time, but factor 45-60 days is a safe estimate.