Historic context :

The 7cm GebK M75 mountain gun, with its poor performances, was replaced at the beginning of the XiXth century by a new weapon equipped with the same improvements as the ones of the 8cm FK M99 fielgun and the 10cm FH M99 fieldhowitzer, but also inheriting the same handicap : no other recoil recuperation system than a spade spring.

Despite that, the performances of this small 7cm GebirgsKanone M1899 mountain gun were clearly better than the ones of its predecessor, particularly thanks to the adoption of an eccentric screw type breech allowing accelerated fire rates, and a larger calibre. It could be dismounted into 3 separate loads for transportation, and was made with a bronze barrel like all the artillery weapons of this nation at that period.

This gun was obsolete in 1914 and replaced by the more recent models (M08 et M09), but numerous such items were used during the mountain fights against Italy durin WW1, probably thanks to their light 318 kg weight in position !

Technical data :

• Complete description : 7 cm mountain gun M 1899
• Design year : 1899
• Calibre : 72.50 mm
• Weight in firing position : 318 kg
• Weight for transportation : 3 separate loads
• Tube length in calibres : 13.80
• Grooves : 24 progressive angle from 4 to 7.10 degrees
• Projectile weight : 4.68 kg (obus explosif) - 4.85 kg (shrapnell)
• Initial speed : 304 m/s (high explosive) - 297 m/s (shrapnell)
• Fire rate :
• Range : 4800 m (high explosive) - 4000 m (shrapnell)
• Elevation range : -10 to +26 degrees
• Direction range : none