Armed and ready. What we couldn’t outrun, we outgunned. Few forces at sea could match the thunder of the guns aboard USS Constitution. During the War of 1812, she was a formidable opponent to anyone who dared challenge her hull. Armed with 30 24-pounder long guns and 24 32-pounder carronades, she was truly a force to be reckoned with. The carronades were tactical weapons designed to disable enemy vessels at close range. Their wide muzzles allowed them to fire a variety of shot types, all intended to cripple ships and make capture possible. The long guns earned their name from their extended range, capable of striking targets up to 1,200 yards away. These weapons were particularly effective at inflicting devastating hull damage from a distance. During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy’s mission was to protect American trade, expand the nation’s naval power, and, as leaders of the time put it, “annoy the enemy.” With her guns blazing, Constitution fulfilled that mission by capturing ...