Place

Shoot and Duck

National Park Service sign with the title,
Shoot and Duck Site

Quick Facts
Location:
Fort Pickens, Florida

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Battery Cooper's rifles popped up, disappeared, and reappeared like a jack-in-the-box. The battery, built in 1906, had two 6-inch rifles mounted on disappearing carriages. When the guns were fired, the recoil automatically lowered them behind the concrete wall, which protected the crews while they reloaded the guns. Counterweights returned them to the firing position. During World War I, the US Army removed the guns for possible use as railway guns in France. The gun you see here today came from the Smithsonian Institution.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Last updated: June 1, 2021