▁can non ▁we ighed ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁with ▁its ▁pivot ▁carriage ▁and ▁other ▁attached ▁hardware . ▁Both ▁can n ons ▁were ▁position ed ▁along ▁the ▁iron cl ad ' s ▁center - line ▁in ▁the ▁arm ored ▁cas em ate , ▁one ▁forward , ▁the ▁other ▁a ft . ▁The ▁field ▁of ▁fire ▁for ▁both ▁pivot ▁rif les ▁was ▁ 1 8 0 - de gre es , ▁from ▁port ▁to ▁star board : ▁each ▁can non ▁could ▁fire ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁gun ▁ports , ▁allowing ▁Alb em ar le ▁to ▁deliver ▁a ▁two ▁can non ▁broad side . ▁Alb em ar les ▁project iles ▁consisted ▁of ▁explos ive ▁shell s , ▁anti - person nel ▁can ister ▁shot , ▁gra pe ▁shot , ▁and ▁bl unt - n osed , ▁solid ▁wr ought ▁iron ▁" bol ts " ▁for ▁use ▁against ▁Union ▁arm ored ▁ships . ▁These ▁were ▁an ▁early ▁attempt ▁at ▁arm or - p ier cing ▁shot ; ▁solid ▁iron ▁like ▁a ▁typical ▁solid ▁shot , ▁but ▁el ong ated ▁rather ▁than ▁spher ical , ▁giving ▁far ▁more ▁weight ▁for ▁an ▁equal ▁front al ▁area ▁than ▁a ▁traditional ▁round ▁ball , ▁and ▁thus ▁greater ▁pen etr ation . ▁Such ▁project iles ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁effectively ▁fired ▁from ▁a ▁traditional ▁smooth b ore ▁naval ▁gun , ▁as ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁stability ▁would ▁cause ▁the ▁shot ▁to ▁t umble ▁in ▁flight . ▁ ▁Service ▁on ▁the ▁Ro ano ke ▁River ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁the ▁newly ▁commission ed