Free Cannon

Okay, I'm a dreamer but still....
Has anyone ever tried to contact a local park, National Guard Armory, etc with an actual cannon left over from the Civil War (or WNA if you prefer) and asked if they could use that cannon for a pc event and then retturn the cannon after the event. Free, full sized cannon.

Once you get passed the thought of loaning something so valuable, can you even imagine the liability involved?
No one in their right mind would do it. :youcrazy:
Zulu

I'm in Dixie, I don't have to be in my right mind :thumbsup:

It makes me cry when i see original cannon on display at some small town park or courthouse set in concrete and just exposed to the elements.
They just sit there and no one cares about the history they could tell. One of my saddest moments was when i was in Boston at the port to see the USS Constitution. In an area nearby they were rebuilding some docks and had pulled up the pilings and there were cannon on the end, dozens of 24 pounders and bigger that had been used to build the dock yards. they were all layed out in rows some still having wood pile sticking out, most of these were Rev War period guns. I saw a park service employee and asked what they were going to do with them, he said probably scrap them. I cried all day. :shake:

There are several civil war artillary units that are using original cannons. A couple units here in Michigan using a original 6# brassie- they named it Goldie. It's Robinsons Battery out of Battle Creek. I know there oi other units that have cannon that are on loan from states. I know of one 20 pounder that has cement poured down the barrel and sits in a part on a cement pedestal. It appears to be their remembrance of the war. The town is Constantine.

It upsets me to see cannon displayed with muzzle pointing up at an angle but no tompion plugging it. Meaning rain and snow gets in and people use them for garbage. :cursing:

It used to happen... back in the 70's during the Bi-Centenial our group which repesented American military history from the colonial period through WWII could borrow and use a nice Bronze mountian howitzer from a National Guard unit.. it would be loaned out on Friday and returned on Monday.... I doubt it would be possible today but it did happen in the past...

A local town has two large muzzle loading cannons sitting on top of brick pylons in the middle of a side street. They appear to have 8 inch ID tubes and the tubes are about 9 ft long. Obviously these are some impressive guns. no carriages, just sitting on top those brick pylons.

Every once in a while I conjecture about what it would take to back up some night with a wrecker or one of those trucks that hauls burial vaults and think about how fast one of those cannons could be wrested from it's perch. The main problem is that they sit next to a 24 hour convenience store. Lots of witnesses and probably video surveillance.

Then I figure the resulting felony would be such a hassle, I might just pay a foundry to pour a few such tubes. Until about 20 years ago, there was a foundry nearby that poured full size cannon of either iron or bronze. Even thought about making up the wooden dummy for the boys who make the sand cast molds. Got an acquaintance that works at a foundry. Maybe get him to start simple, like a few thunder mugs. Then a couple deck guns....

right you are. no toy is worth doing hard time.

Why not just peruse the places that already make them and buy one?

Actually, the ability to get what I want, at a few hundred less than the "places that already make them" and saving on shipping.

At least for "blank" firing guns, the steel liner, etc is not as important.

Like the town [Highststown] in NJ that has (4) Parrots sitting around the war memorial. They refused the offer of a civil war 'enthusiast' who wanted to make & donate accurate carriages...

At least for "blank" firing guns, the steel liner, etc is not as important.



Your are kidding right?

I am not talking huge bore cannons. For the big ones, yes of course. For smaller bores even some of the cannon companies do not line them. Some of the stuff offered by the companies, whose links are found on this forum, even scares me with barrel walls I consider too thin, with or without a liner.

If I have a minimum barrel wall thickness as least as thick as the bore diameter and leave at least double that at the breech, for a small bore blank cannon, there is no need for a liner. (Assuming of course, it is made from steel or bronze and not plaster)

I have made sand molds and melted aluminum and poured it at home. I haven't tackled bronze or iron yet and would leave that to a foundry. I would get anything scanned for defects before going further.

I know nothing about cannons but about a year ago there was a TV show of a cannon contest- I know it sounds crazy but I think I could see the balls flying and the accuracy of hitting the target was pretty amazing. The thing is, a reproduction cannon is really expensive and who buys the cannon since it is a crew and if everyone chips in- who keeps the cannon? That's why the thought came about an original. I am thinking that since they were brass/bronze- they don't rust and ought to still be as good to use as when they were made.

I took my son down to Ft Shenandoah to the NSSA cannon matches about 20 years ago. It was so much fun. A bit loud, but fun. I also live 16 miles from Charley Smithgal's farm, and can hear the booms when he has cannon matches. That roar just carries up the river.

In fact, I have seen Charley and his cannons on the history channel a few times. (Including this morning in a show about civil war artillery.)

As for expense, a commercially made barrel can be had for about $1,000 and the rest can be built from plans and photos. Depending on how you look at it, the cost of a custom muzzle loader rifle can be higher.

Many of the cannon in parks, squares and cemetaries are still the propertry of the U.S. Government; just on indefinate loan. I learned this from a local paper some years back when they caught someone who was attempting to liberate a cannon near General Pike's memorial and the feds and military (near Ft. Drum) prosecuted him to the full extent and then some.

Probably some of the municipalities that hold them are not even aware of this. Paperwork gets lost over 150 years or so.

Stumpkiller said:

Many of the cannon in parks, squares and cemetaries are still the propertry of the U.S. Government; just on indefinate loan. I learned this from a local paper some years back when they caught someone who was attempting to liberate a cannon near General Pike's memorial and the feds and military (near Ft. Drum) prosecuted him to the full extent and then some.

Probably some of the municipalities that hold them are not even aware of this. Paperwork gets lost over 150 years or so.

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some of those breing held by municipalities may actually be G.A.R cannon.... The G.A.R. recieved cannon for their mormorials when the vets died off these cannon became the "property" of the town because no one was around to keep title to them... there is a group that is keeping track of Civil War ordnance and their location by serial number so when one goes missing and it turns up in a private collection some legal action can be made....

I didn't know you could get a cannon for $1,000. That's not too bad a price. Would that be full sized? How many men on a crew?
Where do you practice? Military range?

Hern sells cast iron tubes for less than that for some of the naval guns. If you're getting in to field pieces they will run you a bit more.

A naval carriage will run you a little bit more than the tube. A field carriage will run you more than that. Just the metal and wheels for a #2 field or pack carriage will run you close to $3000, and you don't have a stick of wood yet.

Stumpkiller said:

Many of the cannon in parks, squares and cemetaries are still the propertry of the U.S. Government; just on indefinate loan. I learned this from a local paper some years back when they caught someone who was attempting to liberate a cannon near General Pike's memorial and the feds and military (near Ft. Drum) prosecuted him to the full extent and then some.

Click to expand...

I live close by Shiloh....I can only IMAGINE what would happen to you if you 'borrowed' one of those cannons :shocked2: