Okay, I"m really working hard here to remain NICE. Grandad was a tool and die maker for the Government. Flown all over the country during WWII making parts and machinery to make parts for tanks and the big guns. And two things he always impressed on me was, the right tool for the right job, and the right metal for the right part.
If you are going to make a gun of any sort, then you dang well better use the right metal! There is a big difference between a gun/gonne maker and metal worker. You want to make NON-FIRING metal models, fine, make sure you mark them as such and don't completely drill the vent hole. You want to make something that goes boom, then you better well know what you are doing and mark them as such. But most of all, be sure what you counsel others of is safe.
Proper Bronze/Brass for cannon making:
Copper Alloy No. C90300, 86% Copper, 8% Tin, 4% Zinc
Copper Alloy No. C83600, 85% Copper, 5% Tin, 5% Zinc
Copper Alloy No. C84000, 81% Copper, 7% Lead, 3% Tin, 9% Zinc
Proper steel for cannon making 4140, 1137 and 12L14.
12L14 is used by three of the leading custom muzzleloading barrel makers, Colerain, Getz, Green and Rayal, prestigious barrel makers all. But, Trigger Mortise doesn't seem to think much of Colerain, Getz or Green Mountain.
Claypipe
Yes, and I have read many similar reports. But, the question remains, what was the steel used? 12L14 is used by Getz and Colerain. And Green Mountain uses 1137. If its good enough for these prestigious barrel makers, its good enough for me.
Trigger Mortise
These so-called prestigious barrel makers are just fugal, and are trying to minimize their manufacturing cost by using a product such as super free machining leaded steel and a free machining grade of medium carbon steel like 1137.
I personally would not use these types of steel, and least of all 12L14 on gun barrels.
The short and the meat of it is this, use the wrong metal and there is a good chance someone is getting hurt. Maybe not today, or next week, but sooner or later things will go boom in a BAD way.
Also, Please note I said "
The More Complete Cannoneer" not "The Complete Cannoneer". There is a whole section dedicated in this edition to BAD CANNONS. A lot of the stuff in that section is down right scary.
Just :m2c: