I Just Had To Grab This Cannon

[Mulebrain]

It was on Ebay, and I knew the sellers reserve. It sure looks like a quality piece! It is a little over 20" long, 9" high, and the barrel is 17" long. It is has a 1" inch bore, which goes as far as needed. Weight is 28lbs, and carriage is solid oak.

What size should the touch hole be, and what powder load would you start with? What caliber would 1" be?

I will post more pics when it arrives. I thought just based on having a turned steel barrel, iron wheels and overall size 250.00 was a good deal!

I have looked at others, and they were much more! Anybody know the origin of this cannon, and what it is modeled after? Stated, that it is pretty old.

 

[robinghewitt]

Now that's a pretty fun looking gun ::

One inch is 4 bore, are you going to load the full 10 dram service charge? :shocking:

 

[Mulebrain]

Now that's a pretty fun looking gun ::

One inch is 4 bore, are you going to load the full 10 dram service charge? :shocking:

4 bore? 10 dram? Squire, can you speak English :crackup:

I mean American :yakyak:

I remember stopping in a barber shop in London one time. I told the lady I didn't want any "White Walls" another barber looks over at me and says "No White Walls" loudly, and the whole shop lit up with laughter :haha:

 

[robinghewitt]

4 bore? 10 dram? Squire, can you speak English :crackup:

4 balls to the pound, 16 drams to the ounce

best regards

Squire Robin

PS: White walls are car tyres, sorry, automobile tires :crackup:

 

[David Teague]

Now that's a pretty fun looking gun ::

One inch is 4 bore, are you going to load the full 10 dram service charge? :shocking:

4 bore? 10 dram? Squire, can you speak English :crackup:

I mean American :yakyak:

I remember stopping in a barber shop in London one time. I told the lady I didn't want any "White Walls" another barber looks over at me and says "No White Walls" loudly, and the whole shop lit up with laughter :haha:

Caliber is based off of 1 inch = 100(i.e a .50 cal is 1/2 an inch... please don't tell me I need to take this any farther... :winking: for your answer.)

The avoirdupois dram is the unit of weight used to measure black powder. There are 256 drams in a pound avoirdupois, 16 drams in an ounce, and 7000 grains in a pound.

1 dram = 27.34 grains = 1.77 grams
1 gram = 15.43 grains = 0.56 drams
1 ounce = 16 drams = 437.5 grains

add to the mix that WE measure black powder by volume, not weight when loading with a powder measure. :shocking:

Bore was how many balls to the pound of lead, a 4-Bore size being an old reference measurement of 4-Balls to the pound of lead, which computes out to 1750 grains of weight per ball... and when I was in jolly old England I called my small butt pack a "fanny pack" in public and had someone offer to bust me in the mouth for saying that in public... :shocking: took me 3 days to find out what I said... It turns out that "fanny" in the UK is a very bad word. :shake:

Cheers,

DT

P.S I see Squire Robin beat me to the post... :shake:

P.P.S and in England 'Spotted Dick" is a desert, not a STD... :crackup:

P.P.P.S and the phrase "Free Willy' had nothing to do with a whale... :crackup:

 

[evildog]

And don't make the mistake of holding up 2 fingers and saying "2 please"..... that would the the same as being in this country and holding up your middle finger and saying "1 please". Don't ask how I learned.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

And don't make the mistake of holding up 2 fingers and saying "2 please"..... that would the the same as being in this country and holding up your middle finger and saying "1 please". Don't ask how I learned.

It si an insult there Because the English archers (my heros) had a bounty put on the two fingers that they drew there bow with.They would hold them up and I emagin say dirty words at french guy's that they were about to stick with arrows.I lernd that from my Scottish step dad.

 

[David Teague]

And don't make the mistake of holding up 2 fingers and saying "2 please"..... that would the the same as being in this country and holding up your middle finger and saying "1 please". Don't ask how I learned.

It si an insult there Because the English archers (my heros) had a bounty put on the two fingers that they drew there bow with.They would hold them up and I emagin say dirty words at french guy's that they were about to stick with arrows.I lernd that from my Scottish step dad.

Sure... and since the English Longbow was made of yew we all know what they shouted at the French while waving those two fingers to show they could still pull the bow string...

Pluck Yew!

:crackup:

 

[robinghewitt]

when I was in jolly old England I called my small butt pack a "fanny pack" in public and had someone offer to bust me in the mouth for saying that in public... :shocking:

That's a bum bag. Fanny is similar to the American word, in fact it's within very few of inches of being the same word for half the population.

An Englishman might offer to smack you in the gob, but would never bust your mouth. OTOH smacking someone in the gob should not to be confused with gob-smacked which is completely different.

I'm not explaining this very well, am I :crackup:

 

[laffingman67]

:shocking: ?????

BTW nice cannon.

 

You guys are really starting to get up my nose! :curse: Oh, and don't forget the raspberry that goes with that order of fingers! :haha:

Oh, and don't touch my pussy, he's feeling delicate today! :crackup:

Its an English thing! Thank the Eternal for BBC America!

:kid:

 

Safety First, here we have a turned steel barrel. But what sort of steel? Next, what condition is the bore in? Is rough or smooth, does it so signs of being fired? These are important questions, that need proper answers.

If you do not know the type of steel used, then assume its the wrong type and load light and do not attempt to fire projectiles.

If the bore is rough, then buy a brake hone and clean it up. If it is really bad, after honing, your only option is to have it rebore or reamed out.

If it hasn't been fired, why not?

250 grains should would you a pretty robust pop. 200 grains would be a better light load.

I was shooting 240 grains of Schuetzen Powder for blank charges out of my 4 bore handgonne with resounding booms. But that a proofed lathe turned piece of steel.

When talking full scale cannons, 4 ounces per inch of bore is the limit by Commonwealth of Massachusetts cannon code.

Just :m2c:

 

[Mulebrain]

Clay pipe,

Thanks for a cannon reply!

There must be a way to determine what type of steel on a Rockwell hardness scale? Or get it heat treated, to get it up to safely shoot round ball.

I will ask a guy at a machine shop. I believe they can tell by a striking device which smacks the steel.

Forgive me I am referring to my forged receiver days.

I am seriously thinking about getting some barrels made. I can buy forged stock, and get it turned. This would be the same stock, some high power reciever manufacturers use.

What do you build your handgonnes with?

What should the touch hole size be for this cannon? No touch hole has been drilled, but the bore goes to the rear!

There just might me some markings on the barrel, we will see??

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

when I was in jolly old England I called my small butt pack a "fanny pack" in public and had someone offer to bust me in the mouth for saying that in public... :shocking:

That's a bum bag. Fanny is similar to the American word, in fact it's within very few of inches of being the same word for half the population.

An Englishman might offer to smack you in the gob, but would never bust your mouth. OTOH smacking someone in the gob should not to be confused with gob-smacked which is completely different.

I'm not explaining this very well, am I :crackup:

But now, I'll have you wondering how I know to say this...

Ay'up me dok? :hmm:

And no Mum, I'm absolutely certain that I don't want any of that blackberry "cobbler". :crackup:

Regards,
WV_Hillbilly

 

I am seriously thinking about getting some barrels made. I can buy forged stock, and get it turned. This would be the same stock, some high power reciever manufacturers use. What do you build your handgonnes with?

Please pardon the repeat posting of this reply. 4140 is the Industry standard for smokeless powder barrels. Other safe metals I could suggest to you are 12L14 or 1137. I believe Getz and Colerain use 12L14 for their blackpowder swamped rifle barrels and Green Mountain advertises that they use 1137 for theirs.

What should the touch hole size be for this cannon? No touch hole has been drilled, but the bore goes to the rear!

Yes, but how close to the rear? At minimum, the breech, that metal between the end of the bore and the base of the neck of the knob (the cascable) should be at a minimum the same thickness as the width of the bore. This must be confirmed before attempting to vent.

There just might me some markings on the barrel, we will see??

Try talcum powder or corn starch to discern any faint markings.

I seriously encourage all interested in Cannoneering read THE MORE COMPLETE CANNONEER by M.C. Switlik. Your life and safety are worth it.

Just :m2c:

 

[AdirondakDD]

Many machinist, metal workers can determine type of steel by the sparks produced on a grinding wheel. It may be meant to be fired from the muzzel with a fire cracker. No touch hole. :m2c:

 

[musketman]

If all goes well and it can safely be fired, I suggest you make the touch hole small as possible to get the job done (about the size of a flintlock's vent), you can always drill it larger if need be, it is very hard to add metal to an over-sized hole...

 

[trigger mortise]

My 1