Miniature cannon idea

[Sharpie44]

So I've over the last year and a half I've added three flintlock pistols, a hawken .54 cal percussion, two c&b revolvers, and a little derringer to my collection. I'm also ordering a 20 ga fusil-de-chasse kit soon.

Now I think it's time to look into something I've wanted since I was a little kid. I want a cannon. However my personal range is only 300 yards and I don't think I want a full sized gun that's going to cost a small fortune in powder to shoot.

So as much as I would love to own a mountain howitzer. I think I'm going to go a bit smaller. I was thinking I would but a swivel gun with a 1" bore and build a miniature carriage for it.

I was wondering if this sounded like a good idea. I just want something I can play around with. Maybe make a sighting tool for it and see what kind of accuracy I can get with it. I've never owned one or even known anyone who had a cannon. So this could be a horrible idea for all I know. If I'm not going to be able to hit anything with it that would probably be a no go to. I can't see myself taking it out enough to warrant having it if it's just a nose maker and no fun on the range.

If that didn't work out I'm buying a blunderbuss. Always wanted one of those to.

 

[robinghewitt]

As soon as your ball size reaches about 1" smooth bores suddenly become accurate. The wall guns were the sniper rifles of their day. There was an agreement in the English Civil War that the little Rabonets would not be used to pick off the officers just because they could.

Shooting anything out of a full size cannon is huge fun but you have to be there. If you put up a movie the world and his dog want to tell you that you are doing it all wrong, everyone around you is going to die and you are a really horrible person. Cannon envy is a terrible affliction :thumbsup:

 

[Poor Private]

I have 2 1" cannons. One is a swivel with a musket cap cannon lock on it. The other is on a field carriage, But I am thinking about changing that to a naval type carriage instead, and fires with cannon fuse. I also have a 1" shell mold. it is a cylinder with a point, and has a weight of 4oz. Both are fun to play with.
I also have a South Bend Cannon works 5/8" bore cannon- when fired live the best we can determine is that the round ball goes 1/2 mile. It will shoot the length of my uncles private lake.
Whatever you get or use be careful about the range they go further then most people think.

 

[Sharpie44]

Well my range has a large backstop and past that is 100 acres of woods so it should be fine. I'm normal more concerned with ricochets since there is a cattle farm about 300 yards to the left of the range.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

About 30 years ago, my first cannon was purchsed at an antique shop. The bore was 3/4 and it came with a box of 3/4 - 1/4 inch thick cardboard wads, several dozen 23/32 ball bearings and about 60 ft of fuse.

On my first trip to the range, we fired several blanks using around 100 grains of 2fg. Then we loaded one of the ball bearings in front of a cardboard wad. despite our best efforts to hit the 200 yd back stop, the ball went over and into the woods beyond. The horrible clacking noise it made as it bounced around through the trees was a bit unnerving, considering the care we attempted. I could swear I heard at least 5 distinct bangs of the ball riccocheting around. I still have all but that one of the ball bearings. Although if given the chance at the beach, I would fire it out over the ocean to get an idea of range.

I have heard that cannon balls fired without patches can actually climb slightly above the bore line before dropping. Something to do with air pressure above and below. It made no sense to me then, and I still have my doubts, but it seemed the only possible reason for missing the back stop.

Anyway, cannons are fun, and can be dangerous when you are finding your way to shooting them. Proceed with caution, but by all means proceed.

 

[colmoultrie]

1" bore isn't miniature at all....

If you have a private range and a stump, just drill a hole in the top of the stump and mount it like that:

I don't have a private range, unfortunately, so I put mine on a bench mount. If you look up the posts on swivel guns in this subforum, you'll find a lot of nicer ones than mine (even with the blurry photo), but mine is compact enough to fit into a car trunk and light enough to carry without problems. Plus I can put it on a table for displays and fire it from a shooting bench. And for firing blanks, where accuracy is not a concern, it works just fine from the ground.

 

[nightwolf1974]

I have 2 1" cannons. One is a swivel with a musket cap cannon lock on it. The other is on a field carriage, But I am thinking about changing that to a naval type carriage instead, and fires with cannon fuse. I also have a 1" shell mold. it is a cylinder with a point, and has a weight of 4oz. Both are fun to play with.
I also have a South Bend Cannon works 5/8" bore cannon- when fired live the best we can determine is that the round ball goes 1/2 mile. It will shoot the length of my uncles private lake.
Whatever you get or use be careful about the range they go further then most people think.

We need pics of those to drool over............

 

[Commodore Swab]

The last one I built for a friend. He wanted something "fun" that could have been made at the time using a spiked swivel gun. The bore is 1 inch as well.

http://www.swabsarmory.com/hand-cannon.html

 

[Treestalker]

Is the swivel gun in your pictures available commercially? Or can one be had from a private maker? It's a beauty. George.

 

[Rifleman1776]

From the way it is being shot, the term 'crotch shot' gets a whole new meaning. :shocked2:

 

[Poor Private]

Check on Ebay for tubes and cannons. Prices arn't bad. But you have to know what your looking for, and what it is.
I am getting kinda paranoid, so I don't post pictures of my weapons on the net any longer.

 

[steam1993]

My 1.25 naval cannon will shoot a 6 once lead ball about one mile, and that is with a wad. I use fuse on mine.

When I can figure out how to post photos I will, have tried but know luck.

 

[Treestalker]

Thanks, Private, I'll take a look; George.

 

[Treestalker]

Thanks, Private, I'll take a look; George.