Anybody else catch today's Mythbusters on Discovery?
Thought it was pretty interesting. They were doing some experimentation with a "home made" canon, the barrel being bored out of a tree trunk.
They were testing the myth that such wouldn't explode (didn't catch the specifics).
Anyhow, turns out that the canon did function, at least to some extent.
Tennis ball and unspecified powder charge resulted in shot that traveled beyond range of sight. Canon ok.
Granite bore size "ball" and 6 ounce powder charge resulted in a good shot and no damage to the canon.
Five pounds of powder, plugged muzzle. This resulted in catastrophic failure of the barrel, and mount.
Thought it was pretty interesting. They were doing some experimentation with a "home made" canon, the barrel being bored out of a tree trunk.
They were testing the myth that such wouldn't explode (didn't catch the specifics).
Anyhow, turns out that the canon did function, at least to some extent.
Tennis ball and unspecified powder charge resulted in shot that traveled beyond range of sight. Canon ok.
Granite bore size "ball" and 6 ounce powder charge resulted in a good shot and no damage to the canon.
Five pounds of powder, plugged muzzle. This resulted in catastrophic failure of the barrel, and mount.