New member with 1st question

[Sandan]

Found this in central IL and had to have it. Was told previous owner shot C cell batteries from it. I can't find any markings on it and would love to shoot it sometime in the future. The bore is 1" (C cells fit with no slop), it's 22" long and weighs 32lbs. (without carriage) Appears to be cast. I was also wondering what you think the approximate value is. Thanks for all your help, Happy Holidays. MO

PS, Had to move it from the window, mail man stopped delivering.

 

[pargent]

The first thing i would do is not fire batteries from it :nono:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

After that, I'd take it out and have it magnafluxed to make sure it's safe to fire. The tube is probably worth from $500 on up if it doesn't have any imperfections..., with a carriage..., that can make the cost dramatically increase..., as long as the buyer wants the carriage and isn't buying it for the tube alone.

LD

 

[Sandan]

Never had anything magnafluxed before, engine shops do that?

 

[Celt5494]

Unless you are actually wanting to shoot a projectile at a target you can easily enough just shoot wadding out of it. You will still get a bang with the smoke and it will be a heck of a lot cheaper than the lead, not to mention just plain fun. As others have said, I wouldn't reccomend shooting batteries out of it. That might create a pretty hazardous to your health situation! Not to mention you don't want that stuff leeching into the soil.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes, engine shops, especially aircraft engine shops, do that. Many of the folks shoot concrete projectiles, made from the concrete that uses sand as the aggregate instead of gravel. All you need to make is a proper mold.

LD

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Molding you own balls for cannons is a great way to use up those old wheel weights that are too hard for you to want to shoot in your shoulder-fired guns. Cheap and readily available if you can find a mould. Look on fleaBay...you may find a mould but I have also recently seen freshly cast balls for sale in various cannon bore sizes.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Cannon Mike has cannon ball moulds. Not sure if I can post link to his site without breaking forum rules. Just Google Cannon Mike.

 

[kaintuck]

don't shoot her unless you have complied with safety rules! http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/board,88.0.html

bore MUST be confirmed safe to shoot~ dose it have a steel liner?
and HOW you handle the loading procedure!.....VERY important so you keep all your hands/face/arms etc

it only takes one mistake...... :surrender:

 

[TheDoubleD]

It looks like a cast iron ornament gun and should be considered unsafe to shoot....yeah yeah I know-"but the previous owner fired it with out problems" That's usually the nature of the statement made at all busting cannon arguments'

 

[buzz]

first off safety is Rule #1
is it lined witha liner or steel insert tube??
if not i jsut load it with some powder and shoot blanks charges
There is several sources if you wanting some lead balls i can even give you a few of my own if you want some around but i would not fire them in an unlined barrel
and if you realy wan tot get hurt fire batteries

 

[davec2]

Em O,

Although it would require a good visual inspection, I don't believe magnafluxing would be required to ensure that the gun is safe to fire. From the size, weight, bore diameter, shape of the cascabel, and details shown in the photograph, I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the barrel is a South Bend Replicas 1/4 scale Sea Service 12 Pounder. If it is a very early model, it may not be lined, but even barrels made by South Bend in the early 1970's had steel liners. You should be able to tell by a careful examination of the muzzle. If the tube was made by South Bend, and has not been severely neglected or abused, I would have no hesitation about firing it. I have two and I shoot 1 inch ball bearings out of them. (The ball bearings can be had for next to nothing at shops that replace worn out large bearings or can be purchased relatively cheaply from places like McMaster Carr.)

 

[TheDoubleD]

If it is cast iron and doesn't have a steel liner, its not safe to shoot even with blanks.

If it is a South Bend Replica, look around for the intial SBR. Might be on end of the end of the trunnions or underneath the barrel. If it is an SBR it should be safe to shoot after inspection.

 

[davec2]

The pictures shown here are of a cannon that is obviously just a decorative piece with only a thin cast iron shell, thin walls, and no constant diameter bore. A very cursory inspection should tell Em O that the barrel he has is thick, solid iron, and with a real bore. By the way, I have four South Bend cannons that were all cast in the 1970s and that I received directly from Paul Barnnet. None have an markings.

 

[TheDoubleD]

If they are SBR I doubt if they are cast iron, cast ductile steel is what SBR has always used as far as I know. And they most likely will have a barrel liner of steel id SBR.

SBR did not make junk. I don't know about lack of markings in the 70's, but their later tubes are marked.

Cast iron is brittle and thick doesn't change anything...cast iron is unsafe to use for a cannon.

This gun may indeed be a SBR and be safe to shoot. Find an expert and have the gun inspected and it if it passes inspection, shoot.

But find an expert on cannons, not as mythbuster expert, but some one like Matt Switlik who knows cannons. At least contact Switlik and have him make a referral in your area. This is a specialized field and the good ol boy down the street who has a cannon or the neighborhood gunsmith probably doesn't have specialized knowledge to do the inspection.

 

While I agree it looks like a Southbend tube. I must, also, also agree with the torry. This tube should be properly inspected. Magna fluxing may not be available in your area or cost prohibitive. Try finding an industrial x-ray company. You might find them easier on the wallet. And who knows, they may even cut you a break for the novelty of inspecting a cannon.

One of the advantages of x-raying is seeing if its bore is properly centered.

 

[Sandan]

Closer examination still fails to find any markings but does appear to be lined, outstanding. I guess question 2 is powder selection and charge.

 

[davec2]

Em O,

That is a lined South Bend Replica barrel. Look down the bore with a flashlight. If it looks OK, (i.e. not heavily rusted or pitted) I would not have any qualms about firing it with blanks or ball loads.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Here is a link to the American Artillery Association website and information on determining safe loads.
http://www.americanartillery.org/aaa/marty.html

I never seen the poor a quality casting from SBR before

 

[Sandan]

Thanks to all of you for your help. Would knowing this is a SBR affect the value? I'm not looking to sell it, just get the wife off my back. It took her a while to get past the BMG too.
MO