Hand made cannon

[Bushrod]

I remember being in high school, think I was a sophomore at the time. The seniors in the metal shop class built a cannon to shoot 1" ball bearings. Needless to say they loaded it and blew the shop door of the hinges. That was about 40 years ago.

[405]

This thread is a study of human nature Most muzzleloader and BPCR shooters including those who have old originals think nothing of loading BP (or even 48 grs of 3031 smokeless as in the trapdoor thread!) underneath a heavy lead ball or slug and touching the thing off next to their head. Yet all the worry about a light load of BP under a lead RB in this cannon???? Take a look at the type of iron or primitive steel used in the old BP era rifles/handguns and take a look at the design/thickness of the barrel, chamber walls, receivers, breech blocks in many of those old guns. THEN compare that to this cannon made with modern steel. I'd be more worried about how to control where that 1" ball went after firing- even with a backstop or berm I can imagine a "whistling" ricochet off into the next county. As Bart Simpson says, "I didn't do it, noboby saw me do it, you can't prove anything".

[6bg6ga]

Quote:

I'd be more worried about how to control where that 1" ball went after firing- even with a backstop or berm I can imagine a "whistling" ricochet off into the next county. As Bart Simpson says, "I didn't do it, noboby saw me do it, you can't prove anything".



The cannon has always been fired at a shooting range with a very very thick backstop. Nothing has or is capable of penetrating the backstop regardless of caliber. Caution and common sense have always been used after all I am no youngster.

[firefly1957]

405 I did write that early on about recoil raising point of impact and recoil being the limiting factor on powder load.
Also note that even blank loads will recoil if enough powder is used.

[coopieclan]

Nice cannon,
When I was a kid I worked on a "Committee" Boat for Yacht Racing.
The boat is anchored at the starting line.
The judges used the cannon to start the race.
That cannon took a 10 gauge blank shotgun shell.
There was a simple mechanism breech load the shell, cock the cannon by hand and pull a string to release the hammer. BO0M !

They still make something like them.

[6bg6ga]

Attachment 98297Attachment 98298Attachment 98299

[Eddie2002]

Is that a one inch bore? very nice piece. I really like the trunnion mounts. If you shoot it from a table clamp a 2x4 across the back of the table so the cannon won't roll off from the recoil. KABOOM!!!!

[6bg6ga]

Is that a one inch bore? very nice piece. I really like the trunnion mounts. If you shoot it from a table clamp a 2x4 across the back of the table so the cannon won't roll off from the recoil. KABOOM!!!!

Bore is exactly 1.025

Enclosed hopefully is a picture of the cannon on its recoil pad. After the first time of having the cannon flip over the recoil pad was dreamed up. It works great.Attachment 98315