Bowling ball mortar

[Winger Ed.]

Here's a project I recently finished:
Its a functioning replica of a 1844 Costal Defense Mortar made from a welding gas cylinder.
With a 4 oz. charge of Black Powder, it'll shoot a bowling ball about 500 yds.
The 4th picture is the real deal. A Civil War photo of real 13" 1844 mortars

[lead-1]

Nice build, looks good. How much does it weigh and with the load you mentioned does the mortar slide back when fired?

[John Taylor]

Have built a few over the years, never used a OX cylinder. You must have a loose fit on the ball, we were sending 16 pound balls out of sight with 3 ounces of 1F.

[smokemjoe]

I got mine done last year, I used a 3AA2400 weld tank, 24 in. long with a powder chamber weld to the rear , that is 6x6in. with a a powder chamber bored out to hold 4 oz. of powder, With a kiddie ball, 900 yards. I am using 3 oz. of 3FA and 1 oz. of fuse powder and some times 1 oz. of Geox 2 F. Same load as Eds is about the same.

[Winger Ed.]

Nice build, looks good. How much does it weigh and with the load you mentioned does the mortar slide back when fired?

Thanks everybody.
This thing weighs about 450 pounds, maybe a little more.
I lost my place to shoot, and haven't found another one yet.
From what others say that have these things, it will probably move some if there isn't a stake in the ground behind it, but the sled is longer to the rear than the centerline coming down from the barrel, and shouldn't jump up much or flip over.

[Winger Ed.]

I got mine done last year, I used a 3AA2400 weld tank, 24 in. long with a powder chamber weld to the rear , that is 6x6in. with a a powder chamber bored out to hold 4 oz. of powder,

That's about the same specs. as mine. Did you make your's with a Coehorn style base?
My 6" roundstock breech plug/firing chamber is 7" long, with 1" sticking out the back to hold the trunnion shaft and give me some extra stock to grind on so it would have more of a rounded over rear end like the originals.

The middle section band is just for looks, but it's made from a section of the same gas cylinder.
I split a section of it, pounded the thing down over the barrel, added a piece of flat bar to fill the gap, then welded the whole mess together at about 200 Amps with Gas & R70, .035 wire.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I saw one at our yearly Rendezvous last year. 14LB ball 3 oz 1F = 600yards.

All I could do is stand there with my mouth open.

The guy told me when they Proofed the gun in Coalinga CA with 1 full pound of 1F it shot a 14lb ball 1.25 miles!!!!

This one was built so heavy he could have used a pound of Bullseye and it would have survived it just fine.

Amazing that a 42 pounder from a British Ship of the Line would shoot a 42lb cast iron ball 2.5 miles!!! in 1725!!!. We've come so far since then but that peorformance is nothing short of spectacular. 300 years ago. not that much has changed.

Randy

[Winger Ed.]

We've come so far since then but that peorformance is nothing short of spectacular. 300 years ago. not that much has changed.Randy
Weapon technology is amazing, for whatever period of history.
Researching prior to the build on this one-
I thought these 10-13 inch mortars came along just a little before the Civil War.
There is alot of info, even period pictures of the 1840 model,
and you can see a few changes that went into the 'modern' 1844 model.
I also found the 1840 model was just slightly improved from ones used in the 1750's.

Technology wise:
In one leap, with the invention/development of Gunpowder:
As far as "Seige" weapons, or "Heavy Artillery" is concerned,,,,,
These things made the Catapult, or the more modern Treboshe obsolete- overnight.

.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Ed: we are having a Cannon and Mortar shoot this coming Memorial Day weekend at the Ojai Valley Gun Club just north of Ojai CA.

If you leave tonight you should be able to make it.

I'll post some pics on Sunday of the things I see .

Randy

[jmorris]

I don't have a BP one built yet but I did finish a pneumatic one a few months ago. 40 gallon H2O heater tank and 2" ball valve. 115 PSI sends it around 175 yds. Will try it out this weekend with a two stage (175 psi).


http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bbc/3bb.jpg


This one is a video click on the photo to play

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bbc/th_40psi.jpg (http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/reloading/bbc/?action=view&current=40psi.mp4)

[Hardcast416taylor]

An electricaly operated solenoid quick opening valve would be a quantum leap for rapid air transfer from the storage tank to the gun barrel.Robert

[Winger Ed.]

I don't have a BP one built yet but I did finish a pneumatic one a few months ago.

That is cool.......
I have a interest in the pumpkin shooting with compressed air cannons.
Its about all I can do to keep from building one.
I'd never seen a air cannon shooting bowling balls though.

Something I ran across in researching the mortar was folks shooting anvils straight up in the air.
Seems that would be more & more fun the lower & lower the level in the beer keg got.

[Russ in WY]

Was usually done on the 4th of July .. Long before they had beer kegs out west .. There was a painting of this event here in Cheyenne, about a month ago @ the Western Art Show ... I just saw a rather large anvil sitting on a trailer , [Replica] its about 12' long & 6'tall, may have to stop by & find out about it, made of sheet steel. Russ...

[jmorris]

An electricaly operated solenoid quick opening valve would be a quantum leap for rapid air transfer from the storage tank to the gun barrel.Robert


I agree but also a quantum leap in price. That valve was $5 off of ebay. I think I am going to make another lever and spring load it to provide the same function (will have it done by the 4th). You'll have to search youtube but "sawdust cannon" was the end goal, shooting bowling balls is just fun and free.