Long post about Black Powder.

[owejia]

Made a replica of a Japanese sleeve [ hand] cannon. Using precussion caps to fire this thing. It fires by mashing a lever down on the cap like squeezing a pair of pliers together in the palm of your hand. Cannot get the metal caps to fire by squeezing the lever down , so decided to expermint using the toy cap gun plastic ring caps. They will go band every time you squeeze down on the shooting lever, no problem. Could not get the toy cap to set off the powder charge in the hand cannon. Drilled the nipple out to .062 dia. Filled the nipple with 3f and about half the time it will ignite the load. Using 2f in the nipple they will ignite the load about 2/3 of the time. My question, which grade 2f,3f,4f ignites the easiest and why. The 3f seems to compress in the nipple. The 2f granules are bigger and they don't compress in the nipple. Does a larger granule burn quicker than a small granule? Will a larger cannon granule burn even quicker?

[fouronesix]

Got me on how to make one of those work? Matchlock would be simple :)

As far as the powder question goes, I think you have it backwards. The larger the grain size, the slower the burn. The smaller the grain size, the faster the burn. Ease of ignition favors the smaller grain sizes because there is more surface area exposed. That's why FFFF is the favored flintlock pan (priming) powder.

[Fly]

PIC,S PIC,S, PLEASE!

Fly

[owejia]

Fly will try to get some pictures posted this weekend.

[mooman76]

Are we talking real black or a sub?

[owejia]

635906359163592

Pictures of japanese hand cannon, and a few other projects. All I use is real black powder.

[owejia]

http://youtube/uSo-RUCItJo
Here is a link to the japanese hand cannon being fired.

[owejia]

This is my prototype and have not finished it yet. Still trying to use precussion caps,still have some experminting to do on how to get enough force to fire them.

[fouronesix]

I see! Super simple. I think the trick will be to design-in something that will allow a sudden release of the handle/hammer as you increase force to get a kinetic "percussion" effect. I'm sure it can be done but keeping it simple at the same time may require some ingenuity. Of course it also needs to be reliable and safe.

[mooman76]

I see a couple things you could try. If you could find a tap o cap and make your own, you can put 1-3 paper caps in a cap. The other you could try is get some of the paper caps and punch out the cap(explosive part with a paper punch and add it to the plastic cap for some extra unph.

[ken s]

I WANT ONE. of course, I want every gun I see. Can you make one that fires a 6 pound ball?
great job....If you can't buy one, make it....Ken

[owejia]

Ken s being a retired machanist has its perks, have a hobby lathe and Bridgeport mill to play with.Back when I owned my own shop and had the equipment to make that 6 pounder was too busy trying to make a living. Have time now but don't have the get up and go anymore.Got my inspiration for the Japanese sleeve pistol from a picture. I read on another post that you work on antique gun also. I like to bring new life back into the old broken guns and sometime I have to make parts to make them shoot.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

black ignites at 801 degrees F at least according to it's MSDS

so you can cook it in an oven , touch it to a flame , or put a good spark to it how every you get a granual of it to 801 , but the smaller the granual the easier it is to get it to 801

[Rattus58]

Made a replica of a Japanese sleeve [ hand] cannon. Using precussion caps to fire this thing. It fires by mashing a lever down on the cap like squeezing a pair of pliers together in the palm of your hand. Cannot get the metal caps to fire by squeezing the lever down , so decided to expermint using the toy cap gun plastic ring caps. They will go band every time you squeeze down on the shooting lever, no problem. Could not get the toy cap to set off the powder charge in the hand cannon. Drilled the nipple out to .062 dia. Filled the nipple with 3f and about half the time it will ignite the load. Using 2f in the nipple they will ignite the load about 2/3 of the time. My question, which grade 2f,3f,4f ignites the easiest and why. The 3f seems to compress in the nipple. The 2f granules are bigger and they don't compress in the nipple. Does a larger granule burn quicker than a small granule? Will a larger cannon granule burn even quicker?

Smaller ignites faster and has more overall surface area per load to ignite, so therefore ignites easier. However, smaller also fills voids and can "block" the fire channel acting like a fuse rather than explosive.

Aloha... 8-)

[Fly]

That's sooooooooooo cool.I,m also a retired tool & die maker with a small shop be side my home.I been thinking
about making a small cannon.It would be fun sharing ideas.

Thanks for the post
Fly