On the way to the range...

[obssd1958]

I stopped at a yard sale and found this:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m9/obssd1958/shooting/100_6237.jpg
:drinks:
17 inches long, 3 inches wide at the widest point, and the bore is .755-.758. Seems to be solid steel. That's a quarter sitting on top of the barrel to show scale...

My wife asked me "What are you going to do with THAT???!!!"
Being the quick thinking individual that I am, I replied, "Use it to entertain the grandkids!"
She rolled her eyes and turned away, shaking her head. No doubt she was just disappointed that she hadn't thought of it first![smilie=1:


By the way, does anyone have any pet loads for these things that they want to share??


Don

[Ricochet]

Carbide?

[CT Kid]

I used to make cannons in high school metal shop, sold a bunch to my teachers for $20.00 each. I still shoot them off on the forth of July when we do our fireworks display. I use black powder and a fuse and pack a bunch of Kleenex using a dowel and a hammer to pack it.

I used to light the cannons off in my backyard. My neighbor was a breeder of dachshunds and she had a litter of 11 puppies. She would let the dogs go anywhere they wanted in the house, on the beds, under the covers, on furniture…. you get the idea. One day she called me up and said: "I don't mind you firing off your cannons but every time you do the dogs take a crap." Can you imagine cleaning up after all those dogs? I am sure she must have missed a few “loads” here and there!

[RayinNH]

Make sure the trunnions don't go straight across the bore...Ray

[obssd1958]

Okay Ray, you have my attention - explain the issue with the trunnions...
please? After all, I am aware that the 4 words that proceed most emergency room visits are " Hey ya'all, watch this!" [smilie=1:
and I would like to keep all my body parts attached just the way they are!

Thanks!

Don

[Mk42gunner]

Don, the trunnions are what the barrel pivots on, thus allowing elevation changes. In the picture it looks like a one piece rod through the mid point of the barrel. There should also be straps of some sort over the trunnions holding them to the gun carraige.
While I have never actually fired one of these for real, I spent many hours polishing the two brass 12 pounders in the greenhouse (Gun School) at Great Lakes.

Robert

[RayinNH]

Don, maybe this will clarify for you although Robert explained it just fine...Ray

http://www.taylorsbattery.org/parts_of_a_cannon.htm

[RayinNH]

Don, I decided to elaborate some more. The trunnions in this picture look like it could be a single rod that goes right through the barrel. If that is the case and you try loading some black powder and some of it makes it past the trunnions/rod and then later you seat a ball or tight fitting wadding it will act like a bore obstuction. From there, things can get really ugly. Just be sure to check that first...Ray

[Buckshot]

.............That very well could be just a garden ornament. And it looks to me also that the trunnion goes right through the barrel. The lack of straps over the trunnions also indicates to me it wasn't meant to be fired. Finally, the barrel may be cast iron and not steel.

Now cast iron, in and of itself isn't really a bad thing. But if it was intended to be an ornament (regardless if the trunnion passes clean through the barrel), it still might not be safe to fire. As an ornament the foundry would have no problems with slag or blow holes or core shift (if the bore was a core in the mould and not drilled).

If it did appear to be shootable, I'd proof it with 150grs of 2FG and a wad. Put it in a steep sided hole breech down. If it stood that I'd shoot it with 50grs of 2Fg as that will still get you a good bang :-)

A nice find, regardless. It's cute!

..............Buckshot