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Thread: Cannon

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    May 2021
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    Cannon

    May not be helpful to many.But here is a photo and video of my Hughes Cannon I built about 5 years back now.If you look at my other videos I have a few more on youtube...It is a 1.5 inch Bore..Breech Loader. Made after the only original known to survive from the confederacy..It is full scale as to the original..Made as close to the original as I could..It is Rifled as the original was too..

    I can show and tell alot more about if there is further interest..

    Sorry about the annoying wind noise..That was mother natures input..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVlf...s3y5bA&index=5

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy

    Txcowboy52's Avatar
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    Great job on the restore ! It looks awesome !!
    Keep your powder dry and watch your six !!

  3. #3
    Boolit Bub
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    Not a restore so much.I spent about nine months building it...The only original known to survive is in private hands now..It was found in a Barn in Kansas, maybe hidden there from Yankee confiscation..Who knows..

    I could not afford that one even at the time of sale many years back..I think last time the original sold it like 70,000.00 plus. Waaay out of my league.

    Here is a video of how it loads and operates..I cast 1 pound 11 ounce lead "bullets" for it.The projectile back then would have actually been called a "bolt".

    It is more less a large Bolt Action..

    A pic too of the known original mine is built off of..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv5k...s3y5bA&index=3

    Last edited by Carbineone; 06-03-2021 at 12:08 PM.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy

    Txcowboy52's Avatar
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    Do you shoot it much ? I bet it's a blast!! No pun intended. What's the range on it ?
    Keep your powder dry and watch your six !!

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I recognize that cannon! It’s nice to see fellow WG members here.

  6. #6
    Boolit Bub
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    That is me also Tyguy.

    Yes I take it out a few times a year..I actually have it loaded on the trailer to go out soon..Otherwise in the off months it resides in my Gun Room in the house..Wife will not allow it in the living room..No I do not understand Her reasoning there,LOL

    From old accounts I have read..When the Confederacy tested an original..The projectile presumably traveled 3 miles up the Tennessee River..I am doubtful of that but that is what they claimed back then..

    It is estimated that the South only commissioned the building of about a dozen of these small Guns..What their intended use was is somewhat of a mystery..They made the original barrels from train car axles as I understand..

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy

    Txcowboy52's Avatar
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    Wow! That's great stuff, I love history.
    Keep your powder dry and watch your six !!

  8. #8
    Boolit Master zymguy's Avatar
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    that's really something ! any build pics ?

  9. #9
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Way cool.

    A three mile range with a highly elevated barrel is realistic.
    When I was building my 1/3 scale of a Civil War era ordanence rifle-- the cheaper, mass produced version of a mountain howitzer-
    I came across some info from back then that said one would shoot 700 yards with a five degree elevation of the barrel.

    In actual use, they tended to ease off the maximum charges as a lot of the guns
    and especially the mortars would blow apart after about 250 shots.

    When I built the bowling ball mortar- a scaled down model of the old coastal defense mortars-
    A 4 oz. charge of single "F" sent a 15 pound bowling ball close to 1,000 yards.

    A 'real' cannon, being able to shoot 3 miles up a river from high ground---- its believable.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 06-04-2021 at 11:31 PM.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
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    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    That’s a beauty!

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    That is definitely a rapid fire cannon design for its day. Very nice job indeed.

    I went totally retro with my cannon, built a smooth bore 1.3 inch with an oak four wheel naval gun mount, side rope recoil stops for attachment to a ship’s side, rope front and rear elevation holds and a wedge elevation adjustment block. It was built as a salute cannon to shoot from my back deck on a bayou in FL. I tied the recoil ropes to the bottom of the rail and fired through the deck rail stiles. it was a slow loader.
    I found the scale drawings on the Smithsonian web site and built it to scale.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
    Cervantes

    “Never give up, never quit.”
    Robert Rogers
    Roger’s Rangers

    There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
    Will Rogers

  12. #12
    In Remembrance
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    I have built a few scale model cannons and mortars also. I got my inspiration and dimensions (scaled drawings) from the book "Round Ball and Rammers".
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check