Blackpowder Cannons/artillery pieces

[Al LaVodka]

A little over two feet long, steel lined, about 1" bore.
Al

 

[Iggy]

Searcher,

I'd sell that one of mine if the urge overwhelms you.

 

[jcjacobvt]

Bore sizes using Carbon Mechanical Tubing

Beer can

OD 4.00 Wall .688 ID 2.624

Golf ball

OD 3.00 Wall .6525 ID 1.695

 

[4v50 Gary]

At the last meeting of the Company of Military Historians, John Morris brought out his swivel gun collection. His knees were hurting the next morning from hauling all that weight around.

 

[theotherwaldo]

If you just want to make a big boom, get a thundermug. They range from teacup size to something that looks like an over-sized beer stein. Simple modern ones are pretty cheap.

Here's what an 1860s model looks and sounds like when it is fired: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4EJLaHDHlc

 

[Al LaVodka]

4v50;
Where'd such a neat thing take place!

Theo;
I think the real original "mugs" were actually the breech of re-loadable cannon which could also be used as little cannon/mortar in a pinch. These guns typically go back before the 18th C. (at least the larger ones do).

Al

 

[Prod]

Wow, I never knew you could have a cannon. From my browsing, it looks like the majority of the cost is the carriage and not the cannon itself.

 

[Al LaVodka]

To be more precise, the wheels. Making the proper, stupid, artillary wheels. Regular carriage wheels won't even do (maybe on a galloper, I dunno). Chiseling the holes for the spokes. Shaving the heavy spokes. Putting the tires on. We've spent thousands on a replacement pair and had to drive 1/4 way across the country and back to get 'em.
Al

 

[Gambit88]

I hear ya al our weels on our 6 pounder are 500 a pop. Sigh and we need 2 repaired or replaced this year

Gambit

 

[ofitg]

HUH? I got into my full size, brass, grenade sized, 18th century cohorn for about $200. Small, but I still win at the 4th of July bang-contests!

Sounds like a small mortar I bought several years ago. It appears to be a 1/2 scale repro of the English Coehorn mortar used during the late 1700's. Cast brass barrel, 2-1/4 inch bore, weighs about 25 pounds altogether.



One of my books states that "there were 2-1/4 and 3-1/2 inch mortars apparently designed for throwing hand grenades. These light weapons do not appear on any official ordnance list that has yet been found, but there are surviving specimens which tests show to have been potentially effective weapons and not just toys or models. They may well have been designed as experimental infantry weapons like the modern trench mortars. If so, it seems that they would have performed well in this role, for they throw grenades accurately far greater distances than they could be hurled by hand."

 

[zimmerstutzen]

About 25 yrs ago, there was an old man near Peach Bottom, Lancaster county, PA that had a small back yard foundry and made both cannons and thunder mugs. I got a small cannon tube from him and should have bought a thunder mug. His had 1 inch bore and stood 14 inches tall, made of bronze. bases were about 7 inches in diameter.

Wonder what a group buy would cost for a couple dozen thundermugs

 

[messerist]

Several years ago I attended the High Plains Rendezvous in Larned Kansas. A gentleman put on a demonstration firing his mortar. He used bowling balls as projectiles! What fun! I've been wanting one ever since.

 

[Cap n Ball]

Here is our authentic 1832 Fort Pitt cast iron 6 pounder. In action and at rest. My friend who bought the gun and carriage wife left him for a while when she saw how much of the family funds he paid out for it. Before we had the tube sleeved for reenactment purposes we thought we would like to hear it bark. After a few beers we set it up on the shore of a nearby lake and rammed home two orange juice cans filled with concrete and wrapped in duct tape thick enough to act as a drive band to take the grooves in the tube. Thinking it would land in the lake and just splash. We had the elevation wrong and too heavy of a charge. When we fired it the cans and concrete became shrapnel and instead of hitting the lake it pretty much destroyed the end of an old barn and killed a cow. A $2000.00 mistake. NEVER mix alcohol and artillery.

 

[ofitg]

I bet that didn't go over very well with your friend's wife, either....

 

[dlon21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ktl87ZoVFg

Thought this would be a nice thread to post this link in. From AMF4 in Sweden.

 

[BHP FAN]

they had a cast bronze swivel at a local curio shop. About 1 1/2'' bore. Looked like a dragon,probably three feet long.I wanted it bad, but the $800.00 price tag was more than the ol' lady could bear.

 

[Bluehawk]

I have a King's howitzer...2.25" bore...cast...never fired (the fuse hole hasn't even been drilled yet). It's approx. 19 inches long and weighs close to 100 pounds! One day I'll drill it and make a carriage...although not sure what the proper carriage is for it though.
Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[Bluehawk]

Found some info on my Daniel King's Howitzer and two pics...one showing the correct carriage!
Seems the howitzer itself sells for $3,200...I got mine in a trade.
Unfortunately, the carriage sells for close to $5,000 :banghead:
These guns were used up to and through the War of 1812...

 

[Gambit88]

You can get a full sized coehorn for about 1500 carrage and all. The artillery group im part of is actually lookin into getting one to supplament out cannon.

Gambit

 

[moconfed]

Mortars are OK, but.....

 

[Bluehawk]

Since a howitzer is a cross between a cannon and a mortar...I'll stick with my howitzer...it can do the job of both!!!!