Blackpowder Cannons/artillery pieces

Because they are black powder they dont fall under BATFE regs. They are legal everywhere as as I know. Here's some links for ya. These should get you started.

http://www.classiccannons.com/classiccannons.html

http://cannonsmoke.com/

http://www.users.qwest.net/~cannonmike/

http://www.hernironworks.com/cannons.html

http://www.historicalordnanceworks.com/pricelist.htm

http://www.cannonthunder.com/index.html

http://greystarcannontech.homestead.com/star.html

I'll take this from the top.

Yes, they are legal. At least at the Federal level, and usually most states.

No, there is no paperwork associated with them.

They are EXPENSIVE. You can get into a mortar for about $1200, but a full-blown, full-sized artillery piece will set you back ~$15K with all accoutrements. Think of it as a boat you can shoot.

My advice is to go over to the North-South Skirmish Association BB's cannon forum at http://www.n-ssa.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=24 and ask around. Those guys shoot live rounds in competition...and have a truckload of good information that they are willing to share.

Hey rusty I am one of them guys who shoot live cannons in those compititions previously mentiond, only we have a 6 pounder not a 12. Find a reenactment and ask those guys where they do live shoots and goto one if public is allowed(dont know how its run in ga). youll get a hell of a show.

Gambit

In some states anything over a certain caliber can be a problem. Zoning ordinances may control noise, there are some really bizarre things local gov'ts and state governments do when a bureaucrat gets a burr up his/her butt. Depending on what police dept is called around here, you will be told that it (1) is ok, (2) it is illegal, or (3) you need a pyrotechnics display permit to fire it.

Some folks have no sense of humor and will do anything to prevent a person from having too much fun. On a 4th of July at a family picnic near Gettysburg, a guy was firing blanks in a home made cannon. It blew up and a family member was killed. The cannon owner was charged with criminal reckless endangerment. Don't know if the charges stuck. I do know he was looking at time in the state pen and had to mortgage his house to hire a lawyer.

I know folks with cannons regularly gather across the river from here, but what rules and regs are enforced over there, may be completely different than here, and both sides are in pa.

Beware of bargain cannons or used cannons; they use enough powder to cause serious injury or death.

Some folks have no sense of humor and will do anything to prevent a person from having too much fun. On a 4th of July at a family picnic near Gettysburg, a guy was firing blanks in a home made cannon. It blew up and a family member was killed. The cannon owner was charged with criminal reckless endangerment.

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Huh?????

In the above scenario, who was the humorless person preventing people from having too much fun, the cannon owner whose cannon killed somebody or the survivors of the person who was killed? And who was the person who got deprived of having fun by this person without a sense of humor?

You can get into a mortar for about $1200

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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!

My Revolutionary War buddies and I had a 2 pound galloper for a while, and we had it magnafluxed at the local airfield to make sure it didn't have any cracks or air gaps when cast.

The problem with a full sized Parrot or Napoleon, in addition to the fact it's probably more expensive than a brand new compact car, are the huge amounts of powder needed to get a really nice bang. I have found that a mountain howitzer is louder with less powder, if you like CW pieces. A galloper or grasshopper is lowder than 6 pound field piece, again with less powder. Also..., much less expensive.

LD

You'll need about $1200 for a competition-grade mortar. Lots of fun.

Rusty,

See you are in Atlanta, GA. There are a couple of N-SSA teams in your area that shoot cannons. 37th GA comes immediately to mind. We do also but are further away.

Might want to touch base with some of the 37th through the Deep South Web Site. That way, you can fire the cannon a bit before buying one. find out for sure if you want to own one.

Loyalist Dave said:

HUH? I got into my full size, brass, grenade sized, 18th century cohorn for about $200. LD

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Dave;
Really? U got a good deal -- why don't you tell everyone exactly where to go to share in it please!
Al
PS: Does it look anything like the absolutely beautiful authentic, bronze, reproduction in the foreground here?

I had this swivel made for me by a nice guy in PA for under 500 - it shoots golf balls and is too much fun to be legal...but it is!

http://www.tsnsantarcangelo.it/fotoalbum/Trofeo%20di%20San%20Martino%202008/index.html

Cannon and other!! The howitzer is hand made, the bronze color is fake, under the paint the barrel is carbon steel, very nice cloud of smoke ad big blast with only 1/2 pound of cannon grade black powder.
To built it we need 6 months, from october to march.
ciao
Rusty

No mine is 1/2 that size, and was the smallest of the "full sized" used. It was to toss hand grenades farther than a fellow could chuck them.

I got mine at the Ft. Frederick Market Fair, which is next weekend this year. Ft Frederick State park, Big Pool MD

LD

Hey Dave you have any pics of your mortar?

Yeah, I'd like to see one too. The one in the picture (in front of our 3 lb'er grasshopper is, in fact, mine and is a French/Spanish repro F&I grenade-size (beer-can) launching steel-lined mortar. The English were almost exactly the same and there was nothing smaller. In fact, they were considered personal weapons and there is no known drill for them. There were some smaller shoulder-fired "belles" but I'd love to see the cites for a coehorn smaller than the one in the photo...

I'm just thinkin'... Farby. And no-one is buying an authentic repro for $200. Of any "gun" come to think of it.

Ft. Frederic is great. Better for buying pelts than crew-served weapons though.

Al

Here's a dandy Cohorne.



Shoots V-8 juice cans a couple of hundred yards slicker than a whistle.

I hate V-8 also!
Seriously, I presume you are filling it with cement...
Al

Yup, Cement and a loop of wire for a fluorescent streamer so I can find them and re-use them.

I also have a Sea Service Gun that fires 35mm film cans filled with cement or a 1/2 lead semi-wadcutter.

THat one will go clear through a pickup body at 100 yds or more.

Cool mortar Iggy! Whats the dimensions on it? Got any pics of it in action?

Bit of a difference...
Al

You guys have me wanting a mortar bad..lol

I also have a small swivel gun. Great for decks and defensive positions (as well as demonstrations and display). I tell nosey people its a sun-dial...
Al

I'd like one of those for the bike. Or a small Napoleon.

Whats the bore size on that?