Any cannon owners here?
- Thread starter Glock19Fan
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timgd
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kBob
Member
FO,
Was at Sill MUCH later than you, 1981. Used my GI bill from Enlisted service to go back to college and wanted that extra cash for a ROTC contract so got commissioned and they granted my request for an age waver based on prior service. As Enlisted Infantry I had a very low opinion of Red Legs as most of my experience with them was not cannon cockers but Pershing folks, an odd breed indeed. I placed 13A nowhere on my dream list, had experience as an Infantryman with some additional training and such, a degree in Criminology, a hobby of small arms and rifle team membership and very high scores on my Pre aviation tests.......so naturally the Army offered me a Regular Commission in Field Artillery (Cannon Battery). Not content to crush my dreams of going back into the Infantry, or putting my Criminology education to use as an MP or maybe slapping me with a flaming piss pot to wear at some small arms depot they then after my being top shot in a basic course and well on my way to the same in the cannon battery course, cut my orders for a warhead depot for Lance with the Dutch Army......and then wondered why I resigned at the earliest possible moment.
I actually enjoyed the courses at Ft. Sill and some FO (we called it FIST TEAM FIre Support Team Team) work at Graff with 3rd Armored just before I got out. Guess it was a good thing they treated me like dirt or I would be like few of my buddies as bitter old retired Colonels....though the benies would have been nice.
I would not have minded being with a flying battery of 6 pounders in Mexico or with The Gallant Pelham (worked for a grand nephew of his when I was a kid) in Virginia, but maintaining and securing Nuke Warheads to give to a foreign government when the balloon goes up just did not do it for me.
-kBob
Was at Sill MUCH later than you, 1981. Used my GI bill from Enlisted service to go back to college and wanted that extra cash for a ROTC contract so got commissioned and they granted my request for an age waver based on prior service. As Enlisted Infantry I had a very low opinion of Red Legs as most of my experience with them was not cannon cockers but Pershing folks, an odd breed indeed. I placed 13A nowhere on my dream list, had experience as an Infantryman with some additional training and such, a degree in Criminology, a hobby of small arms and rifle team membership and very high scores on my Pre aviation tests.......so naturally the Army offered me a Regular Commission in Field Artillery (Cannon Battery). Not content to crush my dreams of going back into the Infantry, or putting my Criminology education to use as an MP or maybe slapping me with a flaming piss pot to wear at some small arms depot they then after my being top shot in a basic course and well on my way to the same in the cannon battery course, cut my orders for a warhead depot for Lance with the Dutch Army......and then wondered why I resigned at the earliest possible moment.
I actually enjoyed the courses at Ft. Sill and some FO (we called it FIST TEAM FIre Support Team Team) work at Graff with 3rd Armored just before I got out. Guess it was a good thing they treated me like dirt or I would be like few of my buddies as bitter old retired Colonels....though the benies would have been nice.
I would not have minded being with a flying battery of 6 pounders in Mexico or with The Gallant Pelham (worked for a grand nephew of his when I was a kid) in Virginia, but maintaining and securing Nuke Warheads to give to a foreign government when the balloon goes up just did not do it for me.
-kBob
RetiredUSNChief
Member
Yes, of a sort.
Check the video link by my signature at the bottom of this posting.
That is a 2/3 scale replica of a 24 pounder off of the USS Constitution that I built as a carbide cannon for the kids (OK...and Daddy, too) to use during the Fourth of July last year.
I had two criteria in mind when I designed it:
1. It couldn't look like a redneck cannon. A bunch of PVC pipe glued together and painted black may be quick, easy, and fun, but it doesn't LOOK like a cannon...it looks like a bunch of PVC pipe glued together and painted black.
2. Operating by the general principle that bigger is better when it comes to noisemakers, it couldn't be small.
As completed, this cannon is approximately 6 feet long. The cannon itself weighs 23 pounds and the carriage weighs 79 pounds, for a total of 102 pounds. The entire thing breaks down in a few minutes to fit into my car (a 2005 LeSabre). Lay the front passenger seat all the way back and the cannon will sit across it into the back seat, pointing out the back window. The axels come off with four wing nuts and the entire carriage sits in the trunk otherwise fully assembled.
The video doesn't really do the sound justice, but if you have good speakers and turn the volume up a bit, with some extra bass, it'll give you an idea what it's like.
I built it as a noise maker...not a spud gun. I never pressure tested it as such and I'm reluctant to tightly pack the barrel with a potato and light this off as a carbide cannon. Acetylene is a wee bit more reactive than hair spray, and the firing chamber in the breech is 6 inches in diameter...a lot of area for such forces to be felt.
As I said...it's a carbide cannon. The breech is a 6x6x4 Tee, necked down to a 3 inch barrel. The breech end is capped off with a cleanout plug which has two electric gas grill igniters built into it. The 4 inch opening in the Tee is capped with a removable cleanout plug and serves as the water reservoir necessary in a carbide cannon.
The vent is positioned directly above this reservoir. Fill the reservoir with about half a soda bottle of water. Then pour a heaping half-teaspoon of calcium carbide powder in the vent. When the calcium carbide hits the water, it generates acetylene gas. Give it about an 8 second count after adding the calcium carbide and push the button for the ignitors...and if you've forgotten your hearing protection the first time you do this, you'll never forget them again!
This thing will wake the neighbors blocks away and makes a totally awesome rolling boom across a lake.
And it'll easily launch an oversized inch tennis ball 100 yards downrange at the outdoor shooting range.
Here's the core of the cannon, sitting next to the wood jig I built to do the body work.
P5300592 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Here's the body of the cannon after I had added several layers of 2 inch thick foam insulation blocks and carved the shape of the body using a hot wire I made using a transformer and guitar string. Note the wood patterns on the side of the jig.
P6020600 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Here's the body of the cannon after the final shaping of the foam, installation of the trunnions, and two coats of latex KILZ thickened with drywall mud. It's shown upside down and the 4 inch cleanout opening is showing, which serves as the water reservoir.
P6060621 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
This is the 6 inch cleanout plug that goes on the breech end with the two gas grill igniters installed.
P6150649 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
This is a shot of the breech end of the cannon before the 6 inch cleanout plug is installed. If you look closely, you can see the vent hole in the top (directly above the water reservoir) and the round bolt heads in the barrel which hold the trunnions in place.
P6150662 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Check the video link by my signature at the bottom of this posting.
That is a 2/3 scale replica of a 24 pounder off of the USS Constitution that I built as a carbide cannon for the kids (OK...and Daddy, too) to use during the Fourth of July last year.
I had two criteria in mind when I designed it:
1. It couldn't look like a redneck cannon. A bunch of PVC pipe glued together and painted black may be quick, easy, and fun, but it doesn't LOOK like a cannon...it looks like a bunch of PVC pipe glued together and painted black.
2. Operating by the general principle that bigger is better when it comes to noisemakers, it couldn't be small.
As completed, this cannon is approximately 6 feet long. The cannon itself weighs 23 pounds and the carriage weighs 79 pounds, for a total of 102 pounds. The entire thing breaks down in a few minutes to fit into my car (a 2005 LeSabre). Lay the front passenger seat all the way back and the cannon will sit across it into the back seat, pointing out the back window. The axels come off with four wing nuts and the entire carriage sits in the trunk otherwise fully assembled.
The video doesn't really do the sound justice, but if you have good speakers and turn the volume up a bit, with some extra bass, it'll give you an idea what it's like.
I built it as a noise maker...not a spud gun. I never pressure tested it as such and I'm reluctant to tightly pack the barrel with a potato and light this off as a carbide cannon. Acetylene is a wee bit more reactive than hair spray, and the firing chamber in the breech is 6 inches in diameter...a lot of area for such forces to be felt.
As I said...it's a carbide cannon. The breech is a 6x6x4 Tee, necked down to a 3 inch barrel. The breech end is capped off with a cleanout plug which has two electric gas grill igniters built into it. The 4 inch opening in the Tee is capped with a removable cleanout plug and serves as the water reservoir necessary in a carbide cannon.
The vent is positioned directly above this reservoir. Fill the reservoir with about half a soda bottle of water. Then pour a heaping half-teaspoon of calcium carbide powder in the vent. When the calcium carbide hits the water, it generates acetylene gas. Give it about an 8 second count after adding the calcium carbide and push the button for the ignitors...and if you've forgotten your hearing protection the first time you do this, you'll never forget them again!
This thing will wake the neighbors blocks away and makes a totally awesome rolling boom across a lake.
And it'll easily launch an oversized inch tennis ball 100 yards downrange at the outdoor shooting range.
Here's the core of the cannon, sitting next to the wood jig I built to do the body work.
P5300592 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Here's the body of the cannon after I had added several layers of 2 inch thick foam insulation blocks and carved the shape of the body using a hot wire I made using a transformer and guitar string. Note the wood patterns on the side of the jig.
P6020600 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Here's the body of the cannon after the final shaping of the foam, installation of the trunnions, and two coats of latex KILZ thickened with drywall mud. It's shown upside down and the 4 inch cleanout opening is showing, which serves as the water reservoir.
P6060621 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
This is the 6 inch cleanout plug that goes on the breech end with the two gas grill igniters installed.
P6150649 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
This is a shot of the breech end of the cannon before the 6 inch cleanout plug is installed. If you look closely, you can see the vent hole in the top (directly above the water reservoir) and the round bolt heads in the barrel which hold the trunnions in place.
P6150662 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Last edited:
RetiredUSNChief
Member
This picture is an overhead shot of the breech end of the cannon with the 6 inch cleanout plug installed. It's sitting in the carriage I built for it. Note the position of the vent hole. In the real deal, the vent is positioned a few inches further back, but I had to move it forward in order to get it over the water reservoir.
P6150667 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Profile shot of the primed cannon sitting in the carriage as I was completing the rest of the work on it.
P6150668 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Again, a shot of the cannon upside down showing the water reservoir. I've added the custom carved breech endcap and it's shown being clamped in place as the glue sets by temporarily bolting it in place using what will become the cascabel and a block of wood. You can also see the cable I hardwired to the gas grill igniters sticking out of the side and connected to the battery powered pushbutton.
P6150672 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Jumping ahead, this is a photo of the nearly completed cannon, profile shot. Two coats of flat black paint over the latex primed cannon. The carriage bolts were eventually painted black (I wanted to powder coat them, but ran out of time) and the axel pins were eventually fully centered. Standing next to this, you'd honestly think "WOW! Cool cannon!" and you wouldn't really get the sense that this thing wasn't cast iron until you actually touched it.
P6200706 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
For a practical simulation, there is a ramrod made using 1 inch PVC pipe and a big, fat roller brush. After firing the cannon, you run this thing in and out of the barrel three or four times and it freshens the air in the cannon and readies it for the next shot.
Pour Calcium carbide in the vent, wait 8 seconds, push the button, cycle the ramrod a few times, and repeat. Simple as that!
She may not be a "real" cannon, but the first time my wife saw it she said "THAT'S COOL!" High praise, in my book.
P6150667 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Profile shot of the primed cannon sitting in the carriage as I was completing the rest of the work on it.
P6150668 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Again, a shot of the cannon upside down showing the water reservoir. I've added the custom carved breech endcap and it's shown being clamped in place as the glue sets by temporarily bolting it in place using what will become the cascabel and a block of wood. You can also see the cable I hardwired to the gas grill igniters sticking out of the side and connected to the battery powered pushbutton.
P6150672 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
Jumping ahead, this is a photo of the nearly completed cannon, profile shot. Two coats of flat black paint over the latex primed cannon. The carriage bolts were eventually painted black (I wanted to powder coat them, but ran out of time) and the axel pins were eventually fully centered. Standing next to this, you'd honestly think "WOW! Cool cannon!" and you wouldn't really get the sense that this thing wasn't cast iron until you actually touched it.
P6200706 by RetiredUSNChief, on Flickr
For a practical simulation, there is a ramrod made using 1 inch PVC pipe and a big, fat roller brush. After firing the cannon, you run this thing in and out of the barrel three or four times and it freshens the air in the cannon and readies it for the next shot.
Pour Calcium carbide in the vent, wait 8 seconds, push the button, cycle the ramrod a few times, and repeat. Simple as that!
She may not be a "real" cannon, but the first time my wife saw it she said "THAT'S COOL!" High praise, in my book.
kBob
Member
Chief,
That is fantastic. Fulfills what aught to be, that is, "Get it done right and make it look good"
You must have been a great NCO to work for or with or have working for you to do that sort of well done project.
I really like the idea of the paint roller on PVC to stir up the air mix.....beats the leaf blower we used on a LP PVC cannon ( very red neck though we tried to make it look like an 81 mm mortar but never got around to painting it)one year all to heck for style points.
-kBob
That is fantastic. Fulfills what aught to be, that is, "Get it done right and make it look good"
You must have been a great NCO to work for or with or have working for you to do that sort of well done project.
I really like the idea of the paint roller on PVC to stir up the air mix.....beats the leaf blower we used on a LP PVC cannon ( very red neck though we tried to make it look like an 81 mm mortar but never got around to painting it)one year all to heck for style points.
-kBob
kBob
Member
Gambit,
Neat photos and good info. Here in Gainesville, Florida all we know about Greyling is that Fred Bear had his factory there before moving here. I have a little Bear Greyling made bow out in the shop the kids sometimes use.
Looks like a lot of fun. Did you ever see a model of a Whitworth Breech loader made from a 40 mm AA barrel there? I know there was one that shot nationally in the 1970's and wondered what had happened to it.
Locally we have a private battery that includes this original 3 inch rifle. Unfortunately the guy running the battery has gone WWII and currently spends more time on a very good fake German Armored car and a VW than the ACW cannons.
-kBob
Neat photos and good info. Here in Gainesville, Florida all we know about Greyling is that Fred Bear had his factory there before moving here. I have a little Bear Greyling made bow out in the shop the kids sometimes use.
Looks like a lot of fun. Did you ever see a model of a Whitworth Breech loader made from a 40 mm AA barrel there? I know there was one that shot nationally in the 1970's and wondered what had happened to it.
Locally we have a private battery that includes this original 3 inch rifle. Unfortunately the guy running the battery has gone WWII and currently spends more time on a very good fake German Armored car and a VW than the ACW cannons.
-kBob
Attachments
Loyalist Dave
Member
I have a full sized, though smallest of the variations, 18th century, repro mortar.
LD
LD
Mike1234567
member
RetiredUSNChief... I need to build one of those to display from my front deck and "aimed" at my front gate. 
RetiredUSNChief
Member
One of these days I need to dig up my notes and sketches and make a drawing with a list of material for that cannon project. I've no accurate idea what the material cost, because I bought want I needed over several months before I started. The wood also came from my oldest brother's woodshop, scraps he needed to get rid of anyway, so that didn't cost me anything.
Next project on the books is a pair of civil war era mortars, scaled down to a 3 inch barrel with sleeve inserts of various sizes so that I can use them to launch fireworks from.
Wouldn't mind making a civil war era field artillery piece, either, but that's a bit more in the future...preferable when I've cleared out some storage space for it.
Next project on the books is a pair of civil war era mortars, scaled down to a 3 inch barrel with sleeve inserts of various sizes so that I can use them to launch fireworks from.
Wouldn't mind making a civil war era field artillery piece, either, but that's a bit more in the future...preferable when I've cleared out some storage space for it.
whughett
Member
On the Napoleonic Gribeauval what is the purpose of the "scoop" shaped device mounted near the left wheel.Kbob,
What year were you at Sill?
I got my commission through ROTC, so Sill was our boot camp in the summer of 1966, and then I went back there for 4 months of artillery school in 1968 after graduating from college--then on to Vietnam. Since that's over 45 years ago, my memory is a bit fuzzy as to where I bought the cannon kit. It was on post, and I remember having visited the museum the same day, but now that you mention it, it probably was the book store.
Anyway, it was a small static all metal model of an M1841 and limber made by company called Model Shipways.
I still have it---and being made of "Britannia" metal, I can't believe it's survived all these years. These 1/16th scale kits are still sold by a company called "Model Shipways"
Since it's just a smaller non-firing version of the shooter that Dixie still sells, I used it
as a prototype to help fabricate all the chains, hooks, pointing rings, and other stuff that the Dixie model doesn't come with.
When got back from oversea, I was assigned to an artillery battalion at Ft Hood in Texas. I had decided by that time to get out when my two years reserve duty was up, so I never got back to Sill.
Cheers
Awesome collection by the way.
kBob
Member
The ladles are used to load and unload a cartridge. In older times even loose powder would be loaded with a ladle.
The cartridge consisting of a paper covered or foil covered cloth bag of powder affixed to a projectile by various means (though typically a wooden sabot had the powder bag tied on the rear and the projectile wired to the front) this was placed in the ladle and the ladle with the open side up run to the breech then the ladle was rotated so the open side was down and removed, leaving the cartridge in place. Some times the ladle had a head cut for ramming to finally seat the cartridge on the other end. TO unload the ladle was run back in and simply scooped up the cartridge, if all went well.
If the ramming had made the cartridge to tight that cork screw looking thing could be used to grab the cartridge by the wires or straps holding the projectile to the sabot and powder charge and then pull every thing out. The Cork screws main use was removing the reminants of powder bags that might be left in the bore.
The swabs or mops were used to extinguish any embers in the barrel before you tried to put a new powder bag into it and to clean out some of the fouling.
As I meantioned in loose powder days the ladle or scoop was very useful to ensure the powder all made it down to where it needed to be. Some of the older guns have a third bucket ( the two on most ACW carraiges are one fore water for the mops and one for grease for the axle. ) that was a powder bucket. It was of a known size and the gunner used it to measure his charges as he in those days used charge weight to vary range as much as or more than elevation of the muzzle. Many gunners carried a special dagger that was marked to show what charge was in the powder bucket by shaking the powder level then sticking the dagger to the bottom of the bucket so one filled close and then trickeled powder for the final measure much as a modern rifle reloader.
The crow bar looking things are for moving the trail of the gun to provide azmith corrections.
That enough explanation?
-kBob
The cartridge consisting of a paper covered or foil covered cloth bag of powder affixed to a projectile by various means (though typically a wooden sabot had the powder bag tied on the rear and the projectile wired to the front) this was placed in the ladle and the ladle with the open side up run to the breech then the ladle was rotated so the open side was down and removed, leaving the cartridge in place. Some times the ladle had a head cut for ramming to finally seat the cartridge on the other end. TO unload the ladle was run back in and simply scooped up the cartridge, if all went well.
If the ramming had made the cartridge to tight that cork screw looking thing could be used to grab the cartridge by the wires or straps holding the projectile to the sabot and powder charge and then pull every thing out. The Cork screws main use was removing the reminants of powder bags that might be left in the bore.
The swabs or mops were used to extinguish any embers in the barrel before you tried to put a new powder bag into it and to clean out some of the fouling.
As I meantioned in loose powder days the ladle or scoop was very useful to ensure the powder all made it down to where it needed to be. Some of the older guns have a third bucket ( the two on most ACW carraiges are one fore water for the mops and one for grease for the axle. ) that was a powder bucket. It was of a known size and the gunner used it to measure his charges as he in those days used charge weight to vary range as much as or more than elevation of the muzzle. Many gunners carried a special dagger that was marked to show what charge was in the powder bucket by shaking the powder level then sticking the dagger to the bottom of the bucket so one filled close and then trickeled powder for the final measure much as a modern rifle reloader.
The crow bar looking things are for moving the trail of the gun to provide azmith corrections.
That enough explanation?
-kBob
whughett
Member
kBOb.
Have you taken the boat out of Key West to Fort Jefferson in the dry Tortougas
Now there are some cannons. Some of those big rifles took upwards of 50
Pounds of black. The furnace to heat cannon balls to red hot was also interesting. Had to take some big cohones to be the one to ram a red hot cannon ball wet wadding or no.
Have you taken the boat out of Key West to Fort Jefferson in the dry Tortougas
Now there are some cannons. Some of those big rifles took upwards of 50
Pounds of black. The furnace to heat cannon balls to red hot was also interesting. Had to take some big cohones to be the one to ram a red hot cannon ball wet wadding or no.
Milkmaster
Member
This group may be able to answer a question I have had for years.
What is the "official" difference between a cannon and a mortar?
I know a mortar when I see one like the short platform where the ball sits. However, I don't know when or what the official distinguishing difference is when one becomes the other etc. Can anyone explain?
What is the "official" difference between a cannon and a mortar?
I know a mortar when I see one like the short platform where the ball sits. However, I don't know when or what the official distinguishing difference is when one becomes the other etc. Can anyone explain?
whughett
Member
Google "mortar' and take a look at the wickipedi definition. Too detailed for me to and type out.
Barrel length seems to be a factor.
Barrel length seems to be a factor.
doug strong
Member
I have had the same thought. Has anyone investigated Amish cannon carriage makers?
I am serious about getting one but the carriage has been the holdup for me.
RetiredUSNChief
Member
From Wikipedia:
"A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as (mortar) bombs at low velocities, short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortar_(weapon)
A cannon is usually something that is fired directly at the target (line of sight), whereas the mortor is not. Think about it like the difference between trying to hit a rabbit with a rock thrown directly at it versus trying to hit a rabbit by arcing the rock way up in the air such that it hits the rabbit on a distinct downward trajectory.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. For example, if you have a fortified structure and you wish to fire upon the enemy, you can do it with cannon aranged as a line-of-sight weapon whose teams will be more exposed to enemy fire, or you can use mortors which are completely obscured from the enemy by the walls of the fortress.
kBob
Member
Phantom Captain
Member
In the spirit of forward observer, I also have a few of the Model Shipways cannon kits that I've built over the past few years. I'm a Civil War buff (obviously for those of you that know my previous posts) so mine are all of that era.
kBob
Member
Milk Master,
Wiki or not a mortar is a high angle of fire weapon, it generally uses indirect lay, that is the crew can not see the target and so aim at something else such as a pair of aiming stakes, though most have the capability of "direct lay" that is the crew can see the target and use the target to aim at.
Early Mortars were pretty much as primitive as one can get.....think 1500s and Moor and Spaniards trying to kill one another..... they would hollow out a round of wood and use it to hurl a rock over the wall of a besieged city. Later Mortars became more "advanced" and used metal barrels. Still many mortars of pre 1900 were of a fixed elevation. That is the tube was set up at a specific angle that did not change. Changes in range were made by changing the amount of powder use to hurl the projectile.
Even modern mortars make use of 'charge incraments' to vary range at any given elevation setting A standard mortar round will have its propellant in bags or discs that can be removed or left on in combinations to provide range corrections.
Cannons can take a couple of different forms depending on when and were they were used.
"Guns" tend to be low angle and in early days used direct lay for almost all shooting. Now guns more often use indirect lay as direct lay on a target say 17 Kilometers down range is not likely. In earlier tie a "gun" was a low angle cannon that could fire a heavy charge of propellent and heavy projectiles such as solid shot or Cannister (AP).
"Howitzers" where cannon that had a reduced sized chamber area and lighter construction that were meant to fire only lighter projectiles such as "shell" a fairly thick walled hollow cannon ball filled with BP and fuzed or "Cased Shot" a lighter walled hollow cannon ball with musket balls or iron balls of that size and a smaller bursting charge and reduced Cannister rounds. These in the past were also direct lay. But today a howitzer is something different all together and it generally means a cannon that can be elevated above 45 degrees ( actually something like 42.5 degrees is max range in the atmosphere with most cannon) and increasing the elevation brings the strike closer to the gun and allows one to engage targets behind obsticals like say on the back side of hills.
It was the French that gave us the "GUN-HOWITZER" concept a single cannon that could do the job of both types of gun with what is commonly called the Napoleon 12 Pounder. They lightened a gun through redesign so as to have the lighter weight of a period howitzer but still strong enough for solid shot and full canister loads.
To day Gun Howitzer describes guns that can be used in low angle fire or high angle fire and both direct and indirect lay.
Confused enough yet?
Basically the definitions change for what time period we are discussing.
-kBob
Wiki or not a mortar is a high angle of fire weapon, it generally uses indirect lay, that is the crew can not see the target and so aim at something else such as a pair of aiming stakes, though most have the capability of "direct lay" that is the crew can see the target and use the target to aim at.
Early Mortars were pretty much as primitive as one can get.....think 1500s and Moor and Spaniards trying to kill one another..... they would hollow out a round of wood and use it to hurl a rock over the wall of a besieged city. Later Mortars became more "advanced" and used metal barrels. Still many mortars of pre 1900 were of a fixed elevation. That is the tube was set up at a specific angle that did not change. Changes in range were made by changing the amount of powder use to hurl the projectile.
Even modern mortars make use of 'charge incraments' to vary range at any given elevation setting A standard mortar round will have its propellant in bags or discs that can be removed or left on in combinations to provide range corrections.
Cannons can take a couple of different forms depending on when and were they were used.
"Guns" tend to be low angle and in early days used direct lay for almost all shooting. Now guns more often use indirect lay as direct lay on a target say 17 Kilometers down range is not likely. In earlier tie a "gun" was a low angle cannon that could fire a heavy charge of propellent and heavy projectiles such as solid shot or Cannister (AP).
"Howitzers" where cannon that had a reduced sized chamber area and lighter construction that were meant to fire only lighter projectiles such as "shell" a fairly thick walled hollow cannon ball filled with BP and fuzed or "Cased Shot" a lighter walled hollow cannon ball with musket balls or iron balls of that size and a smaller bursting charge and reduced Cannister rounds. These in the past were also direct lay. But today a howitzer is something different all together and it generally means a cannon that can be elevated above 45 degrees ( actually something like 42.5 degrees is max range in the atmosphere with most cannon) and increasing the elevation brings the strike closer to the gun and allows one to engage targets behind obsticals like say on the back side of hills.
It was the French that gave us the "GUN-HOWITZER" concept a single cannon that could do the job of both types of gun with what is commonly called the Napoleon 12 Pounder. They lightened a gun through redesign so as to have the lighter weight of a period howitzer but still strong enough for solid shot and full canister loads.
To day Gun Howitzer describes guns that can be used in low angle fire or high angle fire and both direct and indirect lay.
Confused enough yet?
Basically the definitions change for what time period we are discussing.
-kBob
BCRider
Member
I don't have one YET. But I just wanted to thank all of you that posted the great photos of your collections for feeding the monkey on my back....
One of the first things on the list for when the machine shop is back up and running is a golf ball cannon. Probably a ship's style so the wood working isn't too much for first off. I'll set it up to drag heavy sandbags on ropes around the front edge of the shooting tables at my ranges to suck up the recoil.
Mind you a mortar would be fun as well. Just imagine the confused looks on the others when we all go out to put our targets up when I lay mine out flat on the ground....
One of the first things on the list for when the machine shop is back up and running is a golf ball cannon. Probably a ship's style so the wood working isn't too much for first off. I'll set it up to drag heavy sandbags on ropes around the front edge of the shooting tables at my ranges to suck up the recoil.
Mind you a mortar would be fun as well. Just imagine the confused looks on the others when we all go out to put our targets up when I lay mine out flat on the ground....
Phantom Captain
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Whitworth!
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