Does anyone have a mini-cannon?

[Tomahawk674]

Like these:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...t20819&parentType=index&indexId=cat20819&rid=

I'm curious to how loud they are, and also, how to operate them. The manual just says to pour in powder, it doesn't say to insert wadding. If that's the case, it wouldn't make a boom now would it, just a fizzing sound. You can read the manual here:

http://kennesawcannon.com/images1/Handbook.pdf

I'm just thinking the 4th of July is coming, and this may be something fun to have in the family get together (farm, nowhere near a city).

 

[arcticap]

On page 4 the manual does mention wadding:

Always have thumbs pointing away from muzzle when ramming the black powder or wadding.

It operates on the same principle as firing a blank charge in a muzzle loader.

Packing in some tightly compressed newspaper wadding or similar over the powder will provide the powder containment for making a loud boom on ignition.
Looks like a fun and economical salute cannon.

 

[Acorn Mush]

You will definately need some wadding. Without it, all you will get is a "poof".

I question whether a 12" fuse is needed. In competition I've seen some pretty large-bore cannons and mortars fired with a shorted fuse than that.

For a piece that only costs $20 or so, I'd be real careful if I were you. Maybe the best use of one of those things would be a paperweight.

 

[LoneCoon]

That's not a mini cannon. THIS is a mini cannon.

 

[desidog]

IMO, there's a reason that they put handles on small firearms, and shooting up thick glass mugs next to your keyboard tempts fate.

My swivel is as miniature as i'm interested in:

/My iron sending a Slazenger 3 towards the pin.

 

[tango2echo]

My cousin built one recently. It's a "mortar" that shoots golf balls. It's freek'n loud and will easily shoot a golf ball 800-1000 yards. The white ones you cannot even track with the eye. The bright orange ones you can see once they're 50 yards away or so. He copied and modified plans in a recent issue of Muzzle Blasts magazine. He uses .410, 28, 20, and 12 gauge empties for powder measures. With the 20 gauge hull full of 2f it will shoot the yardage above. It's impressive. He lives right on the water, so he has a good 2 miles of open range to shoot towards. This should be on the "Things rednecks shouldn't have list" or the "Hey Ya'll, watch this list." The neighbors have not been impressed, but so far the LOE's have just laughed and asked him to be safe with it.

t2e

 

[MikeJackmin]

For $85 you can have one of these:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1678

Or one of these for seven bucks more:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1655

 

[clamman]

I have a piece of 3" steam pipe with a 8" flange that is 1" thick as a base. There is another larger pipe welded to the base (breech) to protect my limbs when the 8 ounces of FFG go off. It shakes the ground and thumps your chest pretty good lol. I use fiberglass as packing during the day, but at night I use paper towels and it will shoot flames in the air thirty feet.

 

[BHP FAN]

Desidog is ready to repel boarders!

 

[robhof]

robhof

That's funny about the DGW ad; my brother and I bought a DGW cast iron cannon barrel for $15 and made our own carriage as a scout project, of course that was in the mid 1960's. I moved to Ky from Fl. a few years ago and finally got to go DGW to see if it was real. A tiney place for the storefront with a large warehouse, 99.9% of their business is mail order I guess. The barrel was 3/4" bore and 14" long and my son has it now and still shoots for holidays.

 

[Sagetown]

I'm curious to how loud they are, and also, how to operate them.

You need some cannon fuse that will fit the size of the hole at the base of the cannon. 2" length should be more than enough. Find a small lid or empty shell hull (case) a little larger than the mouth of the cannon, and line the inside of the lid with a piece of tinfoil with some of the foil higher than the top of the lid. Measure the amount of powder and pour it into the tinfoil, then remove the tinfoil of powder and twist the top good and tight. Walla; you have a powder capsul. Drop it into the barrel and pack some paper wadding over the charge. Take a small toothpick and stick it down the fuse hole to puncture the capsul of powder. Then insert the fuse into the capsul and your ready to fire ONE.

 

[BCRider]

I attended a BP shoot this weekend as a spectator. One of the folks had a mid sized rifle caliber ball cannon. The report was no worse than the similar size rifles shooting the same sort of balls. No idea if he hit anything or not....

 

[Iggy]

Coehorn (mortar) that shoots V-8 juice cans.




I have a "mini" Sea Service cannon that shoots 35mm film cans full of cement or 1/2 pound lead wadcutters too.

 

[Tanksta]

Here is a photo and video of ours....

We have a 1/4 scale Parrot Gun.

Lol....we loaded it with 150gr of BP and then put Skittles candy in it...here is the video.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PigZlZXYSM

You should buy one....they are a blast! Literally! Pretty cotton pickin' loud too.

 

[Sagetown]

Tanksta; Did it come as a complete kit?

p.s. Okay; I just saw your other post. Must say that is a nice rig.

 

[Tanksta]

I was told someone made it. It was already together when we acquired it.