Small bp cannons

[Skinny 1950]

I am new to black powder and only recently got a licence to own and shoot firearms. I am interested in building small cannons (up to .50), I would like to make them as safe as possible, does anyone know what the best metal would be to make them out of. Also how are such things received at shooting ranges are they even allowed? Any thoughts on this subject would be well received..........thanks.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

First, I am not sure what differences there may be from the states and your province. Here in Pennsylvania, I get conflicting stories from every LEO I ask. Some claim the small cannons are classed as pistols, which I have verified is not the statute, but If you cary one concealed, you need a firearms carry permit.

As to larger ones, a few states have laws pending or passed to make anything over a certain caliber illegal. New Jersey for instance. A state police officer here told me I can own my 1.5 inch bore cannon, but can't legally fire it without first obtaining a pyrotechnics display permit. The former mayor of Lancaster PA, Charlie Smithgal owns about a dozen cannons including full size, and he fires them at civil war and other gatherings without a permit. I have checked my state laws and can't find any of the retrictions the police tell me exist. All I can say is contact your local authorities, noting the time, date, number called and the name of the person you ask, just in case they tell you worng and you are cited for something.

 

[4v50 Gary]

4140 round stock. Good enough for modern guns, more than good enough for black powder.

 

[zxcvbob]

Best traditional material is probably bronze.

 

[zxcvbob]

I have an old (very old) medical oxygen tank. I've been thinking about cutting the bottom off, unscrewing the valve and welding a plug in its place, and adding trunnions to making a little 2.5" or 3" (whatever it is) signal cannon. Just a noisemaker -- I know people make bowling ball mortars out of big argon and O2 tanks, but I don't think the walls are really thick enough to be safe with a heavy projectile. Maybe a patched wiffleball.

 

[BCRider]

Skinny, there was a guy shooting a smaller cannon of around .5'ish bore at the last monthy BP shoot at Burke Mountain up in PoCo. So they are received just fine at that club by that group.

Go with steel alloy and leave a heavy wall. I would not go with anything less than 1/2 inch thick around the butt and at least 1/4 thick at the muzzle. More likely I'd go with these about 1/8 thicker than that. Such a cannon made from a tough alloy would be fine for shooting up to .5 inch very easily. And you'd want to "proof the cannon by the usual process of loading a double charge and firing a standard ball. For this proofing test all folks would leave and hide behind suitable dirt berms or similar. If it's not cracked open when you come back to it then it's good for your regular single charges.

Up our way there is no need to license it as long as you always use a fuse to ignite the charge. As soon as you modify it to accept a percussion cap or flint or even a stick with a burning punk to fire it then it becomes a restricted firearm of new manufacture.

 

[Skinny 1950]

I was up Burke mtn. today and joined PCDHFC .....thanks for the information about fuses and caps you may have saved me jail time.........

Is 4140 round stock hard to machine and do I have to heat treat it to make it safe (i.e. strong)????


BCRider are you also on Canadiangunnutz.com?????????????

 

[ClemBert]

This .58 caliber cannon is supposedly a working cannon. That doesn't sound right to me. Are we to believe you could actually load a .58 ball in that thing? I haven't answered a single question of the OP but it would be kewl if he built a Kennesaw style cannon.

 

[zxcvbob]

Up our way there is no need to license it as long as you always use a fuse to ignite the charge. As soon as you modify it to accept a percussion cap or flint or even a stick with a burning punk to fire it then it becomes a restricted firearm of new manufacture.

I don't think any of that makes any difference. Have to be careful with a breechloader though.

 

[Bluehawk]

This .58 caliber cannon is supposedly a working cannon.

I'm sure what it means is that it's a salute cannon as opposed to a display piece...NOT a cannon to fire a projectile!

 

[ClemBert]

It'd probably be a good idea if they pointed out that it is a salute cannon and not to be fired with a projectile on the website. Probably the instructions tell you that once you get it in your hot hands.

 

[arcticap]

The Kennesaw Cannon instruction manual sure does say that:

The black powder Kennesaw Cannon is designed and intended to be used for salute purposes only;
projectiles are not recommended to be used in the Kennesaw Cannon and we strongly suggest that they are not used.

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

 

[higene]

Lotta gun for not too much $$

Check these out!

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



I don't know if I would want to feed one of those horses.

 

[RyanM]

Is 4140 round stock hard to machine and do I have to heat treat it to make it safe (i.e. strong)????

Not too hard to machine. Definitely heat treat it! Lack of heat treating is why old iron cannons had barrel walls that were practically the same thickness as the caliber of the gun. If you don't heat treat that steel, all you've got is very expensive iron, basically.