The only privately owned firing howitzer in the US?

[72coupe]

I have some experience with 8 inch howitzers and I don't think the guys in the video knew what they were doing.

This little mountain howitzer is in the small museum at the NRAs Whittington Center.


My nephew lives in Tuttle, Oklahoma and an 8 inch SP howitzers points directly down his street. I have asked him to look at it to see what it would take to get it going but he is nervous about it. Looks just like this one.

I have everything it takes to aim one of these. Just no powder or projectiles.

 

[rcmodel]

See this link about
The night they shot the cannon, downtown!!

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=8480621&postcount=1

rc

 

[Kaeto]

I have some experience with 8 inch howitzers and I don't think the guys in the video knew what they were doing.

This little mountain howitzer is in the small museum at the NRAs Whittington Center.


My nephew lives in Tuttle, Oklahoma and an 8 inch SP howitzers points directly down his street. I have asked him to look at it to see what it would take to get it going but he is nervous about it. Looks just like this one.

I have everything it takes to aim one of these. Just no powder or projectiles.

Dixie Gun Works sells a full scale of that Mountain Howitzer tube, and the plans to make the carriage. They used to have original Civil War pack saddles for the Mountain Howitzer.

That howitzer could be broke down into 3 pack mule loads including ammo and hauled that way.

 

[Gambit88]

I don't post much on here anymore but this is what I get to play with. It's a Mexican war era 6 pounder that was also used by the Confederates during the Civil War

We live shoot it once a year at the Grayling antique artillery compitition in Grayling Mi.

 

[TOOT44]

cannons

no more please!! I am salivating so much I an choking on spit!!,LOL.

 

[kBob]

This is not my fault! You guys made me drink the Cool-Aid!

Maybe BP or maybe not, how about the World War I German 150mm heavy on the parade ground at Grafenhower? Circa 1974. Old Man Myer and Canton Woodall hamming it up.

Also the Gatling from the Ft. Sill Artillery museum circa 1981. Unfortunately this is a .30-40 Krag. I got to turn the crank a few times, but not with rounds in it. One of my additional duties that Summer was doing some work for the Order......building bookshelves. Who says Officer's never work with their hands?

I am guessing from that 8 inch vid those boys did not have a firing mechanism at all.....call it an inch and a half wide hole in the breech.

-kBob

 

[kBob]

How about some guns run out on the Constitution in Baltimore in 2001?

-kBob

 

[kBob]

Williston FL 8 inch gun on road carriage but half firing, hey it is a monument.

Breech of same showing hole where firing mechanism goes. Mechanism includes a tiny breech for a special .45-70 blank used for a primer in separate loading guns of the period.

My guess is this large hole is what caused the large amount of back blast in the video.

In real life the gun crew has a thing like a metallic stretcher allowing two to four guys to raise the heavy shell to the breech so it can be rammed from the rear into the bore and into the rifling. There is a greased felt ring to prevent back blast from damaging locking lugs. One of the things that must on occasion be replaced. Think about all that steel recoiling several feet and then recovering.

"CHARGE 8, I SEE RED!"

Gives me goose bumps.

-kBob

 

[CANNONMAN]

I am deeply honored for the dedication. What a great start to my Monday! BP is so very therapeutic. All of those pistols and rifles are so very charming. Great preludes to shooting a cannon. Remember Christmas is coming and Santa surly has a cannon foundry.

 

[kBob]

Bolo K8E20,

The 12 pound pack howitzers shown here are on modified 6 pounder carriages.

As a pack howitzer a much lighter carriage is used with smaller non standard wheels and a form of split trail so that when assembled it can be pulled by a single mule short distances. I have never seen a museum piece so set up unfortunately.

The pack howitzer used only shell, case, and a special light canister round never solid shot. No infinite repeaters for the mountaineers.

-kBob

 

[Kaeto]

Bolo K8E20,

The 12 pound pack howitzers shown here are on modified 6 pounder carriages.

As a pack howitzer a much lighter carriage is used with smaller non standard wheels and a form of split trail so that when assembled it can be pulled by a single mule short distances. I have never seen a museum piece so set up unfortunately.

The pack howitzer used only shell, case, and a special light canister round never solid shot. No infinite repeaters for the mountaineers.

-kBob

I was aware that they were on the wrong carriage. I have a pdf copy of the Artilleryman's manual from the Civil War. In it it details Every piece of field artillery and the battery accoutrements down to how many nails and which kind are carried as spares with the portable forge for the battery.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

Muzzleloading only cannons are legal as I understand it (don't quote or rely on that for the love of God). It's when you get involved with breach loaders things get complicated as all get out and you have to get tax stamps involved for the cannon itself as well as the charges or cartridges.

I'm considering one day building a two pounder muzzle loading cannon but I don't think I'll have the room to shoot it. I'm thinking in the vein of a Woodruff.

It'd be awesome to build a Hotchkiss 37mm breach loader but not if there is red tape galore.

 

[bainter1212]

How about some guns run out on the Constitution in Baltimore in 2001?

-kBob

This is the cannon I really want to see...a full, timber rattling broadside!

Are those 24 or 32 pounders? I know the Constitution was nominally a 44 gun frigate, although I believe she actually carried 50 guns. I am guessing the unofficial 4 were a pair of 9 pound chasers at bow and stern. I still haven't had a chance to visit her...I live on the wrong coast.

If I ever make it to England, a tour of the Victory would be my first stop. Wonder how much powder a full broadside from the Victory burned through?? Haha

 

[Jim K]

At the end of WWII, the Navy turned the USS Massachusetts over to the state for display in Boston Harbor. When GCA '68 was passed, ATTD discovered that the ship's guns had never been registered, and determined to confiscate them. Yep. ATTD agents were supposed to remove the 16" guns and stick them in their brief cases to take to Washington.

One conjecture was that the ATTD thought 5" 38 caliber guns were revolvers and that a 16" rifle meant the barrel length. The dispute eventually got resolved without any herniated ATTD agents, and the old battleship kept her guns.

Jim

 

[jmorris]

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm

 

[Texas Moon]

Looks like they damaged the breech gate in the original video.
Blew out the center piece.

 

[mac_hunter870]

My privately owned replica 1841 twelve pound coehorn mortar live fire...my brother-in-law doing thr honours.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Whittington Center's 12 pdr mountain howitzer actually belongs to a NM collector.