4th July Black Powder Cannon fun

[Rusty Heap]

My Black Powder Cannon,

best research says it's a late 1800's marine signal cannon.


"God Bless mothers who buy son's stuff at garage sales - then she says "you're really not going to shoot it are you?" Well DUH Mom!!!

Weight ~60 pounds all cast iron
Barrel Length 13" long
Barrel Bore .68" Dia.
Powder - FF grain, about a 1/2 full 35mm film canister full per shot.
No Ball or Bullet, just tamped down paper wadding.

Yes it is LOUD........Gutteral low frequency KABOOOOMMMMM LOUD




my neighbors love me.

[stevej37]

[QUOTE=Rusty Heap;10932637]My Black Powder Cannon,
My neighbors love me.

I'll bet they do!

[Ayles]

I have a small .45 cal cannon. Haven't tried using it yet. I read it uses FFF non synthetic black powder but not certain. Also, unsure where to get the proper fuses.

BUT, having a small cannon sure leads to yearning for a bigger one!

[Jeff Higgins]

.68 caliber cannon? Pffft... I present my .72 caliber rifle...



And a 50 yard target, five rounds each through both barrels. 150 grains of Swiss 1.5 Fg black powder, patched .715" dia round ball:



Oh, and Ayles, just about any grade of black powder, either real black powder or one of the modern substitutes, will work just fine in your cannon. Black powder is graded by the size of the granulation, with the number of "F's" denoting how fine the grains are. "Fg" is the most coarse, meant for big shotguns or cannons. "FFg" is the next finer, meant for shotguns and larger bore rifles. "FFFg" is the next finer, meant for small bore rifles and pistols. The finest is "FFFFg", which is only used to prime the pans in flint lock rifles or pistols. You will also see these called "1 Fg", or "2 Fg", etc. - just a different way of expressing how many "F's" there are. For your application, anything from 1-3 Fg will work just fine.

As far as cannon fuse, any gun shop that sells black powder supplies will likely have it. Or it can be ordered online from places like Dixie Gun Works, or Buffalo Arms. There might be a haz mat fee for shipping it, though. You can also order black powder on line, from Buffalo Arms or Coonie's. Order it all together and pay only one haz mat fee.

[Ayles]

Awesome! Thank you for the info!

[crustychief]

Jeff, Pedersoli?

[Jeff Higgins]

Yes, Pedersoli. I also have their 10 gauge shotgun with the same locks, tiggers, stock, etc. The barrels on the rifle are far heavier - it must weight 11-12 pounds, where the shotgun is maybe seven pounds.

[Tobra]

Mr Higgins, do you have a photograph of the projectile the .72 uses, perhaps with something next to it for scale? Are they muzzle loaders?

12# sounds like something I would use from a stand, rather than walking, if I were hunting with it. I am fat and lazy though, would rather shoot birds and let the dog do all the work.

[Jeff Higgins]

Here is the .72 caliber round ball shown with a standard 250 grain bullet used in the .44 mag and a 180 grain .308 caliber bullet as used in the .30-'06, .308, .300 mag, etc. The .72 caliber round ball weighs 584 grains.



And yes, the .72 is a muzzle loader. It is awfully heavy to carry around, that's for sure. You do appreciate its weight when you pull the trigger, though. Recoil is what i would call "substantial".

[notfarnow]

I have a ~100 year old scottish coast guard "lisle" cannon, that was intended for firing rescue/tow lines to ships.

It's got a 2.25" bore, and it makes a BIG bang.

I put about a 2oz charge of blackpowder in the bottom of a paper bag and twist it real tight into a ball, then shove that down the bore. I put a sparkler down the fuse hole, and pierce the paper bag with it.

I find it just kinda goes "FOOOMP" if I don't put something in it to fire out, so I will usually use a skinny can (a full beer/pop can is too big) or if I plan ahead, a turnip that I have cut down to fit.

I've tried potatoes, but it just blows them to bits. A turnip is dense and hard, and I can fire one further than I can see. I live on the river, so if I fire it out onto the water I can at least see the splash... far, far away

It's way, way too much fun. Of all the crazy $hit I own, that is the thing that most needs a breathalyzer interlock