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If cowboy shooting has gotten boring, switch to cannon shooting


Chantry

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I always wonder why people use fuse like that rather than a quill or friction primer.  With those you know just when it is going to fire.  Yeah, you have a sort of estimate within a few seconds with fuse like that, but a lot can happen in those few seconds.
 

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

I always wonder why people use fuse like that rather than a quill or friction primer. 

Friction primers are much more expensive per shot. 

http://premiumpowderandpyro.com/products

 

But given the the cost of powder and projectile per shot, the primer seems trivial. 

 

Like you said, friction primers allow the crew to time the shots to a much finer degree. When you get several re-enactment groups together and they combine their guns into a section or complete battery, then start crew drills with simultaneous firing on command...

 

It gives an appreciation of what Pickett’s men saw as they charged Cemetery Ridge. 

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18 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Friction primers are much more expensive per shot. 

http://premiumpowderandpyro.com/products

 

But given the the cost of powder and projectile per shot, the primer seems trivial. 

 

 

 

Yep.  About a buck and a quarter per round more (delivered price).   Powder, call it a pound of Fg or cannon grade, at about $13, projectile a minimum of $25 for a Napoleon, maybe $35 for an Ordnance Rifle or Parrot gun.   Adds up quickly.  

But quills, if you can find the right tape, or small paper straws, can be made for a few cents.  With some practice you can set them off almost as precisely as with friction primers.  When I was doing it we had one lady who usually used quills and did quite well when we did an opening of fire by file.

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/26/2020 at 10:52 PM, Subdeacon Joe said:

Holy cow!!!

I wish I had $10k to drop on one of these!

My speed / budget is for a modest signal cannon - something like you might see at a yacht club.

The cannons in the link are SOOO cool!

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8 minutes ago, Ripple said:

Holy cow!!!

I wish I had $10k to drop on one of these!

My speed / budget is for a modest signal cannon - something like you might see at a yacht club.

The cannons in the link are SOOO cool!

 

Yeah, Steen gets expensive.  If you can do your own wood word for the carriage, and maybe a little metal finishing, check out Hern https://www.hernironworks.com/product/napoleoncannon12pounder/

 

https://www.hernironworks.com/product/coehorn-mortar-12-pounder-full-scale-2-14-bore/

 


 

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Years ago I participated in a fund raiser for the Make A Wish Foundation, participated means spent a bunch of money.  They had a Civil War Cannon and a Gatling Gun available to shoot.  I remember 3 things:  It was loads of fun, it ate up a bunch of 20's and when it was said and done I decided I needed both a cannon and a Gatling Gun.  I wish my budget allowed for it......

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Dixie Gun works sells cannons from scale models in the 50 to 69 caliber range, 1/2 scale barrels only, and one full scale Civil War variant.

 

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/search?FullText=cannon#product_listing=%3Fcurrent_page%3D1%26results_per_page%3D0%26order_by%3Dcategory_product_position%26search_params%3DFullText%3Acannon

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11 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Dixie Gun works sells cannons from scale models in the 50 to 69 caliber range, 1/2 scale barrels only, and one full scale Civil War variant.

 

I'm not sure if this is still correct, but most of the barrels that Dixie sold are from Hern.  I don't think it has changed.

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Many years ago, a friend of mine, and a bunch of his buddies, pooled their money, and bought a full scale reproduction cannon. They built a period carriage to mount it on.  They decided to go check it out by driving down to he coast, and setting it up on a more or less isolated beach, and firing it out over the Gulf.

They got to the beach, and set up the cannon, and pointed it toward the Gulf, and let loose with a few rounds.

They noticed a large tanker, plowing along, parallel to the beach, but it seemed it was way out of range.

So...on a whim...they loaded up and let loose in the direction of the tanker.

Well, as it so happened, the round metal cannon ball, they shot, hit the water just right, and skipped along the surface of the water, like when you throw a rock in a pond...it just skipped and skipped. All of a sudden they heard a big "clang".  The cannon ball had actually wacked the side of the tanker, and that was the "clang: they heard!!! Needless to say, they packed up and hauled out of there, and back to East Texas...wondering if the ship's crew had had any idea of what had happened.

Obviously, they never took the cannon to the beach again.

I often wondered if that cannon ball had put a dent in the side of the tanker. He said they did not bother to check it out, they were too busy packing up to get the heck out of there.

I guess, if one wants to obtain a cannon, then getting a few folks together, and pooling their resources, would be a way to get one. They are not cheap.

Remembering that story, I would definitely avoid the coast to practice.

 

 

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