My new little, big bore

[kevshell]

My wife's stepfather is a machinist by trade. He ran his own shop for the longest time, then he went to work for NASA building prototype parts until he retired. For fun he has built steam engines, scale railroad engines, and various cannons and mortars. They came to visit the other day and he brought me a cannon. He patterned this one off of a period Canon. I posted a long time ago that he built a handgonne for me. If you've not seen one it's essentially a broomstick with a small cannon on the front. He has built them to shoot everything from golf balls, to soda cans filled with concrete, to just more or less be a noise maker by loading some powder and packing it with plastic bags. He said it provided the resistance but the bags did not burn. Maybe I will signal in the new year with this one.

[pacecars]

Cool! What is the bore size? How big is it?

[magnumwheelman]

Pretty cool... looks about 3/4" bore??? I've got several myself... maybe try packing with steel wool ( I've not tried it with my mini's ) but it has this effect with full sized cannons




a couple of my mini's... (fully functional)

[magnumwheelman]

got 4 pieces of 2.75" bore heavy wall DOM tube, to make a pair of Mortars & a couple larger scale cannons, later, when I have the time

[x101airborne]

Oh that looks like too much fun. But I would give it my best try! I wonder how many wild hogs have been killed with a traditional cannon in the last 100 years?

[zeus]

I’ve been wanting to build one for a while now. Just never enough time in the day.

[kevshell]

Here are some other pieces he's made. The first is one he built and ultimately sold. Very cool piece. You can see it was to scale and was nickel plated. The mortar is a non-firing desk piece/paper weight. That one is copper beryllium/beryllium bronze. It was made from leftover material from a job. The last is one of his steam engines. All interesting in their own right.

[rangersedge]

Pretty cool.
Pretty sure one of those little cannons would get me in trouble somehow...

[aciera]

Every man should have a cannon………
He does fine work.

[boolitdesigner]

Dec 1, 2022 21:51:45 GMT -5 rangersedge said:

Pretty cool.
Pretty sure one of those little cannons would get me in trouble somehow.


Ohhhh!!!  Hahahahahahaha.... Too true, without a doubt. I about choked besides roaring with laughter. What a way to start a day.

[cdf41]

There is a fellow on YouTube that shoots (sometimes at) hogs with canons. Pretty sure he is in Texas , can't remember his handle right now.

Now those are some good looking canons and a working steam engine! Wish I was that skilled.

[maxcactus]

Dec 1, 2022 15:29:49 GMT -5 x101airborne said:

I wonder how many wild hogs have been killed with a traditional cannon in the last 100 years?

Whatever the number, it's not nearly enough! I've seen photos of some PA deer harvested with grape shot from a cannon. Most impressive, but a lot of bruised meat.

[pete]

Cannons are great fun! My late friend built a bunch, including building and rifling some of them. He had one, looked like it was built of old farm implement pieces, cause it was! About a 3" bore, he hade up a canister with 50, .50 caliber balls, and used it to shoot a deer in his woods that year. He was quite the character!