Antique (Replica) Cannon Info? Polish Coat of Arms - 23"

Hi All,

I recently picked up this small (40" total length from back of carriage to tip of cannon) cannon off of Facebook marketplace. Despite the seller claiming it as original, real, 1600s French (despite a clear Polish coat of arms), but not really knowing anything, it was priced less than I'd expect a replica. I was lucky to spot it right after posted and was lucky enough to get it. What I'm trying to figure out is actually is. The seller stated that some rednecks were fooling around firing it and blew the trunnions off of it so they drilled it and put a pipe through the center, but I see no evidence of damage or amateur drilling; looks like it may have been made with a hole running right through the bore. I also couldn't spot a touch hole, but there's a decent amount of oxidation. Wouldn't surprise me if under one of those spots was a tiny touch hole. They did have some unspent charges that rattled out when I pulled the trunnion/axle, but I can't stress enough the seller was a bit...off.

Thoughts on what this might be? Given the details above and the overall poor casting quality of the cannon I'm guessing it's got to be a replica, right? Looking at the carriage and methods of manufacture though, I would think it's probably a replica of a 1600's(?) cannon made in the 1800s? Any idea if this would have been a scaled-down version of a larger cannon, or just a really large signal cannon or some form of Robinet?

Any info at all is greatly appreciated. I really like this little thing and want to know what other directions to go in figuring it out.

Cannon itself is about 23" long with a 1" ID.
As noted the complete assembly with carriage is 40"
Wheels are 12" diameter, width is 12".

Thanks in advance!

At first my mind went to some ideas to help it. But after a moment of thought my suggestion is a nice place in the living room would be best for it. Do not recommend firing it. But it looks kind of neat and you own a replica cannon at a low cost, good luck. And I should have said welcome aboard.

Bottle rocket launcher. Put a half dozen down the pipe on top of a half ounce of FFG. Quite a sight after dark.
Also pretty handy in a bottle rocket fight. Kinda like bring a snowblower to a snowball fight!

If you can figure out how to fire it from behind a tree fifty yards away........and there is no one else around for a mile or so? Go for it.
Otherwise relegate it to doorstop status.

I think firing it would be analogous to setting off a mystery pipe bomb found beside the road late New Years Day.

SOLANCO said:

If you can figure out how to fire it from behind a tree fifty yards away........and there is no one else around for a mile or so? Go for it.
Otherwise relegate it to doorstop status.

I think firing it would be analogous to setting off a mystery pipe bomb found beside the road late New Years Day.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

For what it's worth I'm not too keen to fire it. I'd really love to but the casting is really poor quality.

I am hoping to find out more about it, whether it's modelled after any real cannon or strictly generic/fantasy and if anyone has guesses as to the age. The carriage does carry a resemblance and the size is not far off from the one described here: https://radiopoznan.fm/informacje/pozostale/gmina-zaniemysl-kupi-armate

I'm not a Cannon guy at all, but those trunions make it look like it must be a toy or a yard ornament.

Have you looked down the bore? Those trunions look like a rod passed through a drilled hole.

Nice decorator. That as cast bore you see in the muzzle view was never meant to be fired. As noted, the trunnions look like a pin thru the barrel.