75 cal hand gonne

[tc1969]

https://s19.postimg.org/4w4jfvwfj/FD1669_E2-905Hello. I thought I would share some photos of my recently completed 75 cal hand gonne. I carved the tiller from oak. The butt plate, barrel bands, bolts and nuts were forged by me from mild steel. The barrel was made by Dominick Carpenter.
The charge is 100 grains of 2f under a .715 round ball or buckshot. I touch it off using a linstock with matchcord.

 

[tc1969]

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[Pukka Bundook]

Very good, TC!

Don't you get whacked in the kisser holding it like that?

How is it for accuracy?
Pictures really made me smile! Thanks for showing them.

Best,
Richard.

 

[tc1969]

Thx. Trying to get the photos uploaded correctly. Holding it like a bazooka allows the gonne to slide back across the shoulder. Almost no felt recoil and a good sight picture.Of course if your thumb is too close to your face then you’ll know it. Great fun shooting these things though!

 

[tc1969]

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[tc1969]

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[tc1969]

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[Pukka Bundook]

Looking at the barrel wall at the muzzle, I don't think it's going to blow up!

Grand gun. Thanks for extra pics.

Richard.

 

[Teleoceras]

TC1969:

Very nice Handgonne! Is the bore straight through or do you have a smaller power chamber? I have both types with my Handgonnes.

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[tc1969]

Teleloceras, Thanks. The bore is drilled straight through. The gonne weighs in at about 13 lbs. So it is more of a bench rest affair. Accuracy testing. Well I did hit in the vincinity of the target at 50 yards. Need to practice. The grotesque face on the front is to frighten enemies and missed targets alike.

 

[Grumpa]

:grin: Very nice! Thanks for posting.

Richard/Grumpa

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

100 grains of powder is doing absolutely nothing for you with such a short barrel length. Most of the charge is just blowing out the barrel unburnt. You're wasting powder, bud. Also it needs a railroad spike or something sticking out the bottom to be historically correct. I also don't recall seeing a grotesque masque on any originals, farby.

 

[rickystl]

Excellant !!! I like it. Including the mask. Very nice job. As Richard says: Makes me smile :grin:

Rick

 

[tc1969]

The 100 grains of powder was recommended by the barrel maker. Makes for a nice photo with a big fun fireball. Not all gonnes had spikes on them and I put the face on the front because I like it and for no other reason. Put 20 grains behind the 75 cal ball and the powder may completely burn but the ball won’t hit with much authority or even reach the target at 50 yards. In a short smooth bore gonne like this one would have to find the sweet spot between performance wanted and powder usage. That’s why they figured out that longer barrels burn the powder more efficiently .Next time I fire it. I’ll do some experimenting.

 

[Preflint]

Just wondering how much he charges for those?

 

[Pukka Bundook]

TC,

You do right, enjoy it and experiment. These things are meant to be fun! Do let us know how it goes with different loads.

This being a hand-gonne and not a hagbut, it wouldn't have had a hook, and if it Did have one, the very vast majority had it forged onto the barrel and not attached to the stock.

I'd like to get the forge fired up and make one as well!.....leave it all hammer marks as were some originals.

Let us know if you figure out the aiming thing.
The Only way forwards is backwards, if you know what I mean.
Take lots of pictures of it belching out its projectiles....

Pukka.

 

[BillinOregon]

Thanks for sharing, TC. Good to know Dom is still in business. Oh -- I really like the grotesque mask, so evocative of the era.

 

[tc1969]

I believe the barrel was a one off he put up for sale on his website. Came to me with a socket for a tiller that I cut off so it could be fitted into this stock I made. I believe he’ll make any type of cannon or gonne you would like. He is a pleasure to deal with. I really like his breach loading medieval swivel cannons. As spring rolls in I would like to start learning to forge some things. Perhaps a iron serpentine with a twist in it. My 13 yo son enjoys learning about this stuff his old man does. He’s a big forged in fire fan and would like to try making a knife.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FYI, somewhat related to the ”˜mask’, the term dragon is taken from the fact that early versions of the donderbus (thunder pipe in Dutch) or blunderbuss’s were decorated with a carving in the form of a mythical dragon's head around the muzzle. The muzzle blast would then give the impression of a fire-breathing dragon whilst fired!