Activating older CVA large Napoleon kit cannon

[smokepole2410]

OK folks, I have an old (1980's) CVA Napoleon kit cannon which I'm about to refurbish. This is the same externally as the current traditions .69 Napoleon cannon with a few differences. The kit cannon came in the white (not plated), the barrel was unvented, with a starter drill dimple where the hole should be (liability probably), and the bore diameter is not .69...it appears to be .75 cal. Otherwise it is identical in fittings and design.

Question #1...what should I use for a touchhole diameter...anyone have a .69 they can measure? it should be close.

Question #2...what diameter ball is recommended for these. I had bought .69's thinking that's what it would be and they rattle around unless I heavily patch them. I measured the diameter of a dowel at .75" ,and it slides into the barrel.

Question #3...what load would be recommended..use the loads for the .69? (40-80gr FF)

Your best guesses are welcome... This puppy was used as decoration, but a cannon that was designed to be shot should be shot..

 

[TFoley]

Sir - this kit was made to be sold world-wide - mine was bought in Germany after seeing it in UK - hence the lack of touch-hole.

The absent feature renders the acquisition of this formidable piece, at least in UK, totally useless as a means of carrying out criminal activites like store robbery at miniature cannon-point, or bank robberies, even.

It was thought that only the small-town stores or bank branches could be threatened, but you never know.

Imagine the scene - a bank robber, armed with this cannon, walks into a bank, sets it down on the floor near the door with a smouldering fuze and cannon ram-rod/bore-swab in his hands, and shouts to the bank clerk to hand over the money...

I don't think so, somehow.

Still, in UK they are only to be found undrilled, and I have never seen one that was not. You would need a pretty hefty holster to hold one, as well, if the mood took you.

Asking the local police force where I live if I could get mine put on my FAC would be like asking for a GAU-8 out of an A-10.

Sorry I can't help. :shake:

tac in Tokyo

 

[Wes/Tex]

The one I had could have a piece of Cherry-Bomb fuse inserted in the touch hole. Think several outfits (DGW, October Country, etc.) have it available but don't know what actual size it is. Finally broke it when the trail caught in a ground depression as it recoiled and snapped the trail! Don't use a lot of powder, it's not really necessary to bounce balls off the local oak tree!

 

[Pork Chop]

I am jealous. I want one!!

 

[54mountain]

I have a small swivel gun and cannon fuse can be bought at many bp suppliers, the fuse I get measures in at .112 so you can get by with a 1/8 in. hole I drilled mine out to 9/64 as 1/8 is just a little snug after a shot or two. Good luck, I'd start out with around 50g ffg that should be plenty.

 

[bavarialand]

contact DGW and ask about the #9 cannon fuse.
i believe it burns at about 1 foot every second.

 

[CrufflerSteve]

I've bought a lot of fuse from Cannon Fuse. The crackling and fast burning fuses are a lot of fun in handgonnes and small cannon.

Steve

 

[coehornboy]

I bought the identical used gun a few years ago...It had metric proofing #s on the barrel and a japanese proof mark. I have only shot it with a blank load... :v

 

[Story]

These guys (caveat emptor) offer one for $1100[url] http://www.wildimports.com/80_cal_napoleon.htm[/url]

 

[Pork Chop]

I have found them for less but still more than I want to pay. I have the Ironsides, but I was in the Army, not the Navy!!

 

[smokepole2410]

Well, she's cleaned up, buffed up, Vented, and ready for test firing. I'll take another picture of the remaining pieces after the test firing.

 

[Norskie]

Shiney!

 

[PreglerD]

Very nice. I'm looking forward to your shooting report. Try do start cannon shooting to.But i have no expirience with it. Where are the differences to ML-shooting with guns?

 

[smokepole2410]

She was very well behaved. I fired two .735 patched round balls with 50 gr Ff at 50 yards on our rifle range. The impacts can be seen below. I held about 4 feet above the target and hit the crosspiece about 2 feet below the target. the impacts were about 20" apart (the target legs in the picture are 24" wide). I didn't fire the third shot for fear of missing the range entirely. found one bullet which bounced off of the wood and rolled back towards the firing point about 60 feet. Some recoil, but nowhere as bad as I was expecting. did receive a minor burn from the fuse when it lit one, but into each life some rain must fall. It loaded pretty much as any black powder firearm. just harder to sight the target as it doesn't have any (sights).

 

[TheDoubleD]

To aim a cannon without sights.

Align the 12 o'clock position on rear of the barrel with the 12 o'clock position of the Muzzle, then align that with 6 o'clock position on the target.

For windage use the same alignment method at three o'clock on the barrel over the right trunnion

It works.

For adjustments just keep the same barrel alignments but move the point of aim on the target.