Coehorn

[Gun Tramp]

This is a Hern full-scale Coehorn mortar I put together a number of years ago, 2 1/4" bore. The cart has no historical basis but since the other three crewmen were two dogs and a cat I needed a way to move it around. Dixie sells these castings with the vent drilled (oversize unfortunately) but this tube and its bed ironwork came from Hern and a puzzled machinist here drilled the vent to correctly accept friction primers. The casting was finished slightly by hand (no grinder) and browned; the bed is ash, colored by linseed oil and paste wax and time. A tin can mould produces plaster-of-Paris slugs that are propelled by 1 oz. of 1F and can occasionally be seen in flight. Sometimes they can be reused; a neighboring settler who was picking rocks in his adjacent field returned one to me, unsmiling, "I bet this belongs to you."

 

[FiremanBrad]

I want one!!!!

 

[dave951]

Come on over to the North South Skirmish Association where we shoot these live in competition.

 

[Gun Tramp]

Brad, plans for the coehorn are available from both vendors I mentioned and would be an affordable start; an enterprising fellow might fabricate the ironwork himself.
Dave, I get a great big grin when I consider there are guys around who develop loads for accuracy with these. I have much to learn. How does one determine the "correct" projectile weight?

 

[dave951]

Brad, plans for the coehorn are available from both vendors I mentioned and would be an affordable start; an enterprising fellow might fabricate the ironwork himself.
Dave, I get a great big grin when I consider there are guys around who develop loads for accuracy with these. I have much to learn. How does one determine the "correct" projectile weight?

That's a question for the mortar experts over on the North South Skirmish Association board.

 

[Treestalker]

Hello, Gun Tramp, that is a beautiful job on the Coehorn.

 

[Gun Tramp]

Thank you for the kind words, Treestalker. One of my better efforts.

 

[FiremanBrad]

Lets see a video!!!!

 

[Blogman]

Lets see a video!!!!

Ditto!

 

[dave951]

Alrighty Tramp, we, of the NSSA, are hurling the gauntlet right now. Come to Winchester and see just how much starch ya gots in yer drawers with our mortar boys.

 

[Terry Jack]

Very nice! I can imagine how fun it is to shoot!

 

[trent/OH]

Give your neighbor the chance to shoot it a few times, and he'll be smiling when he fetches a projectile home!

 

[EC121]

I have a 2" Coehorn with a homemade plywood carriage(no wheels). No idea what the scale is. Says "Barnie's Blasters" on the casting. Haven't shot it in years. A 4oz. juice can full of cement worked fine. Wadded it with bread or old biscuits. I put a loop of stainless welding rod in the cement to hold a streamer. You need to remember to wet the streamer or it will burn. As I remember it, 90gr. of 2F in the chamber would shoot it 100yds. and hit in about a 10ft. circle. Lots of fun.

 

[hanshi]

I love it! That is just too cool!

 

[steam1993]

This is my full bronze coehorn mortar 5.8in bore, fires a 20 pound ball, you can see the ball on the right side. Range up to 1/2 mile(would love to have a range to do 1/2 mile), 1oz 1F black powder shoots the ball 100 yards.

 

[Blogman]

1oz 1F black powder shoots the ball 100 yards.

Only one ounce?

 

[Treestalker]

Hello, Blogman, It is amazing how little powder is needed for a mortar. You can easily push a projectile out of sight and into unknown territory before a cat can lick it's (censored).

 

[steam1993]

Hello, Blogman, It is amazing how little powder is needed for a mortar. You can easily push a projectile out of sight and into unknown territory before a cat can lick it's (censored).

I know what is meant by unknown territory(car park), I had a problem with powder one year at a show, put a bit tooo much powder in. The ball went 3 times the distance we wanted,, up over a road and to wards a field that was being used to park cars/trucks and trailers. Did not hit any thing but also did not find the ball.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

Ditto!

One more ditto.
I already have a 30' trebuchet I made a couple of years ago, now it looks I'm going to have to go forward a few hundred years...

 

[gaintwist]

View attachment 11836
This is a Hern full-scale Coehorn mortar I put together a number of years ago, 2 1/4" bore. The cart has no historical basis but since the other three crewmen were two dogs and a cat I needed a way to move it around. Dixie sells these castings with the vent drilled (oversize unfortunately) but this tube and its bed ironwork came from Hern and a puzzled machinist here drilled the vent to correctly accept friction primers. The casting was finished slightly by hand (no grinder) and browned; the bed is ash, colored by linseed oil and paste wax and time. A tin can mould produces plaster-of-Paris slugs that are propelled by 1 oz. of 1F and can occasionally be seen in flight. Sometimes they can be reused; a neighboring settler who was picking rocks in his adjacent field returned one to me, unsmiling, "I bet this belongs to you."

fine looking work. I like the cart too.