Discharge while loading

[Don H]

the 16" guns on the Battleship New Jersey used silk bags of nitrocellulose based powder.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Keep in mind the 16” naval guns and the Iowas that carried them were in use into the 1990s.

Hardly period correct!

 

[Woody Morgan]

the 16" guns on the Battleship New Jersey used silk bags of nitrocellulose based powder.

Battleships generally used whatever was handy and that went across many boundaries.

wm

 

[Boston123]

Just take your time and shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, I have just read about this possibility recently, and I guess I made the right choice by luck.

When I have gone shooting (unpatched roundball out of a trade-gun), I let the gun sit after shooting for a minute or two, because that is how long it takes my unpracticed hands to measure out a load of powder, grab a ball from the bag, and roll up a chunk of wadding.

BY the time I actually get to loading a new charge of powder, any sparks left in the barrel are probably collecting a retirement pension.

 

[44Bro]

600 pounds of nitro based,,,,,and 60 pounds of BLACK.

 

[Arkansawer]

Good question. In battle the chance of getting killed while messing around with a swab is so great that not doing it was considered worth the risk, except maybe in the case of artillery which should be wormed and swabbed with a 3 minute delay between shots. I once rammed a charge on a Napoleon cannon made from a piece of modern 5" Naval gun, and the powder bag broke open about 4 inches from the breech. The safety Lt. ordered the charge, 1 1/2 pounds of powder, dumped on the ground at the muzzle and watered with canteens. The next shot fired, but the powder on the ground ignited, and the resulting fireball was about 8 feet in diameter. I was unharmed (#1 man) but my daughter working on a piece 3 guns away said it looked like I was fried. The heat from it was unreal. After that, the powder had to be dumped on a cloth and dragged far to the rear. If there had been a spark in the bore when the bag broke, I would have lost my right hand.

When and where was this accident ?

 

[Treestalker]

When and where was this accident ?

Honey Springs, Oklahoma. Artillery training, 1st Ark. Lt. Artillery, about 15-20 years ago. The cannon was brought by 2 guys from Fort Gibson, IIRC.

 

[ugly old guy]

Wait a minute.... so when I go hunting for the day I gotta carry a pitcher of water and mops?

I've never done that and ain't starting now!

Other than on the battlefield and cannon is there any historical evidence that those procedures were conducted with small arms during a battle and or by the hunting fraternity?

Not with small arms.
The "paper cartridges" (if used) were torn open and the powder poured into the barrel, followed by the ball, with paper up.

 

[Grenadier1758]

When we use paper cartridges, we load by tearing open the paper cartridge, pouring the powder, and then the ball with the paper down to act as a wad between the powder and the ball. The paper wrapped ball is secure over the powder. Finally as a concession to range rules and modern safety concerns, we prime from a separate pan primer.

 

[Britsmoothy]

When we use paper cartridges, we load by tearing open the paper cartridge, pouring the powder, and then the ball with the paper down to act as a wad between the powder and the ball. The paper wrapped ball is secure over the powder. Finally as a concession to range rules and modern safety concerns, we prime from a separate pan primer.

Yes sir. I've never heard of paper up!

 

[griffiga]

Back in the mid 80's I had just joined the local Civil War group. We were invited to participate in the annual 4th of July celebration at one of the parks. Back then, we were allowed to do live fire demonstrations (using blanks of course). This particular year, our company commander brought his full scale 6 pound Napoleon. While loading and shooting, common procedure was to swab the bore with water in between shots to extinguish any embers before reloading. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but while ramming the charge, it went off. Needless to say one of our cannoneers lost both his hands that day.

 

[Sun City]

There ain't no Mohawks after my scalp cause there ain't none there and I never get in a hurry....for anything! 81 slows one down a tad!!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Back in the mid 80's I had just joined the local Civil War group. We were invited to participate in the annual 4th of July celebration at one of the parks. Back then, we were allowed to do live fire demonstrations (using blanks of course). This particular year, our company commander brought his full scale 6 pound Napoleon. While loading and shooting, common procedure was to swab the bore with water in between shots to extinguish any embers before reloading. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but while ramming the charge, it went off. Needless to say one of our cannoneers lost both his hands that day.

Canoneering is one aspect of this hobby I am not in a hurry to participate it. I’ll watch from the sidelines all day though.

 

[Treestalker]

I've seen a youtube video of a reenactor shooting a bess (I think) loading with paper cartridges. He was slam loading, his ramrod stuck in the ground, and as he loaded the fifth round (I think) it appears to cook off before he got it to shoulder. The crowd just ooo'ed and awed.

Crowd probably wanted him to do it again, lol!

 

[Treestalker]

Back in the mid 80's I had just joined the local Civil War group. We were invited to participate in the annual 4th of July celebration at one of the parks. Back then, we were allowed to do live fire demonstrations (using blanks of course). This particular year, our company commander brought his full scale 6 pound Napoleon. While loading and shooting, common procedure was to swab the bore with water in between shots to extinguish any embers before reloading. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but while ramming the charge, it went off. Needless to say one of our cannoneers lost both his hands that day.

Our captain had lost most of his right hand years before I met him in a BP cannon accident; he was a stickler for safety, of course, and exhibited his injury while giving safety lectures. I admired him for not being squeamish about it. Like all sports that are worth doing, bull fighting, mountain climbing, parachute jumping, muzzle loading cannon, etc, there is always the risk of death and or serious injury. It is a rarified atmosphere that many wisely avoid, and is the greatest stimulant to those who live for the challenge, great or small, and a deterrent to those who never risk anything, and strive to shackle the adventurous among us to their snowflake existence.