Firecracker cannon

[Eutycus]

I wasn' quite sure which forum to place this on, but heck why not this one? Afterall it is a Cannon , isn't it? Just a very tiny one. We all like things which go bang.and the 4th of July is coming up. I have a small brass cannon that was made for strictly using firecrackers. No projectiles , these were just noise makers. Am I the only one out here that likes "Toys"? I will attempt to send a picture or two.

 

[Eutycus]

 

[Eutycus]

 

[hawkeye2]

Neat and I have no problem with it being here. Firecracker cannons and morters were once common toys and some even shot cork balls.

 

[Eutycus]

I can find no markings. Do any of you have an idea of just who might have manufactured this and when? The carriage is cast. The barrel I not too sure of. It looks like it may be machined. And I'm assuming that as "watered down" as todays firecrackers are that its still safe to fire this thing off. And make a little noise for the 4th.

 

[Eutycus]

Any tricks to cleaning brass but not removing the Patina? I prefer the aged look compared to the shiny.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Just soap & water. Keep abrasives (like steel wool) away from the brass and the patina will stay there

 

[Eutycus]

I'm not real familiar with brass. Soap as in our old favorite, Dawn? Would a light coating of oil inside and out effect the patina?

 

[Zonie]

The patina is rather hard so it takes something with abrasives to remove it. A few of the "brass cleaners" do have chemicals that will remove it along with some fine abrasives in them so if you want to keep the finish, don't use any of them.

Dawn in a little water will work fine and oiling the patina won't cause any harm.

 

[Capn'D]

I have a blunderbuss that is brass. I always clean with Dawn and hot water but lube with bore butter inside and out. The patina is a rich, handled yellow that matches originals I've seen from the 18th century. I keep all abrasives away

 

[Eutycus]

I was always curious as to how the use of brass came into being , other than for the looks. It really isn't a very strong material is it? Maybe it was it's anti-rust quality. Are brass and bronze about the same? And which of the two is a "stronger" material?

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have several of those. Had more but gave some away. My interest in cannons never evolved into a full size model in my collection. I have often fired blanks from an original w/1" bore. Many years ago I bought a coil of fuze from Dixie and am still using it. Your little brass cannon is, IMHO, a desk decoration, nothing more. I wouldn't try to shoot anything from it. Some are drilled, some are not. I bought most of mine from the gift shops at National battlefield parks. Believe they are China made.

 

[Eutycus]

I have several of those. Had more but gave some away. My interest in cannons never evolved into a full size model in my collection. I have often fired blanks from an original w/1" bore. Many years ago I bought a coil of fuze from Dixie and am still using it. Your little brass cannon is, IMHO, a desk decoration, nothing more. I wouldn't try to shoot anything from it. Some are drilled, some are not. I bought most of mine from the gift shops at National battlefield parks. Believe they are China made.

So it's not really a firecracker cannon? Why the screw on back piece with a hole for the fuse if it's only for decoration? Seems like someone went to alot of trouble (and expense) threading those two pieces just for a decoration.Are you saying it wasn't made for that or it wouldn't hold up? Maybe Cinese firecrakers aren't as strong as ours.

 

[Zonie]

I was always curious as to how the use of brass came into being , other than for the looks. It really isn't a very strong material is it? Maybe it was it's anti-rust quality. Are brass and bronze about the same? And which of the two is a "stronger" material?

First I need to say there are hundreds of different brasses and bronzes and the percentage of the metals in them sometimes seems to overlap but generally speaking:

Brass is usually a mixture of copper and zinc. It is a moderately strong material that is quite ductile. It is resistant to salt making it ideal for use on ships.
The percentage of zinc is usually fairly high with some of the brasses having as much as 40% zinc in them.

Bronze is usually a mixture of copper and tin, often with other types of metal like aluminum, lead, or zinc added. When zinc is present it is usually not greater than 10-12%. Bronze is usually harder and stronger than brass but it is often more brittle so it is more likely to break if it is bent.
The brittle characteristics can make bronze less desirable for use as a gun or cannon barrel.

Like I said, that was speaking in generalities. There is a great deal of overlap between the two metals and what goes into them so there are brasses that are quite strong and brittle and bronzes that are weaker and fairly ductile. It can be confusing even to people who work with these metals.
It is also why it is very important to not only know which alloy to use for gun or cannon barrels but to also get written confirmation that the metal you have is exactly the alloy you want it to be.

 

[Griz44Mag]

The cheap Chinese stuff is stamped all over. Yours appears to be one of the older original ones.
My uncle had one of these small firecracker cannons, back in the 60's was the last time I saw it.
It too, was all bronze/brass.
It too, had no markings on it. It WAS made for firecrackers, thus the fuse hole and the threaded cap to load it.
IIRC, he used it with the larger firework, that I believe is now called an M80.
It made on heckuva directional bang! He had a board with a couple of j-hooks screwed in it that he would loop a couple of rubber bands around and to the wheels to keep it from jumping around too much. We would run a whole box of "ammo" through it at a time. (even launched some corn meal and flour out of it, made a HUGE fireball)
Yours looks like it is rifled? Did you measure the bore?
It's a cool looking piece, have some fun with it!

 

[Eutycus]

No this is not rifled but it does look like in the photo. I noticed that too. It doesnt really have a consistant bore or caliber size. It's just a thinwalled piece of brass , and the inner diameter seems to follow the outer diamter. I'd be " reluctant"to try M80s in it.
Now I do have another that is a 45 and it is rifled. That little cannon is the Naval gun from CVA. That model is made of blued steel.They used to come in a kit way back when. I wished I still had the box. My brother gave it to me all ready put together back in the '80s. It too needs to be anchored or tied down. It likes to "fly" and do somersaults when fired.

 

[Eutycus]

 

[Griz44Mag]

A video posted that shows what appears to be the exact model you have, same screws, carriage cap.

Take it out and SHOOT IT!
It's the 4th of July!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Why the screw on back piece with a hole for the fuse if it's only for decoration?

I can authoritatively say..... " I dunno".

 

[Eutycus]

Thank you for the video. Is it just my equipment (including a set of old ears) or did others have trouble with audio portion? I could hear the "bang" all right but had trouble hearing the spoken words. I've come across several videos that have a very low volume to them and often wondered if maybe my old tablet isn't to blame. Or is it just me?