First Cannon

[Zoar]

I am suddenly the owner of a 25 inch long overall (with 20.5 inch long bore)barreled cannon. It has no carriage. It may have been a swivel gun. It came from a woman whose husband inherited it and he fixed it up 40 years ago and shot it off every 4th of July in a local town. (I am in Finger Lakes area of NY). He died a decade ago and the cannon was sitting in her barn. There are no letters on the cannon although it has what looks like x's in a line. I can send pictures via email but I cannot seem to figure out how to post picts here yet. It has been sleeved with a steel pipe so the current bore mic's out at 1.0 inches. The original bore looks like it mic's to 1.45 inches. The rumor is it came from the 1700's. I intend to shoot it (to make noise). I have already tested it with 100 grains of 2F black and a cork wad. (I use my 4 bore blunderbuss wads in this thing!)

I am going to make a carriage for it, (a ship gun carriage).

Any help identifying this cannon would be much appreciated. I always wanted a cannon and a mortor and suddenly I have one and it is beautiful!!!

If anyone is close by (Western NY) and would like to come by and look at it, just let me know!!!

 

[Mulebrain]

Email me the pics, and I will post them!

[email protected]

Sounds like a real neat find!

 

[Zoar]

Okay, I will email them to you. Thank you!

 

[Zoar]

Pictures emailed!!! Notice the markings on top. One looks like a "P".

Also from the pictures that Mule Brain will post here for me---does anyone have an estimate of when the cannon might have been made?

 

[Mulebrain]

And away we go!!!!

It looks to me, that this cannon has some age to it! I looks like those marks on top could be gate marks from the pour? :hmm:

 

[TheDoubleD]

Looks to me to be a sand casting made around a piece of pipe not tubing. That also looks the like the metal supports used hold the pipe centered in the mold are coming out the side. The casting is very poor quality.

To me the cannon resembles and accident looking for a place to happen.

 

[Zoar]

The pipe was added much later. That is clear to see. The cannon had a larger bore originally.

 

[KABAR2]

With the swamped breech and simple moldings I
would categorize this as a fantasy cannon,
it is hard to say what type of iron it is cast from,
and the liner of unknown manufacture is suspect.
Blanks "MAY" be ok in it light loads.....
I don't think you should trust it with ball,
and I personally would fill the bore and make a lawn ornament out of it.
This is my opinion for what is worth,
but it's better to ere on the safe side.

Allen

 

[Zoar]

Okay all. I will not shoot a round ball out of it, nor any shot. I will shoot light powder loads and newspaper/grass/flour. We shot it alot this past weekend with about 200 grains of 2F and news paper. It was great entertainment. I respect the sage advise on this forum and my own discernment of this cannon NOT to shoot a projectile from this cannon.

 

[TheDoubleD]

If its unsafe to shoot with a ball, it's unsafe to shot PERIOD

Most of the Cannon accidents you read about every New Years and 4th of July are fired as blanks. The worst offender newspaper wads and grass clippings.

 

[bingo1952]

I wouldn't shoot it even with blank charges. Here is a link to the only link I could find with a pic for the 1819 6 pounder and they were notorious for bursting and even it was a better design than what you have. Hope you didn't pay too much for it. :shake: http://www.vintage-visuals.com/1rmtci/CWMM_KS/Montgomery-county.html