golf ball mortar build...help needed

[icehunter]

Hey folks. This is my basic first post and need some info.I am building a black powder mortar for slinging golf balls out. Its based on the actual Canadian M5 mortar mount which I have but building a custom barrel setup with a custom barrel base.It will look like a actual military mortar when I am done. So the question is...what powder charges to go with? I will be using pyrodex RS in it and how much?

If I get a couple hundred yards to start with thats fine with me. Any help right now from any one shooting golf balls would really be appreciated as the barrel liner itself is at my buddies and he is going to start machineing out the breech plug for it.

 

[JJCASTINGS]

This is a very vague question. Steel type, bore diameter, projectile resistance,barrel length, must all be known, or excessive resistance will result with excessive pressure and an explosion of your barrel. If you loading method allows any gap between the powder and the projectile, then you have a pipe bomb.

Probably why you had a lot of people look at the post and no reply.

 

As SquirrelBuster replied, more info needed. You talk of the M5 Base, are you referring to Canadian M19 mortar tube? Will this be a chambered tube? How do you plan to ignite the charge? What wall thickness will you use?

CP

 

[icehunter]

The inner barrel diameter is slightly larger then a golf ball. Patching will be used to make up the diameter of the inner barrel.Just like in bp shooting. The breech plug is being machined from a solid piece of rod.Final dimensions are 2 inches wide x 3 inches thick .In the center will be a 1x1 inch lathed hole for the powder to sit in and for the cannon fuse to enter. The inner barrel itself is .250 wall and pipe used for fracing purposes. Its 32 inches long

This whole assembly slides in to larger pipe as I need a 2.70 outter finish on the barrel to fit the mortar cradle. Yes this is like a m19 60mm mortar but only in the cradle department. In the end the barrel wall will be .500 thick,the breech end will end up being 3x3 inches thick. All the pipe is seamless as well. Ignition is via cannon fuse the enters thru the sides of the 2 barrel and into the powder hole lathed in the barrel.

The hole itself has a capacity of approximately 230 grains of pyrodex.I would post pics of it but all I have here right now is the outter barrel,cradle and mocked up mount plate.

I am aware of having the ball seated snugly against the powder charge and such. I am just wondering what a start load would be.This is a project in the making so to speak and if I need to change things,nows the time to do it b4 everything is all assembled together..

 

[rmagill]

I haven't shot any of my mortars for a while but if I remember right pyrodex isnt going to be very impressive, think I tried it once. 100 yds might be hard to come by with it. Pictures of your build would be good.

 

[Darkgael]

The inner barrel diameter is slightly larger then a golf ball. Patching will be used to make up the diameter of the inner barrel.Just like in bp shooting.

Nope. This is a mortar. It is not like other BP shooting. Do not use a patch to make up the diameter. That extra diameter is called windage and it is supposed to be there.
Pete

 

[freekforge]

if you are shooting golfballs your bore needs to be 1.72"

 

[Darkgael]

Ice: if you haven't already, try this link to substantial info about safe cannon and mortar fabrication: http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,89682.0.html
It was posted by DD a member here also.
Pete

 

[icehunter]

K I hope this works...here are some pics of it and what is happening or such...first few pics are how I got the mortar an such delivered to me. The tube is a dummy one and is just for a static display only..The shipping crate and every thing else is genuine can surplus and unissued..

Photobucket is really starting to screw up bad again...I have more pics but cant post them. So for now this is what I can offer to you fine folks...