My Toy CVA Cannon

[ppg1949]

Hello, tonight is the first time I’ve looked at the Cannon forum. I saw a post by Eutycus on his toy firecracker cannon and I thought of mine. I believe it to be a CVA cannon. I’m guessing it to be about 40 years old as I’ve had it 35 years. It is 45 caliber and rifled about seven inches long. It was given to me by a friend who said he had not used it for years. All the metal was solid rust and the wood unfinished. I used a wire brush to remove the rust on the exterior and brass brush on the interior. I cold blued the barrel and finished the wood. I used 20 grains of 3F with paper wadding. I never fired a round ball out it. When I fired it the cannon would flip backwards about five feet. I fired it that way for years. I didn’t know there was to supposed to be an elevation wedge on the back of the cannon, lol. I made an elevation support out of popsicle sticks. Not HC but practical.

 

[Eddie2002]

Nice cannon, I have a .50 caliber on a wagon carriage which I bought about 40 years ago, the barrel looks similar to your's. Think I got through Cabella's as a kit. I load mine with 25 grains 2F and use a wad of aluminum foil for packing. Makes a goodly noise I've shot a few round balls through it and was able to hit paper at 15 yds.

 

[ppg1949]

Nice cannon, I have a .50 caliber on a wagon carriage which I bought about 40 years ago, the barrel looks similar to your's. Think I got through Cabella's as a kit. I load mine with 25 grains 2F and use a wad of aluminum foil for packing. Makes a goodly noise I've shot a few round balls through it and was able to hit paper at 15 yds.

Eddie, they are fun and do make a lot of noise. I never thought of an aluminum wad. It probably gives a better seal than a newspaper with less volume.
Thanks

 

[Carbon 6]

I have one just like it, spent many hours in the back yard with a friend playing a realistic version of "you sunk my battle ship". Much more fun than playing bean bags.

 

[ppg1949]

I have one just like it, spent many hours in the back yard with a friend playing a realistic version of "you sunk my battle ship". Much more fun than playing bean bags.

Definitely a lot of fun. I usually fire mine off on holidays, much to the displeasure of my neighbors. For noise it is either my cannon or a MacGuyver bomb, lol.

 

[sawyer04]

I have had a Napoleon CVA cannon for about as long as the ppg1949. Can't recollect where I got it. It had to be a trade of some sort. Instead of blueing I have thought about gun paint.
Has anyone advise about gun painting the cannon?

 

[ppg1949]

I have had a Napoleon CVA cannon for about as long as the ppg1949. Can't recollect where I got it. It had to be a trade of some sort. Instead of blueing I have thought about gun paint.
Has anyone advise about gun painting the cannon?

sawyer04, sounds like you have a cool canon. Personally, I like the smaller size of the CVA canons. What caliber is yours? As far as painting goes, my only concern would be the touch hole. Fuses burn hot and might blister any paint around it. Were you planning on using engine paint? I think they can withstand 550 degrees F but that is heat only. I'm not sure how it would hold up to the flame of a fuse. I painted the barrel of an old single shot flat black but there was no flash area involved.

 

[sawyer04]

sawyer04, sounds like you have a cool canon. Personally, I like the smaller size of the CVA canons. What caliber is yours? As far as painting goes, my only concern would be the touch hole. Fuses burn hot and might blister any paint around it. Were you planning on using engine paint? I think they can withstand 550 degrees F but that is heat only. I'm not sure how it would hold up to the flame of a fuse. I painted the barrel of an old single shot flat black but there was no flash area involved.

I plan to use a paint designed for gun parts, however since you mentioned it I may think about a black stove paint like we have used on the old pot bellied stove.
Going to experiment.

 

[ppg1949]

I plan to use a paint designed for gun parts, however since you mentioned it I may think about a black stove paint like we have used on the old pot bellied stove.
Going to experiment.

I must be behind the times as I have never heard of paint for guns but that would not be unusual for me. What ever you use, gun, stove or engine paint, I would try a small section around the touch only. Then burn a fuse to see how it withstands the flame. No need to paint the whole cannon only to find out it burns off from the fuse. Just some thinking out loud about how I would approach the painting. Which ever you decide, be sure and post your results. Others may want to try it on something they own. Thanks

 

[Zonie]

During the time the Navy used cannons, painting them was a common practice.

I really doubt that an oil based paint that used turpentine or paint thinner would be much effected by the flash from the touch hole.
Even if it was, it would be similar to what happened in real life.

Now , if a lacquer based paint was used, that's a whole different game. Being a nitrocellulose paint it would not like the high temperatures.
If a black paint that is designed for use on BBQ's and wood burning stoves was used, it would not be effected at all. At least not to such a point that it would be worrisome.

 

[ppg1949]

During the time the Navy used cannons, painting them was a common practice.

I really doubt that an oil based paint that used turpentine or paint thinner would be much effected by the flash from the touch hole.
Even if it was, it would be similar to what happened in real life.

Now , if a lacquer based paint was used, that's a whole different game. Being a nitrocellulose paint it would not like the high temperatures.
If a black paint that is designed for use on BBQ's and wood burning stoves was used, it would not be effected at all. At least not to such a point that it would be worrisome.

Zonie, great info about the original naval canons. The info on different types of the bases of the paint was also informative. I'm sure he will find the proper paint. My canon barrel is small and had I'd known the originals were painted, I'd probably painted mine instead of bluing it. Thanks

 

[Eutycus]

Besides my little brass firecracker cannon I also have one just like yours. Its a .45 caliber CVA Naval model.

 

[ppg1949]

Besides my little brass firecracker cannon I also have one just like yours. Its a .45 caliber CVA Naval model.

That's cool. Did you read Zonie's reply that the original naval canons were painted. I thought that was interesting.. Do you shoot yours? I've never fired a round ball out of mine but I have shot it. Mine was used and given to me by a friend. And didn't the elevation wedge. Did you get yours new? Post a picture if you can. Thanks.

 

[Eutycus]

I'm going to make an attempt at posting a picture of my CVA. It will probably be on a following post and done with a smart phone. The devices that I am presently using does not post pictures very well. I got my fingers crossed that it won't come in sideways. I have shot this cannon but it's been many years. I found this little cannon needs to be tied down or it will go flying. It's more of a wall hanger or decoration now. But it is a "keeper" because one of my brothers gave it to me for Christmas around 40 years ago.

 

[Eutycus]

 

[ppg1949]

View attachment 16192

I'm going to make an attempt at posting a picture of my CVA. It will probably be on a following post and done with a smart phone. The devices that I am presently using does not post pictures very well. I got my fingers crossed that it won't come in sideways. I have shot this cannon but it's been many years. I found this little cannon needs to be tied down or it will go flying. It's more of a wall hanger or decoration now. But it is a "keeper" because one of my brothers gave it to me for Christmas around 40 years ago.

Euty, I love it! It's the twin to mine. Your right about tying them down or they fly 4 or 5 feet backwards and about 2 feet off the ground. Since I made a popsicle stick elevation "wedge" that holds the barrel nearly parallel to the ground, it doesn't fly as far. Did you blue the barrel or paint it?

 

[Eutycus]

The barrel was blued and the kit put together when I received it. I think. It needs a reblueing worse than I thought. Any suggestions? I got half a bottle of Birchwood Caseys Super Blue and some steel wool.

 

[ppg1949]

The barrel was blued and the kit put together when I received it. I think. It needs a reblueing worse than I thought. Any suggestions? I got half a bottle of Birchwood Caseys Super Blue and some steel wool.

When I got mine, it was totally rusted. I even joked that even the wood was rusted. I wire brushed mine down to the bare metal. If I had known about Evapo Rust I could have saved myself a lot of work. I think your idea of steel wool and Super Blue is a solid view. I used Super Blue on mine and after 35 years it is still good. I even blued the inside of the barrel.

 

[Zonie]

The Birchwood Casey Super Blue will work for rebluing the cannon but you have to make sure the surface is totally free of any oil or wax. Denatured alcohol, MEK, lacquer thinner, acetone and disk brake cleaner will all destroy any oil that is on the surface.

Super Blue is made for alloy steels like modern centerfire guns are made from. To get the best bluing on a muzzleloader or a .22, Birchwood Casey Perma Blue gives a better, more uniform coating but for a replica of an old cannon a few streaks and such shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[Eutycus]

It don't have to be and probably will not be a perfect job. This cannon is more or less a wall hanger or decoration anyway.