Building a muzzle loading cannon

EVILDR235

I made a small muzzle loading cannon at work yesterday.Barrel is about three feet long with a one inch bore.Made projectiles out of round bar stock (giant wadcutters) 100 grains of black powder and a paper towel for wadding.At fifty yards it went thru both sides of a car body and buried itself in a dirt embankment.Not very noisey either.A bigger one on wheels is next.It will be made fom a old hydraulic ram off a forklift.Golfball size bore on this one.
EvilDr235

Two types of people drive old cars.Rich people because they want to and poor people because they have to.

jjmitchell60

I will begin by sayine be very careful in building your own BP cannons. When done right they can be fun but when not done right it can be dangerous. With that said let me tell you story about a gentleman and his BP cannon:

There was this gentleman who for the lack of a better term was very eccentric. He found out that he had a cavity in a tooth so he drilled it out with a power drill then filled it with hot lead![:0] That was how odd he was. He had some BP rifles and he also had an old bolt action goose gun. Well he lived next to a Wildlife Management Area and this area started getting some Geese stopping in on their migratation south but they were too high for his goose gun. He had read about the 'Punt Guns" that were used in Europe so he decided to build him a BP one out of a car drive shaft! He loaded that thing with a whole pound of FFF then stuffed it full of lead balls, nails, and even some bolts/nuts. He had a touch hole drilled in it and had a piece of fuse stuck in it. As the Geese flew over he set that thing off. When it went of it blew clean apart throwing him backwards over a creek bank, which probably saved his life, and through all the stuff inside every where including through the windows of his son's car and the house windows.[:0] Needless to say that ended his cannon building days!

Now as to me I love to shoot BP cannons and even have thought about gettig a mortor. I will not build my own due to the fact I want accurate reproductions that I can take to reenactments. Enjoy your cannon but by all means keep safety in mind. Just a little story I thought might amuse you and others.

EVILDR235

The golfball firing one has a wall thickness of 5/8 of a inch thick of steel.Driveshafts are very thin as You know.I would never try to use something that thin.Mine are being lit by using a diesel glowplug and small powder charges.And I don't stand anywhere near it when firing it.
EvilDr235

Two types of people drive old cars.Rich people because they want to and poor people because they have to.

pabooger

Do not use Smokeless Powder in it and you will be fine! Black Powder only!!!



To Ride, shoot straight,and speak the truth
This was the Ancient law of Youth
Old times are past, old times are done:
But the Law runs true, O little son!

IAMACLONE_2

Been toying with building a Coke can launcher, for years.
You know shot the Coke can out then shoot up the cans with .22's etc.
Thought about propane, m-80 firecrackers, compressed air etc.
Know one thang for sure its goana have thick walls of high grade seamless tubing, more like used drill casing would be ideal.
Pipe dream
Walte

glyn

I was in lassen gunsmithing school a few years ago and they had built a cannon fron a gas cylinder that fired a 16 pound bowling ball 700 yards very impressive to say the least.

Those who live by the sword will be killed by those who dont. Glyn