Early Bronze gun from wreck is in excellent condition

[cannonmn]

This nice early cannon was recently recovered from the wreck of the SAN JOSE, one of the ships in the 1622 fleet of Francisco da Gama.  The wreck was found off Mozambique.  This is one of four bronze guns recovered there; it has already been conserved.  Sorry I don't have any more details on the cannon, but if I had to guess its size, I'd guess maybe 6-7 feet long with weight of maybe 1/2 to 3/4 ton.  These early shipboard cannons with lifting rings did not have trunnions.

One thing to note is that this gun is in excellent condition considering it has been submerged in salt water for close to 400 years.  The markings are probably nearly as sharp as they were when the gun was new.  When you compare it to the much younger guns I've been looking at which are stored outside at Ft. McNair and at the Washington Navy Yard, it is in much better condition than most of those.

Why?  Air, water, and light together are bad for bronze.  The wreck cannon has had water, but not air, and very little light.

[cannonmn]

Here's a picture of the Portuguese Coat of Arms which is in the Chapel of St. Michael in Portugal.

[dan610324]

that's an nice one , I love this early guns just because they are so clean .
OK an French or Italian barrock style of course also have its charm

[cannonmn]

I think cannons of this general design fired stone cannonballs.

[Cat Whisperer]

I think cannons of this general design fired stone cannonballs.

That must have taken quite some time to manufacture them!

[A.Roads]

These old bronze barrels really are lovely. I've only had limited experience with these, but the few I have come across have had trunnions, I think the one in the image, at the start of this thread, appears to have trunnions also. These guns were intended for firing stone balls, some are actually quite "thin walled" and have a powder chamber rather like shell firing guns of later generations.

The images below are:
A 6 inch Portuguese stone cannon ball.
A Portuguese gun in Oman (in the middle east) which has been mounted in a reproduction carriage of appropriate design. It has the Portuguese coat of arms on the chase.
The barrel length overall is 117.5 inches long with a 4.75" bore.
The next gun, also in Oman, is unfortunately missing most of the chase.
There is an 18pr iron ball, with a 12pr behind that, probably dropped in by a tourist, which give an idea of the bore size on this barrel.
The balls were "fished" out revealing the powder chamber.

To be continued....
 

[A.Roads]

Continued....

A wood pattern of the missing chase was made.
The pattern was sent to the UK, cast in bronze, & shipped back to Oman.
The barrel was relocated to another Fort, where a muzzle loading artillery museum is being established, and mounted on a reproduction contemporary carriage.
The new chase is shown fitted in position and awaiting the welder who is in the background welding in a rather large breech section "patch" on another burst bronze gun.
Getting 3 phase power to the site for the bronze welding was actually the hardest part!
Adrian

[Cannoneer]

   The trunnions can be clearly discerned in this topics opening top photograph, they can both be seen behind the first set of rings as the tube is viewed in perspective. Good catch, Adrian!

Cat, I think the stone masons of the period were probably very adept at carving these balls, I think we would all be amazed at how fast they could actually cut one out.

[cannonmn]

one in the image, at the start of this thread, appears to have trunnions also.

Thanks A.R., I stand corrected, this one certainly does have trunnions.