Author Topic: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage  (Read 657 times)

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Offline cannonmn

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Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« on: February 26, 2009, 10:38:06 PM »
R.C. Hubbard Jr. was kind enough to post this link on the NSSA site; I can't recall seeing mention of it here, so here it is.  I've seen I think three original Williiams guns, one at Smithsonian, one at Watervliet Arsenal museum, and one at New Market VA museum, but have never seen nor even heard anything of the carriage for them until this was posted recently:

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~us14thkyinfantry/photo/reunion.html

Offline Victor3

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2009, 11:57:10 PM »
More info...

http://www.floridareenactorsonline.com/williamsgun.htm

http://www.floridareenactorsonline.com/williamsconstruction.htm

 Only CW breech-loader I've seen that could be made full-scale on smallish machine tools.

 Are there any others?
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

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Offline cannonmn

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2009, 01:27:51 AM »
Now I need to update the list of surviving Williams guns:

Ky State Military Museum
West Point Museum
Watervliet Arsenal Museum
Smithsonian (could have been borrowed from one of the above?)
New Market VA Battlefield Museum


Offline BoomLover

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2009, 04:38:20 AM »
Great photo, Cannonmn! Thanks for posting it! Were the Williams guns and the Whitworth guns related? They look enough alike to be first cousins. The bit of history about it was interesting, too! BoomLover
"Beware the Enemy With-in, for these are perilous times! Those who promise to protect and defend our Constitution, but do neither, should be evicted from public office in disgrace!

Offline BoomLover

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2009, 05:07:53 AM »
On second thought, they only have a superficial resemblance....operation of each is quite different, unique unto itself. Good articles, thanks to both of you for this history lesson! BoomLover
"Beware the Enemy With-in, for these are perilous times! Those who promise to protect and defend our Constitution, but do neither, should be evicted from public office in disgrace!

Offline guardsgunner

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2009, 08:44:07 AM »
Victor3

   There are several small guns that can be made on average shop tools.  The Ellsworth gun:a previous project, linked here....http://www.nwtskirmisher.com/useful-extra4.shtml          and here..... http://www.nwtskirmisher.com/useful-extra5.shtml
This is a Ellsworth underneath Artillerymans 12pdr.....

   

Along with the Hughes gun......


are relatively easy. (present project) The Travis gun would be neat............



After that they start getting bigger.

Bob

Offline guardsgunner

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2009, 01:36:53 PM »
 cannonmn,
    The only descriptions that I have seen for the williams gun carriage state that they were mounted on a carriage lighter than a Mt. Howitzer carriage.  This is certianly that.
    It is interesting that this is the gun which was stolen from ScHoolfeild's Battery (of 6 Williams guns) by a yankee scout in Tennesse. He crept into camp and lifted the gun off the carriage and hid it in the bushes.
(in the photo you can see the pin extending below the carriage under the yoke) When he return to recover the gun after the Rebs moved out the next morning, he found that they had left the carriage for which they had no barrel. he remounted the barrel and took it away. This gun was then sent to Frankfort Arsenal(ky).
    A later incident has the Officer who was in cammand, Col. Johnson riding through camp and seeing a soldier standing near one of schoolfeilds little guns; decided to address him for the ammusment of his fellow officers by saying
"soldier, you had better watch those little guns; a woman might come into camp and carry one off. The soldier replied" I dont think that they are in any danger. Old Col. Tom Johnson is not in command here now." CVM 1909

Offline Victor3

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2009, 01:24:27 AM »
 guardsgunner,

 Thanks much for the pics. I'd forgotten about the Hughes. That would probably be a fairly simple one to reproduce. Much like a big bolt-action rifle breech.

 You're making one?
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline guardsgunner

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Re: Photo of Williams gun on original carriage
« Reply #8 on: February 28, 2009, 12:29:06 PM »
Victor3,

   Yes, hope to be done late spring.