On this board in order to promote safety we recommend that cannons be built to at least the minimum standards established by the North South Skirmish Association for safe construction cannons. Basically the barrel wall must be one caliber thick over the chamber. So you bore diameter is .58, that means to meet minimum standards the diameter of your barrel over the breech should 1.74 inches
There is a standard guideline for center-fire smokeless rifle gun barrels made of the appropriate steel. The chamber wall is supposed to be no less than 2/3 of the chamber diameter thick. If you barrel is an old 58 caliber barrel it is an old muzzle-loading barrel. Most of those are not made to the standards required for high pressures barrels.
Her is my concern about you barrel. The breech plug. How was it made and installed. I would like to see some xrays of that breech plug.
We here are all concerned about safety. If you are offended by that we say, we are sorry, but we won't compromise safety.
Your comments to the effect that you have been shooting it for years with out any problems, is the standard phrase used in just about every cannon failure accident we have seen reported...
I suggest you clean this gun up and put it up on the shelf for retirement. We can help you build your next cannon.
