Author Topic: Too much cannon for the carriage!  (Read 1178 times)

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Offline Cannoneer

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Too much cannon for the carriage!
« on: November 26, 2011, 09:32:18 AM »
I came across these two photos of a 4.2-inch 30-pounder Parrott mounted on a field carriage the other day, and my first thought was that the trail on this carriage must be moaning something awful. The gun is located at Parker’s Crossroads, Wildersville, Tennessee, and the pics were taken by Mike Talplacido (flickr).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtalplacido/5840487615/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtalplacido/5569602843/sizes/l/in/photostream/


This 1865 photograph of two 30-pounders shows the guns mounted on the proper (and beefier) U.S. siege carriage.

“Two 4.2-inch (30-pounder) Parrott rifles and stacks of shells inside Fort Putnam on Morris Island during the campaign against Charleston harbor.” Wikimedia Commons.



RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline flagman1776

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2011, 10:34:31 AM »
 >:(

Offline Zulu

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2011, 11:28:19 AM »
The end of the barrel in the period photo seems to be quite damaged.  Wonder what happened.
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Offline Rayfan87

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2011, 11:32:42 AM »
Is it damage or a covering? It looks like a bag over the muzzle.

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2011, 12:09:03 PM »
The 30 pdr Parrott does look a little strange on a #3 carriage because of the long barrel.  ThesThese photos were taken at Grayling in the late 80s.  Thought they might be of interest.




Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline Zulu

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2011, 12:52:26 PM »
Is it damage or a covering? It looks like a bag over the muzzle.

Now that you say that, it does look like a bag over the muzzle.
Zulu
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Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2011, 03:27:43 PM »
Zulu,
I think Ray is right, that's a protective cover over the muzzle, and they also have the vent covers strapped on.


RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline KABAR2

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2011, 09:38:42 AM »
I had a muzzel cover like that at one time they were made of oilcloth so they are almost the same color as the gun.....
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2011, 10:37:15 AM »
Artilleryman,

Good (old fashioned) photographs; is that a Paulson Bros. gun?
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2011, 03:17:23 PM »
Yes it is.  When I first saw it on the a trailer from the muzzle end I had to walk several steps  to the side to see the other end.  They shot up a personnel carrier at 2300-2400 yards that weekend.  Very impressive gun.
Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2011, 11:41:20 AM »
Artilleryman  --

IMPRESSIVE!  (I read the text of  your post at work, but had to wait to get home to see the pix)

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2011, 02:12:51 PM »
I had the opportunity to gun this 30 pdr barrel mounted on a barbette carriage for three shots out at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin a few years back.  It's so accurate at a mile that it's almost like using a sniper rifle.
Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2011, 06:48:19 PM »
What was the weight of the charges you were using?
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2011, 05:03:23 AM »
Service charge, 3 lbs of powder behind a 25 lb shell with impact fuses.
Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2011, 10:03:04 PM »
Norm,

I like to look at the vids the Paulson bros. have up on (guessing these are from around the 1980's) YouTube, because you can see the power the real guns had, and it's also a chance to witness exploding shells, which of course is verboten since 9/11.
Were the shells that they used very close in appoximating the shells that would have actually been fired in the CW era?
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline Artilleryman

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Re: Too much cannon for the carriage!
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2011, 10:29:08 AM »
The shells were very close to being like the original shells.  If I remember correctly they used one pound of powder in the shell.  The impact fuse was very much like one of the original fuses except that it used a .22 blank instead of a musket cap.  Of course these shells were only used on a military artillery and bomb range.  This of course is one of those don't try this at home deals.
Norm Gibson, 1st SC Vol., ACWSA