Author Topic: Hand-held cannon (Read 1936 times)

Cat Whisperer · « **on:** August 03, 2003, 02:34:02 PM »

Some of the earliest 'cannon' were small-bore (inch or so) devices on the end of a pole. SOMEONE out there will remember the name of these - used in English battles about 1600 or 1700's (?).

I just finished making another golf-ball caliber mortar tube (4140) with round barrel and breach end done in an octagonal (just playing with it to see what it'd look like.

So now I think I'd like to do one of those OLD timey smoke poles - if anyone has the name of it, a design, or a URL leading to one.

Found this at http://members.aol.com/BERLIER1/BPHIST.htm

CANNON LOCK:

The first muzzle loaders were fired by simply shoving a slow match (fuse), hot coal, or red hot wire into a powder-filled flash hole (vent into the main chamber). The earliest surviving example is the "TANNENBURGER BUCHSE", dated prior to 1399. This is a simple tapered iron tube, formed at the breech end into a socket to accept a "PIKE-POLE" stock which was held under the shooter's arm (known as a "HAND-CANNON" OR "PETRONEL").

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2003, 03:42:58 AM »

CHECK this out!

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~dispater/handgonnes.htm

Here is a short history of "Handgonnes and matchlocks - A preliminary essay in the history of firearms to 1500".

LOG EYE · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2003, 04:04:40 AM »

HI Cat: I didn't read the threads yet so allI can say is one of our club members, Nick Barber culwych@aol.com, has made a .54 weapon as you are describing. We play with it after regular matches shooting at a 24 inch gong 100yds out. Yup, it takes two to shoot, one to hold and aim(a very loose term with this thing) and one to light the cannon fuse (1 incher). Just hold on tight!! I got a sharp punch to my nose from my right hand when it went off :oops: Nick is a real history buff and makes his own match lock rifles and whips many a factory trade gun in our league shoots.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2003, 02:32:11 PM »

Log Eye
(Interesting handle) Thanks for the reply. In reference to the hand held mentioned, is it a short small hand held cannon, or is it mounted on the end of a pole? Sounds like a genuine rush to shoot!

Sounds like a good group to have fun with too.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** September 18, 2003, 02:12:52 PM »

Ahhh the plot grows thicker.

This is one DD forwarded to me via email:

www.handgonnes.com

And speaking of Hurricane Isabel - something from Gilbert and Sullivan about "and he fired salutes with the captain's boots in the teeth of the booming gale..."

Calamity Jane · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2003, 03:41:51 PM »

Donno 'bout you Cat . . . sometimes ya worry me :eek:

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2003, 04:49:55 PM »

CJ -

You're beginning to learn my true charcter.

Sometimes the .444 (or .45-70) in the TC Contender just isn't enough.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #7 on:** January 02, 2004, 08:53:53 AM »

WELL, the TEST FIRING of the hand held cannon is coming up soon.
This will be my 24th mortar.

All I have to do is cut the fuse hole and polish out a few tooling marks!

Vital statistics (pictures will follow when I find another free site to post them with):

Golf ball caliber: 1.708" diameter
2.7" OD
3.25" bore length
additional Coehorn style powder chamber
6.3" long
4140 steel

Insurance is paid up too!

And weighs about 8 lbs - about the same as the M-1 Garand.

Double D · « **Reply #8 on:** January 02, 2004, 02:15:42 PM »

Do you have a date for the test fire?

Maybe I'll run down and take pictures...my new digital camera has a telephoto lense!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #9 on:** January 02, 2004, 05:28:29 PM »

Isn't interesting to have this topic just below the sticky on safety?

But after firing the Panzerfaust from the shoulder this should be easy.
The half beer cans full of concrete weigh much more than a golf ball. Even so, I'll run the comparison between the golf ball and a lead bullet and the same amount of FFFg behind each.

(Do I see the phrase 'seemed like a good idea at the time...' going through my mind?)

DD -

You're welcome here anytime! Weather here is not with sunshine though. Gun show in Roanoke this weekend.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2004, 02:29:38 PM »

Cut the fuse hole! Polished out the tooling marks (mostly).

Tomorrow, if the weather holds, it's proof testing!!

Well, fun day at the range. 1/2" thick 4140 walls firing a 1300+ golf ball shouldn't need to be 'proof tested'.

Third_Rail · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2005, 08:11:00 AM »

Did anything come of this? I've seen pictures of it completed, but nothing about it being fired.

Sorry to breathe life back into a dead thread!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #12 on:** May 02, 2005, 12:10:56 PM »

Yes -

Here is the link to the results!

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=23881

Look in the Apr 24th post for the links to the pictures of firing it.

I highly recommend gloves, to keep from being powder burned.
With the weight of the steel, kick is minimal.

CAV Trooper · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2005, 12:25:56 PM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer

Yes -

Here is the link to the results!

Look in the Apr 24th post for the links to the pictures of firing it.

OK, maybe it's just me but I looked in all three topics dated April 24th and couldn't find a thing.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #14 on:** May 02, 2005, 12:32:33 PM »

Quote from: CAV Trooper

Quote from: Cat Whisperer
Yes -

Here is the link to the results!

Look in the Apr 24th post for the links to the pictures of firing it.

OK, maybe it's just me but I looked in all three topics dated April 24th and couldn't find a thing.

Nope. It was me. I forgot the link. It's been added.
Thanks!

Third_Rail · « **Reply #15 on:** May 02, 2005, 02:26:47 PM »

Excellent, thank you! :-)

Looks like a fun project!

GGaskill · « **Reply #16 on:** July 22, 2005, 07:41:40 PM »

Looks like the pix have fallen off the server. If you still want them available, send them to me and I will host them on my server.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2005, 12:41:45 AM »

Hunt101.com is going through a software update. So the pix will not be available for a few days. Hurry up and wait.

Thanks for your offer though.

GGaskill · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2005, 06:47:06 PM »

Has hunt101 finished their upgrade? Your pix hosted there are still showing fish.

jeeper1 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 21, 2005, 01:25:05 AM »

Anything on hunt101 before the upgrade or whatever is probably lost forever. My pictures from then are all gone forever.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #20 on:** August 21, 2005, 02:11:32 AM »

They were TALKING (before and during the upgrade) of being able to retrieve all the pix. Not a word about it since, nor do they respond to email inquiries.

If there are particular threads that you're interested in, send me a PM & I'll repost those pix first.

Thanks.

GGaskill · « **Reply #21 on:** August 21, 2005, 06:41:12 AM »

The ones in the link listed above (http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=23881) were what I was interested in. My offer to host them still stands.