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Author Topic: Here's an oddity  (Read 1022 times)

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Offline Squire Robin

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Here's an oddity
« on: October 31, 2005, 12:01:31 PM »
I was looking for pictures of Japanese cannons with breech plugs and I found this.

It's just lying around outside the Rotunda at Woolwich Arsenal and nobody seems to know where it came from.

Could it really be an incredibly ancient bombard :shock:


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Offline GGaskill

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2005, 12:06:25 PM »
Any idea what the bore looks like?
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GG
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Offline Squire Robin

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2005, 12:09:29 PM »
Can't see the bore, it's got a wooden plug in the muzzle.

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Offline GGaskill

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2005, 12:26:45 PM »
You're looking at their website versus being there is person?
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GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline Squire Robin

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2005, 12:50:17 PM »
:grin:  :grin:  :grin:

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Offline GGaskill

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2005, 01:47:31 PM »
I can see why it would take 23 horses to pull that gun (even when it had two wheels.)  

I gather the piece of wood wasn't readily removable.
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“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline A.Roads

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2005, 03:06:09 PM »
From the external profile & the size of the wooden plug it looks as though the main bore is tapered & then reduces more sharpely to a long narrower powder chamber. I imagine that it would lob a stone ball at high elevation, much like a mortar but wouldn't be as good used horizontally unless loaded with pellets & used as a huge blunderbuss for close quarters defence.  These old hoop & stave barrels are a fascinating work of art in their own right, this one looks like it rolled straight out of medieval times! Adrian.
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Offline pyro_tek

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2005, 06:01:49 PM »
Squire Robin,
The photo of you is missing the empty powder can.  :lol:
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Offline Squire Robin

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2005, 09:27:57 PM »
Quote from: GGaskill
I gather the piece of wood wasn't readily removable.


Good God man, I couldn't try to remove their plug, I'm English :-D

I was there doing a cannon recognition course for wreck divers. I don't go diving myself but my brother does and he thought I might like to tag along. There are cannon out in our little bay and I keep suggesting he ties a few floatation bags to one so I can tow it on to the beach. It's quite legal, I'd only have to notify the Receiver of Wrecks that I had it so that he could try and find the owner. Proabably not such a good idea after buying the 6 pounders though, my wife is now worried that I'm going to fill the house with cannon :grin:
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Offline Blaster

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2005, 02:05:02 PM »
Quote from: pyro_tek
Squire Robin,
The photo of you is missing the empty powder can.  :lol:


Hey pryo_tek, thanks for mentioning the mty powder can.   :)  :)
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Offline claypipe

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Re: Here's an oddity
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2005, 11:57:31 AM »
Seriously nice bombard!

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Offline Squire Robin

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Re: Here's an oddity
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2005, 12:42:14 PM »
Quote from: claypipe
Seriously nice bombard!


Hi CP

Didn't know you were here :D

I thought it was a seriously nice little bombard in a remarkable state of preservation that nobody seemed to know or care about. I can't find it in Blackmores listing of the historic ordnance.

Looking at the pattern of rusting I think it has to be forged iron rather than some copy casting and it hasn't spent 500 years at the bottom of the sea, so I'm wondering whee it came from, a private collection perhaps.

best regards

Squire Robin
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Offline GGaskill

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2005, 01:20:52 PM »
...my wife is now worried that I'm going to fill the house with cannon.

I can understand concern about filling the house but what else is a garage for?
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GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline Powder keg

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2005, 01:31:08 PM »
I have a machine shop in my garage :grin:
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Wesley P.
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Custom Machine work done reasonable. I have a small machine shop and foundry. Please let me build your stuff. I just added Metal etching to my capabilities. I specialize in custom jobs.
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Offline john pike

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Here's an oddity
« Reply #14 on: November 03, 2005, 03:39:23 PM »
Quote from: Powder keg
I have a machine shop in my garage :grin:


my shops in the garage too, right off the kitchen
somedays i feel aaawfull lucky, ive got a understanding wife,
too bad she doesnt like loud noises,,grin,,

johnp
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