Its Official!!!

[claypipe]

Its Official!!!

I R A Certified Cannon-Ear! Just got my ID card from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!

CP

[Rickk]

Claypipe... you are exited... I can tell...

Slow down and translate into english :-)

You don't mean you got one of the elusive Cannon and Mortar Certificates by any chance?

Rick

[EL Caz 66]

Question what did it take to get this ?Are you a resident?


Ed

[Rickk]

and, if that is what you are talking about, who did you find to certify you? I want to talk to him about running a certification class at a club I help run.

[claypipe]

Claypipe... you are exited... I can tell...

Slow down and translate into english :-)

You don't mean you got one of the elusive Cannon and Mortar Certificates by any chance?

Rick

Oh, its been one interesting endeavor.

First to find someone who has held the same certification for five years.

Do cannon drill in a misting rain.

Have them sign off on your application. And that signature has to be notarized.

Send in the application by the quarterly dead line. There's four exams a year.

Then wait for one of the quarterly exam dates.

Then find the exam office. They should give points for just finding the exam site. The exam starts at 9am sharp, the phone lines don't open till 9am. The address merely says State Road, no address number. Signs are posted along the way, behind other signs, telephone and light poles. Now try that on a foggy morning.

Two thirds of the test is dealing with the state codes and regulations. And don't forget the trick questions.

Then wait a week to two weeks to find out if you have passed or failed.

Then if all goes well, come 2011, I'll be able to sign applications.

CP

[GGaskill]

Sounds just like a Massachusetts government operation.

[Cat Whisperer]

Congratulations are certainly in order!

Certified by the Commonpoverty of Tax-a-chusetts!  Regardless of the source, the recognition has been EARNED.

[claypipe]

Massachusetts 527 CMR

22.03: Permits
(1) A permit for the supervised firing of cannon shall be issued by the head of the fire department on permit forms furnished the fire departments by the Department of Public Safety.

(2) Application for permit shall be submitted to the head of the fire department in the municipality where the supervised firing is to take place not less than 15 days in advance of firing date, and shall state whether blank-fire or live-fire. Submission of this application is a guarantee that the cannons to be fired will be inspected by the competent operator and meet all safety requirements prior to firing.

(3) Upon receipt of application, the head of the fire department shall make an investigation of the pertinent facts set forth in application for the purpose of determining compliance with all provisions of law and of 527 CMR 22.00. Upon completion of the investigation, but not later than five days after receipt of application, the head of the fire department shall transmit one copy of application to the Marshal and one copy to the applicant with his endorsement thereon in compliance with provisions of law, or his reason for withholding such endorsement.

(4) No permit shall be issued for the supervised discharging of cannon with or without projectile unless the applicant exhibits a Certificate of Competency for Cannon Firing.

(5) No permit granted for a specific display shall be transferable.

What it doesn't say here, is that it requires a Massachusetts Certified Cannoneer, that has held said certification for a minimum of five years, must sign off on your application. And that the signature must also be notarized. People have shook my hand when they saw my Certification card. One even holds a Federal Class 3 license, machine guns.

Massachusetts 527 CMR

22.04: Certificates of Competency

(1) Every supervised firing of a cannon with or without projectile shall be handled by a competent operator at least 21 years of age who holds a current Certificate of Competency for Cannon Firing issued by the Marshal.

(2) Any person desiring to obtain a Certificate of Competency shall make application in writing to the Marshal and shall submit to such examination and test as the Marshal may prescribe. Such certificate when issued shall continue in effect for a period of five years, and may be renewed without examination upon prior written request of the holder, provided it has not been suspended or revoked by the Marshal.

(3) Any violation of 527 CMR 22.00 or the terms of a permit may be cause for immediate revocation of Certificate of Competency.

Massachusetts 527 CMR

22.05: Range Conditions and Other Prefiring Requisites

(1) No cannon shall be fired with ball, shot or projectile unless a permit for live-firing has been obtained from the head of the fire department and only on ranges approved by the head of the fire department. Such ranges shall be clear and unobstructed between discharge point and target area and for a safe distance to the rear of target in event of an overshoot. The target area shall not exceed 250 yards from the point of discharge.

(2) There shall be no permanent building, public highway, railroad, or other public way within the forward sector of a 180° arc having a radius of 100' from the muzzle of the cannon. A similar sector of 180° directed toward the rear 50' in radius shall be clear of all public ways, permanent buildings, or other obstructions.

(3) It shall be the responsibility of the competent operator to determine that the area in which the display is to be conducted is safe and that all operations are conducted in compliance with the requirements of 527 CMR 22.00. The competent operator, head of the fire department, the Marshal, or his authorized representative may order postponement of the display for any violation of 527 CMR 22.00.

(4) No discharging of any cannon shall be permitted during any windstorm in which the direction and velocity of the wind renders the display dangerous to the public safety and/or surrounding property.

(5) There shall be no discharging of cannon between the hours of sunset and sunrise without prior written approval from the head of the fire department.

(6) The head of the fire department shall designate the location and type of fire extinguishing equipment as may be required.

(7) No firing of any cannon may be conducted unless the crew is present in adequate numbers and is fully trained.

( No member of the gun crew shall be under 18 years of age.

(9) Smoking shall be prohibited in the discharge area.

(10) No person shall be allowed in the forward or flank zone of the muzzle of a cannon firing a projectile within a forward sector of 120° having a radius of 150% of the estimated range of the piece. No person shall be within 100' of the remaining area in the 180° sector forward of the muzzle.

(11) The audience at a supervised blank- or live-firing of cannon shall be restrained behind lines 50' on the flank area back of the muzzle and 50' to the rear of the gun.

(12) Unless otherwise allowed by the Marshal, no piece shall be discharged with blank ammunition unless all spectators are at a safe distance from the front of the piece and at least 50' to the rear or flank. Adjacent pieces must be at a safe interval.

And that's not all of it. To see the rest of it use one of these two links.

Link to 527 CMR 22.00 Cannon or Mortar Firing in Word Format
http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/dfs/osfm/cmr/527022.doc

Link to 527 CMR 22.00 Cannon or Mortar Firing in Adobe PDF Format
http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/dfs/osfm/cmr/527022.pdf

[Rickk]

Hi Claypipe...

I've been looking for a 5 year certified person for about a year now. The few that I have run into are n-ssa members and insist that you run around in a civil war uniform with them for at least two years before they will even discuss the issue.

I am looking for someone that would be willing to run a certification class at the gun club I am involved with. There are several people interested already, and we don't expect it to be free.

Do you think the guy who certified you might be interested in running a class out in western Mass?

Rick

[Tropico]

CP Congratulations Sir.
That is Awesome.