You will enjoy these photos...

[cannonmn]

Objects next to WD40 can are remains of a bronze barrel that a buckskinner filled within an inch of muzzle with powder, then stuffed in wet newspaper as tight as he could.  He did not know what kind of powder he had put in.  I will be very wary of buckskinners from now on.

The iron one was found buried on a riverbank during some excavation in Ohio.  I told them it was a 19th C. salute gun of the type used at political rallies etc., since I have seen ones with similar highly-flared muzzle that have been documented to have been used at political rallies.  For unknown reasons, most cast-iron salute guns in this size range are muzzle-heavy; does anyone know why they were made like that? 

[KABAR2]

It's sad the way some people abuse things!
 Someone here would have been willing to give it a good home before it's untimely end.
Whats interesting is the barrel failed right along where the casting seam would be.
I guess now it's beware of buck-skinners bearing cannons!

[dan610324]

did he use bp or nc based powder ??

or maybe he dont know the difference .

ok , hope all agree when I say that the last idiot aint born yet .

this is so typical what can and will happened when people dont know what they are doing .

[Terry C.]

The iron one was found buried on a riverbank during some excavation in Ohio.  I told them it was a 19th C. salute gun of the type used at political rallies etc., since I have seen ones with similar highly-flared muzzle that have been documented to have been used at political rallies.  For unknown reasons, most cast-iron salute guns in this size range are muzzle-heavy; does anyone know why they were made like that?

Maybe it was to counteract all the hot air...

[Double D]

Aw yes the olds wives tail, you can't load to much black powder. What looks like a beautiful old cannon destroyed by ingorance.  For the most part the folks that play buckskinneer/mountain man/rendzvous are chock full knowlwged of the history and old ways. But there is a fringe element, of pure ignorance that seem to hang around those guys.  It's sad.

[JeffG]

That's too bad, looked like a nice cannon...

[Terry C.]

The exploded barrel looks like it was once an 1841 six-pounder replica.

It was probably once a very nice cannon. And if that's a standard sized can of WD-40, a fairly substantial chunk of bronze. It would have likely given a lifetime (or more) of service had it not been subjected to such gross abuse.


What really chaps my butt is that I want a ¼-scale bronze 1841 in the worst way, but just can't afford it right now (and probably not in the foreseeable future).

And here this one is, blown to pieces in an act of ignorance...