Jason, Looks like guardsgunner has posted an excellent photo of the mystery gun's breech. While it doesn't have the flowing lines of an 1841 Bronze 6 Pdr., it will certainly be the center of attention wherever you reenact with it. It has an interesting breech to say the least. I bet it's plenty strong enough to handle that size cartridge. Having just written that, I don't want the inevitable Nay-Sayers to dissuade you or your group from going ahead with this project, based on it's modest bore diameter.
The evidence of the bore dia. of 1.25" is contained in a paragraph of Switlicks article in the
The Artilleryman magazine which follows:
"Confederate Travis/Stockton Cannon Was Intended For General N.B. Forrest Confederate Travis/Stockton Cannon Was Intended For General N.B. Forrest By Matt Switlik Spring 2003 - Vol 24, No. 2
“’Travis, still clinging to some of his old associations named the battery the ‘Stockton Cannon’ in honor of the lamented Commodore Stockton of the United States Navy. The battery consists of two rifled guns and two howitzers made of bronze, thirty six inches long,
one inch and a quarter bore and weighing 150 pounds and intended only for Cavalry."
Based on empirical evidence drawn from experiments we did during development of our version of Brooke's rifling, we came to the conclusion that a rifled bore of 1.167"
IS NO TOY! Loaded with 850 grains of BP, penetration was 3/4" in a steel plate. The photos below were the result of a proof test of the second experimental tube we rifled to check accuracy, strength and power of our proposed 1/6 scale Brooke.
The evidence of the bolt's penetration was a bit startling, even to us, for such a modest bore size. The solid steel bolt weighed 9 oz. and the 3 oz. powder charge (Proof Load) drove it an estimated 1,500-1,600 F. P. S.
It's no toy and yours will be larger and more powerful. If you fellows really want to do it, don't be concerned with what
Anybody says. Pursue it until complete. We think it is unique enough to re-create and the hours of answering questions about it at public events will be lots of fun.
Tracy and Mike
The "Ugly Ducking" test fixture for Brooke rifling tests with a 9 oz. steel bolt and 3 oz. of BP. Underground testing provided crew protection.
The 1" thick Steel Plate penetrated by the 1.167" Dia. bolt. The piece on the dirt is the plug of plate steel displaced by the bolt.
