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Author Topic: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers  (Read 866 times)

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Offline winchester1917

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I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« on: September 03, 2011, 06:10:29 PM »
Not new to black powder, but new to this much all at once
Any Advise would be Greatly Appreciated
 
 
 
 
What I know about the cannon so far:
 
1/2 Scale Mountain Howitzer on a Pack Carriage made in the early 70's. There are no markings that I can find as to the manufacturer
 
Carriage and Wheels made out Cast Iron
 
Barrel is Brass  Outside measures 16 1/4 in long from Muzzle to the Back of the Breech Cap
 
Diameter of barrel at the vent hole is 9 1/2 inches
 
Diameter of the Breech Cap is 11 1/2 inches

Inside is 14 3/4 inches from the back of the Powder Chamber to the end of the muzzle.
 
Main Bore is 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 12 1/2 inches long by 3/4 inch Thick
 
Powder chamber appears to be 2 1/4 inches deep and 3/4 inch in diameter
 
Vent hole is between 5/32 and 5/36
 
I attached some photos
 
THANKS Guys
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2011, 07:38:20 PM »
Do you want to fire shot from it?  If so, the first thing you should do is find some proper sized shot.  If you give Fox Industries a call, they may have some overrun steel balls that would work or they may not.  If your bore is exactly 1.5", you should use a shot of 1.462" (37 mm).  The formula is (bore size) X .975 which allows a reasonable windage.

5/36 is a strange dimension; are you sure that is correct?
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Offline Cannoneer

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2011, 10:24:24 PM »
Welcome to the board, winchester1917. I believe that your ˝ scale Mt. Howitzer came from South Bend Replicas, Inc. There are some differences on the iron carriage, but I'm guessing that the prolong rope brackets and lunette on the trail of your carriage were added by a former owner. In the 2007 SBR catalog the ˝ scale brass barrel's full length is given as 19 inches, with a 1˝'' bore and a 7/8'' chamber. The overall length of barrel and carriage is 39'', but yours would be longer because of the added lunette. The diameter of the 12 spoked iron wheels is 19''. I think you may have meant circumfrence when you gave a few barrel diameter measurements, like the breech ring at 11˝''. It's listed on the 2008 catalog price sheet as selling for $3,048.00.
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Offline intoodeep

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2011, 04:02:29 AM »
winchester1917,

 That piece looks a bit familiar. Is that the one that has been listed on a couple of auction sites and located Oklahoma? If it is, I had admired the tube on that piece. I believe that Cannoneer is correct that it is an SBR cannon.
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Offline flagman1776

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2011, 05:11:02 AM »
Very nice piece!
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Offline winchester1917

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2011, 05:21:23 AM »
GGaskill, I would like shoot shot on occasion, but mainly the plan is to use it as a salute cannon for flag ceremonies. There is where I could use some expert advice on  a good powder charge. When we test fire it we used 550g of FFG Pyrodex pellets rolled in foil, unfortunately not much of a bang unless we loaded a projectile. At a flag ceremony that would be a BIG NO NO.  As far as the vent hole, I inserted the smooth end of a 5/36 drill bit, it moved freely without too much resistance, then did the same with a 5/32 drill bit and it was so snug I was not going to force it.
Now, all that being said, I am by no starch of the imagination a machinist, so if you need to correct my methods please do so.
THANKS

Cannoneer, your right I did measure the circumference around the breech where the vent hole is and around the breech ring.  Everything you mentioned is right n the money. I also believe some parts were add as they do not use historically correct looking nuts, but overall it looks good and is one heavy piece, it must weigh 110 pounds.
THANKS   

Intoodeep, It is the same cannon you saw on the auction sites. I live in Texas and made the 3 hour trip to pick it up in Oklahoma. It was being sold on consignment and the gun store on Jack Barrett was a great guy to do business with.  He was just as excited as me to shoot the thing off so we did……….3 times man that was fun.

THANKS
I really appreciate the replies and the info. It is a great looking cannon and being a history buff will have to do some cleaning and paint the carriage the correct Liquid Olive color. I sent Tom at Gun and Cannon Smoke an email in hopes of getting some implements made and have ordered a couple of books. I also said it is mounted on a Pack carriage, after looking at the distance between the wheels it may actually be a NO.2 Prairie Carriage.
Any advice on a good Salute Load would be great help as I am not big fan of experimenting with black powder.  I have read the charge chart from the North-South Skirmish Association and understand that the charge for the Howitzer is based on the Powder Chamber dimensions.  My calculations show a 650gr charge of FFG would be less than the maximum.
THANKS Again and Have a Blessed Day
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Offline Cannoneer

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2011, 05:59:05 AM »
winchester1817,

You're welcome. I made that post in the wee hours of the morn, and I didn't have to log in just now, because I evidently never logged out. I also forgot something else, and that was to say congratulations, and like "intoodeep", I also really like that barrel.
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RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline flagman1776

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2011, 06:37:50 AM »
 :) 
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Offline winchester1917

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2011, 07:05:27 AM »
Did not receive any implements but sent an email to Tom at Gun and Cannon Smoke, I saw and advertisement where he would make implements to order.  I went yesterday and picked up some brass and copper to help from the foil for the charges and powder measure.
I am like you seeing that much black powder setting open in one place.
We used fuse for the first test firings. I know this is going to sound crazy but I am looking at doing some remote firing for public flag ceremonies, the type of system they use to set off fireworks.
Going to give South Bend Replicas a call on Tuesday and see if they can be of any help on emplaments, powder loads, and the likes.
The board has been great, I have learned a lot in a couple of hours.
THANKS for the reply
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Offline flagman1776

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2011, 08:36:23 AM »
 :)
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Offline Zulu

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2011, 10:57:49 AM »
flagman,
I don't understand what alteration you did to correct the misfiring.  Could you explain it better?
Zulu
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2011, 01:29:50 PM »
As mentioned above, use real black powder for salutes.  Pyrodex needs higher pressure to burn efficiently and I stopped using it in cannons a long time ago.  Now, the only excuse for using it would be legal or unable to get BP.  I would use Fg powder for your chamber diameter.

Still don't understand a 5/36 drill bit; do you mean a #36 drill bit?
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Offline flagman1776

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2011, 02:14:52 PM »
 :)
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Offline Zulu

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #13 on: September 04, 2011, 02:35:02 PM »
flagman,
I understand completly now.  Thanks.
Zulu
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Offline winchester1917

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Re: I Have a New 1/2 Scale Mountain Howitizer and could use some pointers
« Reply #14 on: September 04, 2011, 06:17:44 PM »
Mr.Gaskill
Like I said I am no machinist, I put my glasses on this time, grabbed my box of drill bits and my calipers.
Looks like a 5/32 drill bit is a snug but a true fit.  The calipers measure 0.40
THANKS
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