What to get? A Mountain Howitzer? If so from Who? NSSA?

[CrufflerSteve]

I'm going to have some money soon, assuming my son and car stay out of trouble.

I have some fun blasters but I've been thinking about a historically correct field gun that I could take to shoots and re-enactments. My car can tow 1800 pounds so that rules out full size field guns and pushes me in the mountain howitzer direction. I'm not overly thrilled about that. In my part of the country, if you have a small field cannon, it is a mountain howitzer, usually on a prairie carriage. I'd like something different.

I'm thinking about buying the whole deal, barrel & carriage to have one that I can use as model for future projects.

Wild Imports has interesting guns at a good price. There are problems. The tubing is not seamless. They are not NSSA approved and have no plans for that. Even with my amateur eye, there are some differences between their carriages and 'correct' ones. I've looked at some of their barrels and their casting around a tube seems to leave quite a few voids.

I looked at the King howitzer. Its very nice looking but it is small. From the quoted weights of the barrel, a ball round would be darned near sticking out the bore.

I've been looking at other, more expensive manufacturers. Cannons Online has a cool looking Pack Parrot. I checked with the fellow who runs 'The Artilleryman' and he feels this is historical fiction, that not a
single Pack Parrot was ever issued and the short barrel would have made the Parrot's progressive rifling useless.

Cannon Ltd. has a ductile iron mountain howitzer barrel with a 3" rather than the usual 4.62" bore. If I'll be casting zinc balls, that would save a lot of material and make me feel better shooting lighter balls.

It is looking like a mountain howitzer by default but I'm open to suggestions about cannon and suppliers. I'm not totally attached to US Civil war cannon. If I get one of those it would be union. I'm a northerner. Whatever I get should be historically correct and made to NSSA standards. I do think subcalibering is fine and a good safety feature.

Steve

[Double D]

I know where I would start. Contact Rick Neff or board sponsor, see what he can do for you.

Or, buy a tube and build a gun yourself.  You might be able to build bigger gun if you spread the cost out over a period of time.

Go through our list here and find the tube you want. Contact the manufacturer and ask if their liners meet N-SSA requirements and ask  what their particular method of installing a breech plug is.

Best if you have a copy of The More Complete Cannoneer when you do this so you know what to look for.  

The Artilleryman also is suggesting using a screwed and pin breech plug as well as a welded breech plug. See their site for details http://www.civilwarnews.com/artillerysafety.htm

[GGaskill]

You questions are really difficult for a third party to answer since they are more philosophical than technical.  There are several variations of carriage for the mountain howitzer, one with a narrow track and larger wheels, if I recall correctly, that might stand out as different from the usual prairie carriage.  If I were going to buy a carriage, I would start at the top and contact Paulson Brothers even if I ended up buying from someone else.

You might be able to get the mountain howitzer tube made locally.  The profile is simple and it is only 37" long (still 500 lbs to start with.)  The only question would be drilling the bore but that shouldn't be a problem for an experienced machinist.  I would go with 1018 and weld the trunnions on in pockets.  And I think I would go with 6 pounder diameter (3.62") instead of 3" just for a more historical feel.

[Cpt Ed]

Another full size NSSA approved Civil War period cannon you might consider is the little Bronze Confederate 2.25-Inch Mountain rifle. It is available on a mountain howitzer prairie type carriage or its own reproduction carriage. It can be purchased with or without a rifled liner from a couple of different manufactures.

The following Cannon Makers offer this CS Mountain rifle.

http://www.dragg.net/users/steencannons/

http://www.cannonsonline.com/product_pgs/barrels/features/tredegarMtn_rifle.htm

NOTE: The summer issue of “The Artilleryman Magazine” has a used one listed for sale with rifled liner on a 1st Model Prairie Carriage. It is priced reasonable at $8,500.

[Stuffy25thIA]

I know nothing about this, just seen it was for sale.
Thought you might want to check it out.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976607405.htm

[CrufflerSteve]

I know nothing about this, just seen it was for sale.
Thought you might want to check it out.]
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976607405.htm

U.P. Michigan? Pickup only? I'm in Colorado and the trip would be a bit much.

Thanks for looking for me.

Steve

[Cpt Ed]

Steve,

If size and weight is a real consideration, you might look into the half scale cannons. They weigh about 350 lbs. and can be safely handled by a single person. If you are thinking of NSSA participation, today they do not allow scale cannons.





NOTE: The 36” yard stick on the ground behind the Bronze 6pdr for size reference.

My carriage was made by Peter Hoyt from Jefferson Armory, in Phoenix, Or.