Thanks for your advice and this website. You do us all a great service. I am fairly new in artillery. I just upgraded an 1841 2/3 scale 6 ponder to a full size. The reason for the increase was due to a theft of my old one. I don't know how they managed to get it from an elaborate locking security system, but never underestimate the abilities of a thief. You can see my old gun. No real distinguishing features that couldn't be removed, some gold trim leaf and the carriage. I did have the vent tapped, not for a drilled out bolt, but for an eyebolt that was part of the lock up. (I turned the cannon upside down when I wasn't firing it and used the eyebolt). They may have cut thru the bolt when they stole it, leaving a steel bolt in it.
Anyway, I am taking my new project slowly and reading as much on safety as I can. I am building a naval carriage, which although may not be historically accurate for my gun, is easier to build and sturdier. How do most modern artilleryman view mis-matched cannon/carriages? I am sure the diehard re-enactors would chuckle, but hopefully not the entire lot of them. Thanks again for the post.
