Another Golf Ball Mortar Contest entry

[Cat Whisperer]

I've always felt that for the short barrels (mortars) (with light projectiles as golf balls) that FFFg works best.  Haven't tried anything heavier.  We're talking about consistancy of ignition and the burn time is so short and the projectile offers such little resistance to movement, problems are inherrent.  Of course one must plan for the higher pressure.

[Double D]

I wonder of the size of the chamber has anything to do with the inconsistancies.  

My chamber was  1/2 inch wide by 1.125 deep..  George's chamber is .75 x .8731.

I had consistant reliable ignition and adjusted range by using the same weight but changing grades of powder.

With the basic design that we all came up with it would be very easy to make a series of breech plugs and vary the sizes of the chamber and see if it does matter.  George you and  Tim will have to do that.  My lathe is tore down right now in prepartion to be hauled out to Idaho for semi storage while I am in RSA.

I think the experiment would be very interesting.

[Cat Whisperer]

The long thin chambers will give higher pressure than the short wide ones(and focused in the center of the ball) from what I've read on hand-gonne designs and testing (in the sticky's).

I think it has something to do with the pressure having something to push against.

Testing is certainly in order AND you will note that with my design I can easily replace one piece with a different design/shape of powder chamber.

Hmmm - can I find a  piece of steel?   Yeah, I think so.