Author Topic: my first shot on New Years!!  (Read 1051 times)

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Offline soimcrazy

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my first shot on New Years!!
« on: December 31, 2006, 06:52:56 PM »
Bought this cannon - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200052910498 This is my first cannon.

I shot it twice. First time with 2 cap fulls of Goex FFF. Second time with 3 cap fulls. I like it !! But its not loud enough !! There wasnt enough ground shaking rumble from the percussion  :'( I need more power !! I dont want to add more powder, it might be more than the cannon can handle. And I dont want to spend a fortune on a cannon either. This has a 3/4 inch bore with a 11.5 inch barrel. What can I move up to that will give me more bang? What about the short mortars that can shoot soda cans?
What do you think?

                                                      THANKS !!

Offline jeeper1

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2006, 07:14:48 PM »
As I understand it, the longer the barrel, within reason, the louder the boom.
I may not be completely sane, but at least I don't think I have the power to influence the weather.

Offline Tropico

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2006, 07:39:52 PM »
Personally I have fun in town making booms with 1" bore cannons ranging from  3 1/2 in length to 22" in length., the loudest it would seem is my 12" and 22". Unless I go up in bore size.  But if your trying to stay on a budjet..., including the purchase price as well as cost per firing for the length of time you own the gun., 1" bore stuff is hard to beat.      After that ? 1 3/4 bore is a good sized step up., but now your getting into money.  Then there is my 2 1/4 bore twins.,but I  cant let those loose in town...., these are much more in volume and tone !.

Seriously tho., my 1" bore stuff gets fired the most.., its the easiest to move around., provides the most bang for buck.,and are easy to clean...., Let us know your choice.
Rich

By the way I have gotten 3 differant 1" bore sized items from  2 board members.,I am proud of these collectable and inheritable items..  I do plan on contacting a few differant board members however about more 1" bores in my future., If I have it my way I will get a cannon from everyone on this forum ..., Support the board members here.,buy from them.,they know how to build cannons here  ;D

Offline Double D

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2006, 09:45:35 PM »
First time with 2 cap fulls of Goex FFF. Second time with 3 cap fulls.

Caps from what?

Take a look at the Safe loads Post at the top of this board and learn what a safe load is.  The walls of your cannon are a bit thin so keep in mind that the loads on the chart are Maximum. Reduce your starting loads about 50% from what listed on the chart. You can raise volume a bit by loading your powder in foil cartridge.  Instructions will be found in the post about how to make a foil cartridge.

If you get a gound shaking rumble from that cannon you better be wearing a flack jacket!!

Also do not be tempted to load ball in that gun with the truck you have.  With the Trunnion mounted in the rear of the carriage  recoil will cause the gun to flip over back wards.

For your next cannon visit the sticky's at the top of our board and have one of our Sponsors build you a gun.

You have taken your first step in the Cannon hobby, enjoy!!!

 

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2007, 03:50:08 AM »
Muzzle blast volume is a thrill or a pain - depending  on how you view it.

In mortars, the shorter the barrel the louder they are (less time for the powder to burn INSIDE the barrel).

Mortars are the inexpensive way to go, easy to build, simple.  When one considers the cost of ammo you will understand my choice of calibers - golf-ball, beer-can, soda-pop-bottle and 4" PVC pipe.  (Most filled with concrete).

NOTHING I've heard yet beats the 8" Self-propelled howitzer though - short barrel and big bags of powder - my right ear still remembers that one hidden in the tree-line 500 yards away - took me by surprize as I was driving the jeep in the area!

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Offline Rickk

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2007, 06:07:51 AM »
I just checked, a Goex "capfull" (at least one of the ones on my particular batch of cans) is about 100 grains.

You were shooting about 300 grains of a powder that is really too fine for a 3/4 inch bore gun.

I suspect the lack of a projectile is all that kept the pressure down to the point where you were not killed.

2F possibly for blanks, 1F definitly for live charges. If you use wads, they increase pressure just as though it is a "live charge". If it weighs the same as a ball, it is a ball as far as pressure goes. It may actually be more than a ball if it is pressed in really tightly.

Tropico is right about 1 " guns being fun... He and I both have Brooks-usa Dictator mortars, and Tropico has several other 1 inch guns as well. The Dictator made by Brooks sounds like a 12 gauge shotgun using way less of a charge than you are using, and the walls are about an inch thick solid brass.

The thin-walled gun you bought on e-bay is not going to do what you want it to do. If you try hard enough to make it do that, it will blow up and you will probably get your name in the paper in a less than desirable way.

Check with the barrel makers on this board, and look for something between 1 inch and golf ball size that is well made and still within your budget. You should be able to find something quite loud, quite safe, light enough to still be portable.

Offline reddog

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2007, 10:40:55 AM »
I have A 1" bore cannon too and it makes one heck of A noise! Where I used to live there was A dogpound about A 1/4 mile away, when ever I fired it all the dogs would bark like crazy!!!
"Catch A cannonball, now take me down the line. My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time."

Offline soimcrazy

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2007, 11:10:06 AM »


I suspect the lack of a projectile is all that kept the pressure down to the point where you were not killed.


THANKS RICKK !! Now I know how much powder I was using. I suspected that I might have too much powder so I was a safe distance from the cannon. That second shot with the 3 caps full was loud  ;D, and I was using two sheets of toilet paper for wadding.
My co-worker was telling me that the walls on each side of the bore need to be at least half the thickness of the bore...so if its a 1" bore then the walls need to be 1/2" thick....so that would be a 2" diameter barrel. This sound right? ???


Offline soimcrazy

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2007, 11:12:25 AM »

NOTHING I've heard yet beats the 8" Self-propelled howitzer though - short barrel and big bags of powder - my right ear still remembers that one hidden in the tree-line 500 yards away - took me by surprize as I was driving the jeep in the area!



Point me to one of these 8" self propelled howitzer

Offline Rickk

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2007, 11:24:12 AM »
general rule of thumb is that the wall thickness needs to be the same as the bore diameter. For a 1 inch bore you want to be pretty close to 3 inches

Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2007, 02:56:52 PM »
NOTHING I've heard yet beats the 8" Self-propelled howitzer though - short barrel and big bags of powder - my right ear still remembers that one hidden in the tree-line 500 yards away - took me by surprize as I was driving the jeep in the area!
Point me to one of these 8" self propelled howitzer

A little off topic, but here it is:

This one's in Grinnell, Kansas (if I remember right): 

Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline Santa Dave

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2007, 07:58:11 AM »
why is that OT?
Wear Something RED on fridayTo show YOUR support for our troops! Even if YOU don't support the war!

Offline jeeper1

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2007, 09:20:02 AM »
It's not pre 20th century or a replica there of.
I may not be completely sane, but at least I don't think I have the power to influence the weather.

Offline GGaskill

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2007, 09:36:05 AM »
Those 8 inchers are smoothbore?
GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: my first shot on New Years!!
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2007, 12:21:08 PM »
Not the one in the above picture.
Definately post 1898 too.
But, it IS LOUD and is the most accurate howitzer in our inventory.
Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
Cat Whisperer
Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works & Winery
U.S.Army Retired
N 37.05224  W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)