6-pounder US "brass gun" ca. 1820

[cannonmn]

I've made some postings on the NSSA board about this item, if you are interested.  It has turned out to be an interesting research project because if you read the popular books on Civil War and pre-Civil War U.S. artillery, you might get the impression that the US did not buy any bronze 6-pounders between 1801 and 1836.  It seems that was not the case.  "Brass gun" was the common name for guns made from gunmetal bronze, an alloy of about 90% copper and 10% tin.

http://www.n-ssa.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=30306#30306

[lance]

  cannonmn, i've been keeping up on your research project, my main interest has always been history. hope you find the answer soon and post it,history is interesting and fun!!! how'd things turn out with the SNY belt plate?

[cannonmn]

Thanks Lance, yes I bought the beltplate online, and it arrived quickly looking just like the picture.

[Cat Whisperer]

I find it interesting that the definitions of brass and bronze are copper combinded with either tin or zinc.

When in reality one will find formulas for brass and bronze that both contain tin and zinc (and other add-metals) in some proportions.

So it is not unexpected to hear the term brass gun referring to a cannon made of "brass" or "bronze".

[Victor3]

I find it interesting that the definitions of brass and bronze are copper combinded with either tin or zinc.

When in reality one will find formulas for brass and bronze that both contain tin and zinc (and other add-metals) in some proportions.

So it is not unexpected to hear the term brass gun referring to a cannon made of "brass" or "bronze".

 Many moons ago I was taught that true bronze does not have zinc as an alloying element(?) An instructor once told me one way to remember this - "Bronze has NZ in it. No Zinc."

[Cat Whisperer]

Excellent rule of thumb - a great way to remember it!

[cannonmn]

By sheer accident, we've found a second example of this scarce model of 6-pounder.  It is at Fort McHenry MD.  I posted pictures of mine and theirs side-by-side today, but easy enough to put them here too:

http://www.n-ssa.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8102

[cannonmn]

Well, after quite a bit of research in archives, books, etc. I'm either at the end of the search or very close to it.  I'm convinced based on some information I just found, that the "SNY" cannon was cast at Springfield MA., by James Byers, ca. 1794.

I've kept up the thread on the NSSA board.  It is now on two pages so you have to look hard to find the page button when you get to the end of the first page.

http://n-ssa.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8102