Charges and projectiles

[phalanx]

What i was taught as a safe rule of thumb was the one ounce per inch of bore.  And this could be doubled as a blank.
The site cannon-mania even has a page on this stating the same ,and a chart showing loads ,or he did a few years ago ,and he was using Fg making a hotter load than cannon BP.
But as DD pointed out some projectiles as far as weight can change a great deal of how you load.
Like i also said ,using a finer grade powder than cannon powder can drastically raise your pressures.
Like on my 3in bores i used 3oz ,of Cannon ,it was a good load but you could tell it could go higher.
Read some of the loads they were using during the Civil War ,in the older guns and it will frighten your pants off you.
At a couple of shoots i have gone to guys were using  6.5oz  of cannon powder in a 3 in Parrot rifle ,and thought i was being a wimp.
In this post this is what i was told and was taught ,i have done this several years and ,look i am still here .
To me its just fun ,and i don't push my guns.
The thread is as posted , Charges and projectiles. I started doing this with my first gun in 1995 ,back then you were lucky here to have the Internet ,if you did it was dial up using Windows 95. It was some years later before i could even find a site dealing with this.
I did some re-enacting and met people who had been doing this for some time.

[Blaster]

phalanax, you have made some very good points and I certainly don't doubt what you are saying.  When South Bend Replicas Inc., lists one ounce of FG for their 1-inch guns shooting blanks and 1/2 ounce for ball loads, perhaps they had some potential liability problems in mind so kept the load on the low side.  For my little SBR Dahlgren 1-inch bore cannon, I have always used the one ounce for blanks and 1/2 ounce for ball loads and those loads have always seemed plenty powerful, to ME.  Maybe I'll just try an ounce load with a ball and see what happens but I can assure you, I'll be standing behind a tree when I pull the lanyard. Thanks.
Blaster (Bob in So. CO)

[Double D]

The N-SSA and AAA 2 oz per inch rule is for bores greater than 2 inch and are maximum loads. 2 oz per inch rule does not apply bores under 2 inch. For smaller bores refer to Switlik's chart in the back of your copy of The More Complete Cannoneer.    You will also find Switliks chart posted by permission in the Safeloads post at the top of this board. Applying a more conservative rule is fine.  If you feel more comforatable with 1 oz, per inch over 2  inches then by all means do it.

When you apply the 1 oz per inch rule under 2 inches your loads quickly be come excessive.   

The Maximum safeload from  Switlik for a 1 inch bore 180 grains.

Sorry N-SSA and AAA have a far greater credibility on this board than Cannon Mania.   

[phalanx]

Blaster: Cannon -mania still has that chart ,but he is using Fg . On a 3in bore he is listing 4oz ,then says to cut in half for a ball load.
Using Cannon BP i have used 3oz on a ball load and it was fine ,i haven't pushed it farther than that ,but i have seen some who do.
I had  a little 1in gun once and i used an ounce it it and i didn't have any problems,but it had a very well made tube.
The balls were cast from fishing lures ,but i was using Cannon grade being nearly two sises bigger than Fg.
Going by what you said ,in my full size Napoleon it would mean 1,1/2 ounce ,and i have used that ,but that load didn't even roll the gun back and wasn't real accurate ,useing CG powder.
2,1/2 was good ,and three was as far as i wanted to go ,all of this with cannon grade BP ,it was a good hard charge.
1,1/2 of Fg seemed to have nearly the same effect ,i wouldn't recommend using 1oz ,,using anything except Cannon grade,so South Bend isn't off base and is keeping it light.
In using the one inch to an inch of bore that has always been with Cannon grade ,what the charts are saying using Fg is correct within a safety margin.
I get my powder from Coonies explosives ,he has advertised in the Artilleryman Magazine ,Fg is basically for large bore muskets,and small Cannon. So staying with Fg powder i would stay with your 1/2 oz loading.
DD has chimed in on this ,and you are right about N-SSA and AAA, In 1995 it was hard to get any postings from them other than what you got at a shoot ,which around here came much later. I wasn't saying Cannon -Mania had better info ,They just had a quick reference chart and i was going to suggest he ask you or look at what these other organizations suggest when the prompt told me you had posted.

[Double D]

Phalanx check your PM.

[phalanx]

I did ,Ditto ,No worries.

[phalanx]

None of this is the same as firing a rifled cannon , it all changes , I wet swab after every shot to try and remove any fouling ,a practice i do on the smooth bores now also because Cannon grade powder is about the nastiest of them all. Then i follow up with a dry swab. Of course i don't use the swabs that came with the guns ,oh no ,they are like the towels your wife has in the guest bathroom ,Looks only  I bought a different set for that.
I was at a shoot once ,and a guy had a smooth bore Parrot ,he was using the screw ,and wrapping a rag around it to dry swab.
Well half way down the tube the screw and rag came off the pole ,badly stuck. They tried another screw ,some water to no avail.
An old man came up ,he sprinkled a little powder into the flash hole ,and used a friction primer ,poof ,out it came . I don't know how safe that was but it did work,and it was funny.