Whar iz everybody?

[Cat Whisperer]

Because of the variability in flight of a bullet that is not rotating, it is a problematic issue of determing the most accurate method of loading to produce good accuaracy.

This will be a soon-in-the-future topic when I get a few more golf-ball mortars finished - to examine the effectes of different windages, barrel length, mass of the piece to the effects on accuracy, with golf balls.

Lots of oppinion, I've expressed a few.  I value those that are based on careful experiments, although I'm sure I've expressed a few not-well documented opines.

Consistancy of method has got to be one of the keys.

[John N]

I tried an experiment last night with wad over powder in my coehoen mortar. As I described in another thread http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=60478&sid=ea3ab7fb329bb0d539bdbe88e9c9c8f9, the bottom of my concrete filled soda can blew out using a 400gr 1FG load.

This particular mortar has a curved breech creating a sizable airspace between the powder charge and the base of the can. Last night I wadded up a third of a sheet of newspaper to fill this void and theoretically cushion the can from the blast wave. Another can was launched and this time it remained intact.

I'm not drawing any immediate conclusions from this little 2 shot experiment. I could have had a bad can or perhaps there is always going to be a certain failure rate at heavier loads, say 20% or 50% or whatever. A nd yes, the wadding did catch the grass on fire

[Double D]

If the intent of the wad is to seal the breech then this is is a dangerous practice.  It can and  will increase breech pressures.  Sabot were used with round ball to keep them from rolling out of the barrel, but they did not seal the bore.

Keep in mind also wads become secondary missles and as John said can be fire starters.

If you choose to use a wad incorporate it into the foil wrapped charge. Make it from solid material of sufficient thickness that it won't tip in the bore when loaded. Reduce your load before using a wad.

Loose packed or wadded material like newspaper, will also shred upon firing and leave shred particles in the bore which can be difficult to clean out.  They can lay smouldering in the bore and prematurely ignite a charge being loaded.  They can also wedge themselves between the bore wall and  the projectile jamming the projectile in the bore.

What do you do about a 1 inch ball jammed 10 inches down a loaded 20 inch deep bore? If you are just learning about black powder cannons and you don't know any better you cut a real long fuse, stuff it down the vent and fire!    And if your 1 inch bore is drilled down the center of a piece of 4 inch 4140, you and the tube both get lucky and survive.

[John N]

Thanks for the good information. I made sure to mold the wad so it would fit in the round cavity spanning the lipped rounded bottom of the coke can and the central portion of rounded breech face. In other words, none of the wadding was touching the barrel walls. Of course what happened at the moment of firing when the can and wad began their movement in the barrel is an entirely different matter, so your precaution about possible increased pressure should not be ignored.

Here's a picture of the coehorn (the one on the right):



I like your idea of incorporating the wad into the foil wrap powder charge. As far as wads fouling the barrel, this is probably less of an issue with a mortar since it's wide short chamber make cleaning and inspection in the field fairly easy.

And so, what to do with that stuck ball? Why of course you cut the tube in half and make 2 mountain howitzers!

[CAV Trooper]

John,

If you want to add wadding as part of the foil powder charge packet, try using dry peat moss on top of the BP. That's the way we make blank charges for the six pounders at the Castillo de San Marcos and Ft. Matanzas in St. Augustine, FL.

It goes like this: Form the foil powder bag, remove from the mandrel and pour in 10 to 12 oz of cannon grade BP. Then fill the foil with dry peat moss and tamp it down with a wood dowel. Twist the foil closed and the charge is done. The peat moss adds just enough resistance to the burning powder in the barrel to make the boom very deep and resounding.

Since the peat moss is almost a powder to begin with, it virtually vanishes instantly upon exiting the tube. The stuff doesn't burn or leave anything in the tube. Funny thing though, the grass in the moat just below the cannon grows really good.   :grin:

Rock wool used for blow-in insulation in homes works also and is fire retardant. A large quantity of either one is extremely inexpensive.

[Double D]

btt

[rampa room artillery]

I am in yorktown va. well Poquoson really,   maybe there is a way we can make a easier way to find out who is near us for future meet ups and maybe a cannon competition or gathering like we did years ago in western part of virignia  that was fun.


  Rick Bryan
  Rowan artillery N-SSA

[irishman]

Can anyone tell me what is happening with this 'Reload'?


Michael


Home of the Golden Gun

[Matt]

Can anyone tell me what is happening with this 'Reload'?


Michael


Home of the Golden Gun

Yes, GB and I sold GBO back in 2014 to one of the advertisers at the time.  Fast forward a few years and I noticed that the site was dying and wanted to start the "Old GBO" back up but GB was not in favor of it. Back in November my wife and I decided that we would restore the database to the way it was on March 1, 2014. After a talk with GB he was now on board with the "Reload" so here we are.


What's changed?  NO ADS EVER!!!! We will not be selling ads on this site. I hate ads and I know many of you do as well. So my wife and I are funding this completely out of our pockets. At this point it is not a big deal as we have a VPS with 1&1 hosting which is very affordable. As traffic to the site increases then we will move the site to our own servers and colo them in Atlanta GA or Savannah GA both are only a few hours drive for me so trips to the Data Center will not be an issue.


How will we fund the site as it grows?  Well one of the ventures that I started after GBO sold was a Print Shop. My wife and I print shirts, hats, bag, mugs and just about anything else you can think of. We have a line that we are creating that will be GBO exclusive and all funds from the sales will support the site. Also members can still donate or become subscribers as before if they feel so inclined.


Why did we do this? Well the go2GBO site was sold a few more times and is now owned by Vertical Scope, a Canadian company which only care about the bottom line and not about the quality of the site or the members at all. GB and I spent 17 years building GBO into what it was and as I see it, it is GB's legacy and I will not stand by and watch it die. At any point the site becomes unprofitable for VS they will sell it or just shut it down. I put way to many hours into GBO for it to just go away all together, so here we are in 2019 and we have GBO Reloaded (reloaded as it was in 2014) and now even if the other site dies out all the info will still be here for the world to share.


Am I crazy? Maybe... but GBO will be around as long as I am and I can make sure of it now.




You can check out some of our work on our www.InkredibleImage.com site or we also have an etsy site @ www.etsy.com/shop/theinkredibleimage keep in mind that we supply boutiques so most of our designs on those two places will be geared towards such. 


Matt

[goodshot]

   How about an pistol/ammo bag with "CRISIS CENTER" on the side?