"How far will it shoot"?

[Blaster]

Frequently, I take one of my  beer/soda can mortars to a gun show to display only and to hopefully strike up a conversation about BP Cannon/Mortar shooting.  The most common question I get is:
"Gee, nice mortar but how FAR will it shoot".  Now I well realize that I can't cover EVERY possible factor but to save my voice box from constantly repeating the same old answer, I made up this little sign and it seems to pretty well answer that one particular question:



The most common comment that I hear, after checking out my mortar is, "Hell, I'll just go home and whip up one of those with stuff I have in my garage".  I always remind those making that statement that there are some extremely important safety factors that they will have to contend with and give SPECIAL attention to if they are really considering making their own model to actually shoot salute or projectile loads.

[p51]

There will always be 'that guy' who thinks whatever you did, he can go hop on his tools and make one just like it (if not better) in an afternoon. When I was younger and crewing a 6pdr, I used to get pretty ticked at people saying stuff like that. I'd say, "fine, come back and show me some photos after you do that" and funny, I'd never see them again! 

[GGaskill]

I'll just go home and whip up one of those with stuff I have in my garage.

Now that is the kind of thing I would say, although I have two lathes, a Bridgeport, a shaper, etc., plus welding machines in my garage (although I usually call it "The Shop.")  Usually, though, it takes three or four times as long as I think it will to get the job finished.

[Victor3]

 "How far will it shoot?"

 I'd much rather here that than another question I've heard over and over from a certain class of individuals at gun shows...

 "Yo man... How many bullets do that gun shoot?"

 Thankfully, these same folks appear to have little interest in BP cannons; no hi-cap mags to fit them 

[dan610324]

what ??
doesnt your mortar have an 18 round magazine ??   
what crap is that 

how stupid can people be ??
if they not are more  intelligent then that they would probably not even be able to count the barrels for this 8 shooter   

[Double D]

"How far will it shoot"?...bring your mortar to Montana in August and we'll find out!

[subdjoe]

what ??
doesnt your mortar have an 18 round magazine ??   
what crap is that 

how stupid can people be ??
if they not are more  intelligent then that they would probably not even be able to count the barrels for this 8 shooter   

Now that is one hell of a duck gun!

[Blaster]

"How far will it shoot"?...bring your mortar to Montana in August and we'll find out!

I'm still toying with the idea of attending that one.  I did get up to the Casper, WY Cannon Shoot a couple/few years ago.  What a great shoot it was.  Only problem was the intense heat outdoors on the Saturday of that shoot.  So blasted HOT that I departed the shoot on Saturday evening and headed South to Colorado with my tail between my legs.  After moving from the Chicago area to Southern Colorado about 14 years ago, I got used to the MUCH cooler/less humid climate of my current area.  Bet there will still be a bunch of great BP cannon/mortar shooters attending that Montana shoot. 

[dynomike]

Try this: How far can it shoot?

[Evil Dog]

Usually, though, it takes three or four times as long as I think it will to get the job finished.

And generally costs atleast twice as much as I had thought.

[p51]

Many, many years ago when I was crewing a CW gun and was quite young, so the news people thought it was a cool story for someone who wasn't middle aged who knew about cannon and shot them and they'd often ask me generic news type questions. One was often how far it'd shoot. I'd just tell them that the gun's owner could easily hit wherever he darned well wanted if he could just see it. It wasn't exactly true (I mean, we all know a 6 Pdr will only shoot so far) but it always put lump in the throat of the guy asking the question when it dawned on them that something that shoots black powder and has spoked wheels could still be a dangerous thing!