Looking for a William Denning Wrought-Iron Cannon

[cannonmn]

Anyone who has one or knows where one is, please let me know.

http://www.pajack.com/stories/pennsylvania/williamdenning.html

[KABAR2]

Cannonmn,

I had heard of these many years ago, but have not heard of any surviving examples, it is possible if one exists that it is laying misidentified
as either an earlier tube or something of Asian construction, I doubt that American artillerymen were overly enthused with the construction
of these guns and when suitable replacements could be had they would have been replaced, perhaps these may have headed west after the
war I have to look up a reference book of mine there is a dug cannon (a swivel gun) that by the looks of it never set right with me, it looked
like it was forged and did not look like something of European or American design maybe it's an unidentified Denning piece..... Swivel guns
are not mentioned I know..... but possible?  

[Double D]

The contstruction method and large size doomed it from the start...I'll bet there was a large failure rate for guns constructed in this manner.

[cannonmn]

This says Doning made two W.I. cannons and partially completed a third.  So one of the smaller ones (presumably a 6 pdr. field gun) and the partial 12? pdr. may still be around somewhere.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wY4ujNWYlcsC&lpg=RA2-PA1041&ots=kxluXpn6DI&dq=william%20doning%20cannon&pg=RA2-PA1041#v=onepage&q=william%20doning%20cannon&f=false

[thelionspaw]

This is from my post of July 4th, 2009.

I question, "doomed from the start". 

This method of construction was used in the time of Henry VIII and said to have the ability to withstand greater pressures than the cast cannon in his ship board cannon.

There are extant examples of monster cannon employing this construction in europe and elsewhere, e.g. Mons Meg(?) and some Turkish brutes.

Montreal blacksmiths constructed them during the Seven Years' War.

The "failure" (in my 'umble opinion) is due to labour and not materiel.  It is low-tech hand-built construction and not higher-tech mass production.

The best laid plans of mice and men, oft times gang a glee.

rc

[thelionspaw]

I think it's time to post this again.  I think it's neat.

http://www.first-team.us/journals/div_arty/fep_saga/fepndx01.html

rc

[KABAR2]

  Sir Richard,

I remember when that came out back in the 1970's?  I have a copy of it somewhere,
Thankfully our early guberment was not as bad as that or it would be far worse today!