SBR Dahlgren

[little seacoast]

Hi, Can anyone tell me if the carriage that came with this barrel was sold by SBR?
It appears to be a solid 1 piece casting and very heavy with cheek pieces 1 1/8"
thick.  Steel wheels are attached with hex head bolts.  Any info welcome. Thanks

[intoodeep]

little seacoast,

 There is one listed in SBR's catalog. It looks to be the same as your photo. SBR lists it as 55lbs. and the wheel diameter is 2.25". Hope this helps.

[VA Rifleman]

Wow, that thing is pretty!   Whats the bore size?  You come up with some fine pieces Little Seacoast!

[little seacoast]

Hi VA, The bore is 0.9945", a sleeved barrel. Bought this to give as a gift to a friend but he may have a tough time getting it before Floyd in July.  Now I've go to find a source for 0.98 balls....  Regards, LS

[Double D]

Why not get it reamed to 1.025 and shoot 1 inch balls, they are easier to find.

[little seacoast]

OK I'll bite, who does such work?  I've got 300+ 1.00" balls in stock.

[intoodeep]

Now I've go to find a source for 0.98 balls....  Regards, LS

 The 3oz. cannon ball sinkers that Brad & Sons sells are .96". So, you have another option if needed.

[Double D]

OK I'll bite, who does such work?  I've got 300+ 1.00" balls in stock.

Standard response, check with the sponsors.

[little seacoast]

Ok let me rephrase this.  Has anyone used a specific individual or company to have a cannon's bore reamed to a larger size and if so who and were you pleased with the work? If you are a Sponsor or other person who does this kind of work I'd love to hear from you. I don't see a heading for willing to work on other companies stuff with the attendant liabilities inherent to such activities. Please feel free to PM me with any information you have. Thanks, LS

[VA Rifleman]

LS,  from one of the links, http://bna.bircherinc.com/cannontypes.htm. See last 2 sentence's.  Have no idea as to the shop and prices but they seem to want to play.  I have the same need for machine services on my Parrot tube.  Something about adding more steel around the breech and the 1 caliber rule. Just sent an PM to see if they are interested and how much. Will let you know when / if I hear anything.  VA.

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[Double D]

If you guys contact that outfit, ask them to be a sponsor of our forum.

[VA Rifleman]

Double D, Aye Aye sir! Told em about LS's need and where I found em. (links on this forum)
Working with Armorer77 to see if we can get one of his stout GB barrels to fit on my ol naval carriage for the Floyd shoot. Got to be more fun that way! 

[RocklockI]

OK I'll bite, who does such work?  I've got 300+ 1.00" balls in stock.

300 balls in stock ....no ,no ,no ,no ,...! You have 300 balls in your inventory/armory ! Even IF you are willing to sell some ...........sorry I'm just butting in because i'm bored and it is now hotter than (I'll give it a try) Hadies . (proly missplelled it anyway ...

Gary

Semper Fi 's

[Cannoneer]

Gentlemen: This South Bend Replicas 1/7th scale IX-inch Dahlgren is made of cast iron, and has a DOM steel liner with a welded breech plug installed in the drilled bore; are you sure it's a wise decision to reduce the wall thickness of the steel liner?
Personally, I'd opt for spending the money on getting a mold made to cast the proper sized zinc balls.

[Double D]

Gentlemen: This South Bend Replicas 1/7th scale IX-inch Dahlgren is made of cast iron, and has a DOM steel liner with a welded breech plug installed in the drilled bore; are you sure it's a wise decision to reduce the wall thickness of the steel liner?
Personally, I'd opt for spending the money on getting a mold made to cast the proper sized zinc balls.

Yes.

Wall reduction is only .016

[Victor3]

 While reducing the thickness of the liner wall by .015" probably wouldn't cause a safety issue, leaving it as is would be better. Reaming and cost of shipping both ways would no doubt cost more than having a custom mould made.

 This vendor will make a ball mould any size you specify for a reasonable price. Nice guy too...

http://www.jt-bullet-moulds.co.uk/moulds.htm#

[Cannoneer]

While reducing the thickness of the liner wall by .015" probably wouldn't cause a safety issue, leaving it as is would be better. Reaming and cost of shipping both ways would no doubt cost more than having a custom mould made.

 This vendor will make a ball mould any size you specify for a reasonable price. Nice guy too...

http://www.jt-bullet-moulds.co.uk/moulds.htm#

I've got to agree with my pal Victor on this one; all I know is that if for some reason while in a poker game I was given the choice of holding either two aces, or three aces, I'll choose to have the three in my hand.

[Double D]

We have a sponsor that makes moulds.

[little seacoast]

Rocklock I will make you a screaming deal on some 1" and 1.5" Fox balls, 50 ea.
If you're coming to Willis in July  I'll even deliver.

[Double D]

I suppose I should say why I think reaming is the better way.

We are always saying don't build the gun for the way you will use it, build it for how the next guy will use it.  

A mould is a good idea.  But the problem is unless the mould is somehow permanently attached, down the road there is a good chance the mould and cannon will be separated.  

One inch diameter balls are a common object and are readily available.  There is a real risk that some future owner who does not know better  will find it easier, even with a mould to buy some one inch steel balls and try to drive them down the bore with disastrous results.  

Also, and this is just a guess, what is being used for the bore liner is simply 1 inch ID seamless liner, the measurement seems to indicate that.  You can not  just use seamless tubing as is. It's not round, it needs reamed. Polishing or honing isn't good enough. I would be surprised if careful measurement did disclose  some variance.

I would never make a cannon in common object bore diameter with out adding the safety feature of windage.

No it's not about money it's about safety. I would get this cannon reamed to make it safer.   And for what it's worth, it should have been reamed to start with.

[RocklockI]

Thanks LS ,but I dont have anything that size .

[Frank46]

How long is it from the muzzle to the back end of the liner?. Reason I ask is that I may have a 1" reamer in my tool chest in the garage. Will have to check first to see if I still have it. You will need a large tap or reamer wrench to swing that puppy. If I have 1". Give me a day or so to see if I have it. Can post it to you and when done post back to me. This is a big honkin hand reamer, not a chucking reamer. Frank  P.S., I'm jealous of you there I said it and feel better already. Frank

[Double D]

One  inch is bige enough, he needs 1.025

[Ex 49'er]

Little seacoast, you can ship that SBR Dahlgren to me and sometime in the next 20 years or so I will try to ream it out and ship it back to you.   

[Victor3]

I would never make a cannon in common object bore diameter with out adding the safety feature of windage.

 ...it should have been reamed to start with.

 Can't argue either point; reaming for correct windage of a common projectile should result in an overall safer (and probably more accurate shooting) barrel if you've got enough material to remove without making the liner too thin.

 However, I doubt that many cast & lined "common object bore diameter" cannon barrels discussed here over the years have been reamed (or otherwise machined) to uniform diameter/windage along their entire length. maybe I missed it, but I've never noted an objection to an 'un-reamed' liner before now.

[dominick]

I had an SBR barrel here a few years ago and the sleeve is 1/8" thick on that barrel.  If you ream it, be very careful, slow with lots of oil.  I think he glued the sleeve in. 

[Double D]

I mentioned  the lack of concentricity in the seamless bores before, I think others have also. For me is it is part of the process of making a liner.

[Frank46]

Little seacoast, just checked for the reamers. I have a 1" and 1 1/8" hand reamer. That's the largest size I have. I think the larger of the two would just about ream out the liner though or come close to it. The 1" is about 10" long and about 11" with the square shank for the tap wrench. Frank

[little seacoast]

Frank, Thank you very kindly for the gracious offer of your tools, very unexpected and generous.  I feel that this is something I had better have done for me by someone who has a clue (not me) what they are doing in metalwork.
Dominic is right on the mark as usual, 1/8" thickness liner, no sign of how it's secured that I recognize.  Since this is intended for someone else to use, I want it to be safe as well as fun to use.

[VA Rifleman]

The ignition system looks particular well suited to defending south western VA from an airborne hot air balloon assault