Author Topic: Ellsworth gun (Read 3649 times)

Artilleryman · « **on:** August 31, 2010, 04:07:38 PM »

I have headed in the other direction now. I am having a lot of fun with the Ellsworth which only throws a 17 oz projectile with 3 oz of powder compared to the Napoleon's 12 lbs projectile and 2.5 lbs of powder.

VA Rifleman · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2010, 03:24:53 PM »

Artilleryman's Ellsworth should be in the calendar.

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #2 on:** September 03, 2010, 03:54:15 PM »

Right now, there's only 10 submissions and the deadline is the 23rd. If he posts a picture, it's got a good shot!

Artilleryman · « **Reply #3 on:** September 03, 2010, 05:08:29 PM »

Excuse me please. I haven't posted a photo here in a long time and decided to practice with this one. I know it doesn't quite fit the thread subject. Six hundred yard target shot with an our Ellsworth at Grayling this year. Ten for ten. The wonderful lady in the photo is my wife and part of the crew.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #4 on:** September 03, 2010, 05:16:34 PM »

I think this is more like what you are interested in. This is my Ellsworth, the smallest of the full scale guns that I shoot. It is becoming a favorite with me.

gulfcoastblackpowder · « **Reply #5 on:** September 03, 2010, 06:44:27 PM »

That's not a bad shot for a calendar. You may consider entering it or one like it.

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** September 03, 2010, 07:13:28 PM »

Norm you need to do a full detail post on the Ellsworth gun...leave the pretty girls out, these guys are to easily distracted.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #7 on:** September 03, 2010, 07:26:57 PM »

Norm, having shot both military and civilian high power rifle courses, I am not aware of any iron sights that will center that black dot reliably at 600 yards. What sights do you use and what is your sight picture? Your cannon looks great as does your crew. I like shooting the smaller cannon far better and I find you can actually get out to the range with a lot less fuss and labor!

Tracy

Artilleryman · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2010, 03:25:31 AM »

We have set these guns up with tube sights. No optics just a polished brass tube with cross hairs. I believe I ended up with the cross hairs just above the the bull. We had a lot of mirage that day which made sighting difficult. The biggest problem was spotting the hits. First you would see a hit then it would disappear. Last shot ended up in the black.

VA Rifleman · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2010, 03:55:20 AM »

Awesome shooting. A true sharpshooter with artillery. Tell us more about the gun if you're a mind. Prairie carriage? Air rifle pellet type bolt? Usage? Cannon close up? Gota make the calender.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #10 on:** September 04, 2010, 05:11:54 AM »

Guardsgunner is the most knowledgeable about this gun, and has written an article on the history of the gun. We built a carriage that is a modified prairie carriage. There are no known drawings or existing carriages that use the irons that were part of a monument that had an Ellsworth barrel. We were able to obtain tracings of the trunion and axle straps, and the cheek bolts to give us something to go on. The rest of the carriage was made to accommodate these irons. There are a couple of projectiles that are attributed to this gun, and we are using modified versions of them. We have tried lead and zinc rounds, and zinc seems to work the best. I use a projectile with a length that is twice the bore diameter, weighs 17 ounces, and has a narrow drive band to engage the rifling. The body of the projectile rides on the top of the lands. I have some pics on another computer, but it is slower than a glacier. I will see what I can do.

guardsgunner · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2010, 10:27:05 AM »

I'll enter a picture for the artilleryman. His full scale 12lb. over looking the ellsworth gun.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2010, 10:49:13 AM »

You beat me to it Guardsgunner, but I copied this one too (I remembered the pic of the guns, but not this one of the ammo).

Guardsgunner: “Fired from a fullsize 1.5 Ellsworth gun with 3oz. 1 f, Projectile wt. 1 lb 5 oz.”

Artilleryman · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2010, 11:34:24 AM »

Quote from: guardsgunner on September 04, 2010, 10:27:05 AM

I'll ebter a picture for the artilleryman. His full scale 12lb. over looking the ellsworth gun.

I was looking for this photo. Thanks for posting it.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2010, 11:46:05 AM »

Projectiles that I am using in the Ellsworth. The ones in the back have not been finished.

Cannoneer · « **Reply #15 on:** September 04, 2010, 11:51:01 AM »

Norm,
Are those aluminum or zinc?

Artilleryman · « **Reply #16 on:** September 04, 2010, 12:29:51 PM »

A casting, then turning of 17 oz. of zinc.

Double D · « **Reply #17 on:** September 04, 2010, 07:58:32 PM »

Quote from: Artilleryman on September 04, 2010, 03:25:31 AM

We have set these guns up with tube sights. No optics just a polished brass tube with cross hairs. I believe I ended up with the cross hairs just above the the bull. We had a lot of mirage that day which made sighting difficult. The biggest problem was spotting the hits. First you would see a hit then it would disappear. Last shot ended up in the black.

Is this a period correct tube sight?

guardsgunner · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2010, 10:16:24 AM »

DD,
It is a period correct tube sight; however, the original Ellsworth guns had telescope's mounted. The tube sight had to be used in NSSA comp. as they would not allow the historicaly correct scope.
The 1856 version of the ellsworth gun( which were sent to John Brown)also had scopes.What power I have not been able to find yet.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2010, 04:12:53 PM »

I think optics would really bring out the potential of this gun as a long range sharpshooter.

guardsgunner · « **Reply #20 on:** September 05, 2010, 04:32:41 PM »

E-mail Anchor Optics to find out what lens you need for a 24" 3/4 " dia scope. Lens were 23.00 and change for my new 34" scope on my target rifle @10 to 15 power.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #21 on:** September 05, 2010, 04:39:50 PM »

Photo giving an idea of how the tube sight is mounted.

Thanks Bob, I think I will give it a try.

Double D · « **Reply #22 on:** September 05, 2010, 04:53:19 PM »

Can you show us how this sight mounts on the gun. Were these optical sights used on any other guns of the era?

guardsgunner · « **Reply #23 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:46:48 PM »

DD,
As far as I know, the Ellsworth is the only gun manufactured with a scope. There are some documented cases where telescopes were fixed to standard artillery pcs. The two pictures here are of a original in Mn. I only know of 2 original rear sight post's.

I think the scopes were probly Malcolm's. I found an addvertisment stating "...telescopes for rifles and cannon.."

guardsgunner · « **Reply #24 on:** September 06, 2010, 01:55:38 PM »

Photo of the early version of the Ellsworth gun, a true John Brown cannon.

Double D · « **Reply #25 on:** September 06, 2010, 02:38:17 PM »

How did the scope mount on that?

All these questions....so I know where to go with next years postal shoot.

Double D · « **Reply #26 on:** September 06, 2010, 03:00:11 PM »

Quote from: guardsgunner on September 04, 2010, 10:27:05 AM

I'll enter a picture for the artilleryman. His full scale 12lb. over looking the ellsworth gun.

This picture would make a great entry in the calendar contest.

guardsgunner · « **Reply #27 on:** September 06, 2010, 03:27:53 PM »

The scope just lies in the two 1/2 round mounts on the ellsworth gun. The earlier gun's scope goes through the clamp on mount at the muzzle. therear mount is missing.

Double D · « **Reply #28 on:** September 06, 2010, 03:51:08 PM »

Is there only the one mount point.

Do you have any pictures of scope mount with people in the way so we can se how it mounts.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #29 on:** September 06, 2010, 03:55:47 PM »

Front mount is on the trunnion rim base, and adjustable rear mount at the breech. I have been looking through my photos and cannot find one that illustrates the mounting system.