Author Topic: cannon identification (Read 1592 times)

jimmymac · « **on:** August 14, 2011, 04:11:46 PM »

I have a 32 inch cast iron cannon with a 2 inch bore and would like to more about it. It appears to be a Blomefield Pattern possibly built by The Carron Company in the late 1700's. I would like to build a carraige for it. but think it should be close to authentic. Looking for comments andor leads. Thanks Jimmy

Zulu · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2011, 04:42:42 PM »

Jimmy,
If you follow this cannon forum at all you must know you need to post some pictures of what you have so we can determine what you need.

Pictures?

Zulu

KABAR2 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2011, 07:34:19 AM »

jimmymac,
Welcome to the forum, like Zulu said.... Photos...photos..... photos...

jimmymac · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2011, 08:31:32 PM »

Quote from: jimmymac on August 14, 2011, 04:11:46 PM

I have a 32 inch cast iron cannon with a 2 inch bore and would like to know more about it. It appears to be a Blomefield Pattern possibly built by The Carron Company in the late 1700's. I would like to build a carraige for it. but think it should be close to authentic. Looking for comments andor leads. Thanks Jimmy

You don't know nothing. until you know you don't know nothing, and then you still don't know nothing

Zulu · « **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2011, 03:25:05 AM »

Quote from: jimmymac on August 17, 2011, 08:31:32 PM

Quote from: jimmymac on August 14, 2011, 04:11:46 PM
I have a 32 inch cast iron cannon with a 2 inch bore and would like to know more about it. It appears to be a Blomefield Pattern possibly built by The Carron Company in the late 1700's. I would like to build a carraige for it. but think it should be close to authentic. Looking for comments andor leads. Thanks Jimmy
You don't know nothing. until you know you don't know nothing, and then you still don't know nothing

?

Double D · « **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2011, 05:02:33 AM »

Jimmymac,

Can you post pictures of you gun?

By googling Blomrefield pattern, I found this: http://ageofsail.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/the-blomefield-pattern-cannon/

Cannoneer · « **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2011, 11:41:47 AM »

Quote from: jimmymac on August 14, 2011, 04:11:46 PM

I have a 32 inch cast iron cannon with a 2 inch bore and would like to more about it. It appears to be a Blomefield Pattern possibly built by The Carron Company in the late 1700's. I would like to build a carraige for it. but think it should be close to authentic. Looking for comments andor leads. Thanks Jimmy

Jimmymac,
If your barrel was actually cast in the late eighteenth century, and if the overall length measurement and bore size that you've given are accurate, then your piece is in all probability a swivel gun. You mentioned that you'd like your rig to be as close to authentic as possible, so forget about the four truck carriage, and have an iron swivel yoke mount made to hold the tube. As for your gun being manufactured by the 'Carron Company'; if the barrel or trunnion face of your gun is not marked, then it's almost certain that it wasn't made by Carron.

jimmymac · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2011, 06:30:47 PM »

Cannoneer
Thanks for your input. The cannon that I have was probably a marine salvage in that it has deep pitting and can"t identify any markings or numbers other than what looks like the British crown between the vent astragal with fillet and the first reinforce ring. The shape, rings and astragals, muzzle swell are very similar to what's picted on the Blomefield pattern site that Double D had forwarded. I've tried several times to attach some pictures without success. Until I can figure that out, I hope the written helps. Thanks again. By the way Cannoneer you have an excellent trunnion.

Zulu · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2011, 03:34:07 AM »

Quote from: jimmymac on August 19, 2011, 06:30:47 PM

Cannoneer
Thanks for your input. The cannon that I have was probably a marine salvage in that it has deep pitting and can"t identify any markings or numbers other than what looks like the British crown between the vent astragal with fillet and the first reinforce ring. The shape, rings and astragals, muzzle swell are very similar to what's picted on the Blomefield pattern site that Double D had forwarded. I've tried several times to attach some pictures without success. Until I can figure that out, I hope the written helps. Thanks again. By the way Cannoneer you have an excellent trunnion.

jimmymac,
If you will email me the pictures I will help you attach them. PM me if you are interested.
Zulu

Cannoneer · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2011, 04:10:36 AM »

Jimmymac,
I wish that was my trunnion. Keep up the efforts at posting pics, you've got my curiosity revved up. Is the crown seen on the first reinforce raised, and is there any lettering under the crown?

jimmymac · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2011, 05:12:02 AM »

ZULU
I've emailed you pics for review, hope you can do something with them.

Cannoneer
Yes the crown is raised on the first rienforcement, but can't make out any markings in the area.

jimmy

Zulu · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2011, 06:32:56 AM »

Quote from: jimmymac on August 20, 2011, 05:12:02 AM

ZULU
I've emailed you pics for review, hope you can do something with them.

Cannoneer
Yes the crown is raised on the first rienforcement, but can't make out any markings in the area.

jimmy

Here they are. I had trouble with the first one. Sorry. $:-\$
Zulu

Cannoneer · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2011, 09:05:02 AM »

Jimmymac,
What we need here is for Bob Smith to consult with his wife (Ruth Brown), because this is right up her alley. I can't make out the tape on the thumbnail pic, but in the fifth photo it looks to be 18-inches from the cascabel to just past the trunnion, so the gun's got to be longer than 32-inches. That raised crown isn't part of any royal cypher, it's just a bit of advertising used by the British foundry that cast the gun to attract buyers from the merchant market. There aren't any close-up pics of the trunnion faces, but I don't think this gun was made by the Carron Company, the corrosion doesn't look bad enough to have completely eroded the marks.

Zulu · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2011, 09:59:08 AM »

Cannoneer,
I can see the thumbnail better. I just can't make it bigger here for some reason.

The barrel looks bigger than 32". Maybe 34"? Maybe 35"?
Zulu

Zulu · « **Reply #14 on:** August 21, 2011, 08:47:42 AM »

jimmymac asked me to post three more pictures for him.
Zulu

Cannoneer · « **Reply #15 on:** August 21, 2011, 08:57:20 AM »

Thanks, Zulu.

Jimmymac,
Here's a YouTube video made by forum member "cannonmn"; approx. half way through the vid you'll see three British swivel guns that bear raised crowns similar to the one found on your gun. All three swivel guns are cast in the form of gunades, one bronze with a breeching rope ring, and the other two cast in iron. Like your gun, these three were in all likelihood intended for sale to the private shipping trade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kHicJ1O-6U

jimmymac · « **Reply #16 on:** August 21, 2011, 09:28:51 PM »

ZULU
Thanks for posting the pictures i sent you. I'm still stumped that there aren't any numbers or marks, or are there? I keep coming back to the pic of the top of the second reinforce area. Could that be the remains of the manufacturers mark? Is there a source of period cannon builders? I think this gun was fashioned after the alterations that Blomefield made to the Armstrong-Frederick Pattern between 1783-1794 that included the loop over the cascabel knob. It may not have been built for the British navy but as a forgery of the known design and sold to the private sector as Cannoneer suggested. It looks like I'll be building some sort of swivel for this one.

Jimmy