Anyone have a Hern 3" Coehorn

[ironball]

Hi all, new member here. I was wondering if anyone had one of these 3 inchers, as they are fairly new. I've been reading older threads, but only find the smaller bore mentioned. Joel at Hern tells me these have a 1/2" DOM liner. $310.00 doesn't sound bad at all.
 
Looking around in the cupboard, I find cans of beans measuring 2.920 at the base, and 2.960 at the rim. I think with the rims cut off, I might have a cheap source of ammo. (depending on actual bore size). I'm going to order the barrel soon. Opinions?

[Cat Whisperer]

Ironball -

WELCOME to the forum!

I've not taken a digital calipers to the grocery, but I might.

You've got the addiction - looking at everything cylindrical as potential projo's.

[little seacoast]

The Hern mortar barrels are OK, gone up in price some though.  They may require some smoothing of the exterior surfaces but it's not tough to do it.  There is a 3incher for sale in the ads forum but it seems a tad high.  If you buy from Hern you might want to buy their handles. The complete kit for the base hardware is way too high. You will have to drill the vent and you may want to install a vent liner while you are at it. I used a 5/8" stainless bolt that was center drilled for 1/8" fuse-not rocket science thankfully although I tried to make it that way initially.

fresh out of the box

after clean up, waiting for Hern's handles (much nicer)

[ironball]

Cat Whisperer, thanks for the welcome. Lot's of good stuff on this forum.
 
little seacoast, nice looking Coehorn. Personally, I don't have a problem with the as cast finish, as long as the parting lines are gone. I like the antique look. 
 
I'll go for the handles, maybe the hardware too, if I feel wealthy enough, just to get the old timey look. I like your Confederate style base. Probably what I'll do too, since other than a drill press, I'll mostly use hand tools.
 
The biggest problem I can forsee is getting the vent hole to end up as close as possible to the face of the breechplug. I might want to fire a ligh load once in a while.

[Double D]

You might want to Contact sponsor Dom Carpenter about hardware.  He built full scale 24 PDR mortar base handles for me and  the iron hardware for my Parrot rifle carriage and it loots like the real deal!!

I always like to promote the sponsor, they help make this board possible

[ironball]

In this case I prefer to have cast iron hardware, but I will look at the sponsor's products for future projects.

[Cat Whisperer]

You might want to Contact sponsor Dom Carpenter about hardware.  He built full scale 24 PDR mortar base handles for me and  the iron hardware for my Parrot rifle carriage and it loots like the real deal!!

I always like to promote the sponsor, they help make this board possible

And I like to promote our sponsors because they make QUALITY PRODUCTS !

No brag, just fact - in my humble, but accurate, oppinion.

[DaveSB]

I'm pretty sure DOM is not seamless, I wonder how that will effect strength over time.

[Double D]

I'm pretty sure DOM is not seamless, I wonder how that will effect strength over time.

There is no issue of strength with welded seam DOM.  It is plenty strong.  The issue is that welded seam tubing has a history of porosity in the weld resulting in corrosion developing,  leading to barrel failure.

[ironball]

Does anyone have any examples of this "history" which leads to barrel failure? I know there are an awful lot of cannon barrels out there built this way, and it seems they are doing just fine. DOM is extruded, and is seamless, so no worries there.

[Double D]

Yes. 

Go through back issues of The Artilleryman and you will find a number of reports on this.  Switlik also documents this in his book The more Complete Cannoneer.

It is not a sort term issue, it is something that occur over years of use.

You can use welded seam tube  with extra care and periodic inspection.  But the older the tube the greater the risk.

It is kind of like the warning about shooting low number Springfield 1903's.  Not all low number Springfield are unsafe to shoot, you just have guess which one is safe.

[Double D]

Does anyone have any examples of this "history" which leads to barrel failure? I know there are an awful lot of cannon barrels out there built this way, and it seems they are doing just fine. DOM is extruded, and is seamless, so no worries there.

By  the way the sentiment you express above is the same sentiment expressed after most cannon accidents "We been doing it this way for years without a problem."

[GGaskill]

All the DOM tubing I have read (manufacturers') descriptions of is welded seam and all the seamless tubing I have read descriptions of is not drawn over mandrel.  I am not saying I have read every manufacturer's product descriptions, though.

[Cat Whisperer]

Does anyone have any examples of this "history" which leads to barrel failure? I know there are an awful lot of cannon barrels out there built this way, and it seems they are doing just fine. DOM is extruded, and is seamless, so no worries there.

Looking at it from a little different perspective, I have a friend who teaches (at the local Community College) and certifies welders.

Porosity is a BIG issue when it comes to pressure vessels - not just those handling corrosive products of combustion.  There are special atmospheres, fluxes and filler metal as well as specific techniques to produce a weld that will endure.

Evidence of several, or even many, cannons that 'are doing just fine' is not good enough evidence that one can safely use welded seam tubing.  They will do just fine right up to the round prior to failure.

[ironball]

Well, it's beginning to look like you guys just want to bash Hern Barrels. I guess that's because they are not a sponser. Well, please excuse me if I just go on and shoot their products, like so many thousands of others. Corrosion is a cleaning issue, nothing more. I see on other threads where you chastise all manner of homemade stuff, and that is OK, but when you start poo-pooing companies like Hern, you lose credibility.
 
This is the same-old-same-old we used to get about shotguns with damascus barrels. All the "experts" kept quoting each other about how unsafe they were. Corrosion was ruining them. Everyone knew someone who blew one up. Well, when you tracked it down, it was always a smokeless shell, and many times in a 2-1/2 inch chamber. Some of us dummies just kept shoot blackpowder in them, and lo and behold, they don't blow up. Imagine that?
 

[GGaskill]

There is a difference between using a damascus barrel and recommending the use of a damascus barrel.

And I don't see any Hern bashing in this thread, either.

[Double D]

There are a number of other cast barrel makers that have been reported with problems here on this board.  Never as far as I  can remember has there ever been one single complaint about Hern.

We have a number of fellows here who use Hern guns and they have nothing but praise for the Hern gun.

You do bring up a good point Hern is not a sponsor here.  That is my fault and not Herns.  Any number of times I have talked to Joel at Hern, I have failed to bring up sponsorship to him. 

Do I promote sponsor over non sponsors?  Shamelessly, you bet I do and as long as they continue to pay the bills here I will.  But there is line a there also.

Some years ago we had company who wanted to be a sponsor---I stood my ground against them as the were stealing money from their customers.  I didn't want them here.  The Attorney General in their state took them to court and shut them down.  I won't support a sponsor if they make an inferior product, just because they pay a fee.


As far as the welded seam issue is concerned, the corrosion takes place internally in the inclusions,  inside the weld.  It is not a surface corrosion and it is not visible until to late if ever.  It is the demon that makes some damascus barrels fail.   It is not preventable but is detectable with xrays.  We aren't going to get into the Damascus barrel argument.  It is a misunderstood issue. It is no safer with black powder than smokeless. But it does exist and can be safely dealt with--same with the welded seam barrel liner. 

Seamless liners are better than welded seam, you just have to take added precautions with the welded seam nothing more.

We often have folks who come here on the board and are new to this hobby and really don't understand the mechanics. When we tell them that what they have is not safe, they take offense. 

We surely don't mean to offend,  only warn.  We do this to protect our hobby.  Every year usually around  New Years and particularly around the 4th of July there are any number of "cannon" accidents reported in the media.  After close examination the device that blew up was anything but a cannon.  Those cannon accidents put us all in a bad light. 

We make it a crusade her to to warn and educate, and I won't apologize for that.  Don't read evil things into these warnings.  Keep an open mind and evaluate them and decide for yourself there meaning for you.

We look forward to you posting pictures of your finished Hern barrel; we like progress pictures and we especially like smoke and fire pictures.

[flagman1776]

Ditto.  Well said DD

[DaveSB]

To further show example our non-bias toward non sponsors, South Bend Replicas does not sponsor and they are held in pretty high regard. Seamless liners too 

[dynomike1x1]

I shoot a Hern Mt. Howitezer Havent had any probablms.

[ironball]

I meant to answer this a while ago.

The Hern mortar barrels are OK, gone up in price some though.

Not much, the 2-1/4 inch like you have is $210.00 This new 3 inch is a lot more, probally because of the thicker liner. Thicker is better.

[ironball]

We look forward to you posting pictures of your finished Hern barrel; we like progress pictures and we especially like smoke and fire pictures.

Will do. For now, I posted some pics of my little .69 Napoleon on another thread. I killed about a half hour trying to sign up for the picture hosting here, before I figured out I could just upload directly in my post. DUH!