Author Topic: Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon replica #2 (Read 5354 times)

dominick · « **Reply #30 on:** April 18, 2012, 05:57:38 AM »

Quote from: onegreatshot on April 17, 2012, 08:48:37 AM

I didn't realize the size until your hand was in the video towards the end moving the barrel around it's a beautiful replica piece. I now under the firing of the charge with crimped 22 blanks. I was thinking maybe a 209 shotgun primer, but what do I know. AGAIN a beautiful piece Dom. You have to be proud. Dennis

I thought of using 209 primers but the hammer would have to have a firing pin like protrusion and alignment of the hammer to each barrel as it comes into position would be very critical. The 22's are rimfire and if alignment is off a bit, the hammer will still cover it.

carmy53 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 18, 2012, 10:52:58 AM »

Dom,
If you make the 1862 Gatling gun be sure to make the t-shirt to go with it!

dominick · « **Reply #32 on:** April 18, 2012, 02:09:52 PM »

Quote from: carmy53 on April 18, 2012, 10:52:58 AM

Dom,
If you make the 1862 Gatling gun be sure to make the t-shirt to go with it!

Is that a rear crank version of the 1862 Gatling gun? The angle of the handle looks like it rather than side crank. Did they make a rear crank version that early?

flagman1776 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 18, 2012, 03:27:24 PM »

According to the curator at Springfield Armory Museum (NPS) Springfield, Mass. when I was there researching my original glass plate gatling images, there is no way to remove live cartridges from a gatling without firing them out.

carmy53 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 18, 2012, 03:52:07 PM »

Quote from: dominick on April 18, 2012, 02:09:52 PM

Quote from: carmy53 on April 18, 2012, 10:52:58 AM
Dom,
If you make the 1862 Gatling gun be sure to make the t-shirt to go with it!

Is that a rear crank version of the 1862 Gatling gun? The angle of the handle looks like it rather than side crank. Did they make a rear crank version that early?

I don't really know. The picture is from the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts.
http://www.nps.gov/spar/historyculture/machine-guns.htm

flagman1776 · « **Reply #35 on:** April 19, 2012, 01:37:35 AM »

Max Caliber · « **Reply #36 on:** April 19, 2012, 01:56:50 AM »

The model 1883 was the first model to use the crank on the side or back. The barrel axle was extended through the cascabel plate so the rear mounted crank could be used. The rear crank increased the rate of fire. In place of a round cascabel knob, these guns usually had a straight metal sleeve which was removed in order to put on the crank.

carmy53 · « **Reply #37 on:** April 19, 2012, 12:19:13 PM »

Dom,
I know some people who are going to the museum on May 27th. I have asked them to take some pictures of the Gatling gun. If I get any pics I will forward them to you.

dominick · « **Reply #38 on:** April 19, 2012, 12:30:16 PM »

Max Caliber & carmy53, Thanks.

dominick · « **Reply #39 on:** May 04, 2012, 03:00:17 PM »

I finished it. I'll test fire it with a video next week. Dom

dominick · « **Reply #40 on:** May 04, 2012, 03:05:02 PM »

Comparison photos.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #41 on:** May 04, 2012, 03:42:53 PM »

You have really outdone yourself on this one, Dom. Love it, love it, love it!! You even made a shoulder stock, which, with the sights also provided will let the gunner aim this Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon. You even did the shin-shield as well. Spared no expense to keep the sailor/gunner's mate in one piece, eh?

Can't wait to see the the movie clips. Yes, "clips". One clip from the gunner's position would be expected, but what about giving the enemy Torpedo Boat crew a business end view, as in a close up attack. If it can be safely done, a quartering view from the front while firing, showing the flashing and smoking gun muzzles and shield front, with the cranking hidden, would be a unique and startling view I believe.

Fantastic cannon, Dom.

Tracy

GGaskill · « **Reply #42 on:** May 04, 2012, 04:37:10 PM »

Does the upper shield rotate with the gun?

Max Caliber · « **Reply #43 on:** May 05, 2012, 03:45:49 AM »

Fine work Dom. One of the neatest builds that I have seen here over the years.

The Jeff · « **Reply #44 on:** May 05, 2012, 07:08:24 AM »

Wow, that looks great! Can't wait to see the video!

dominick · « **Reply #45 on:** May 06, 2012, 02:12:49 PM »

First, thanks all for the compliments.

Tracy, I like your idea of a front view video, I try that.

George, The shield is attached to the yoke and does rotate with the gun.

I am already planning another. Not sure exactly what it will be yet, but it will be the same Hotchkiss cage mount. I have to get back to work on the micro Dahlgren and 75 caliber Dictator list and finish those first. I also have a 1890's casemate gun to build. Then another multi-barrel gun will be in the works.

Here's a short list of what's on the idea board.. I will make a single barrel breechloader to try my design. Then I want to make a 2 barrel Nordenfeld torpedo cannon as a breechloader that will reload from a gravity fed magazine to test my cartridge sleeve and magazine arrangement . Next, I will try a breechloading Hotchkiss revolving cannon. I have it designed already but the first two builds will confirm the design. Unlike the Gatling gun, it will only have a single firing pin and no bolt or bolts.

I'm still working on pricing the Hotchkiss muzzleloading version and a speed loader arrangement for it.

Dom

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #46 on:** May 06, 2012, 06:05:22 PM »

Dom, as for your efforts to develop a 2 barrel Nordenfelt, a breech loading Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon and a gravity fed magazine with sleeve-cartridges for them, the photo below shows our heartfelt attitude toward your ideas that rapidly turn into products.

Tracy

Two thumbs up for the "Idea Board" ideas!!

Victor3 · « **Reply #47 on:** May 07, 2012, 12:23:15 AM »

Quote from: dominick on May 06, 2012, 02:12:49 PM

Next, I will try a breechloading Hotchkiss revolving cannon.

Please don't try too hard, Dom... I still have a mortgage.

jamesfrom180 · « **Reply #48 on:** May 07, 2012, 01:49:15 AM »

First reaction, WOW

Then the news that you are developing a design to fully model the Hotchkiss,

!!!!

I talked with a modern weapons designer at Knobb Creek one year, the crazy ladies of Valkarie Arms, well they had on the boards a .50 mini styled platform. In my mind I always envisioned a .50 gravity fed Hotchkiss. Using the short heavies from the M2-BMG.

Please say this is the direction you are heading?

Since I talked with them, Valkarie Arms has folded. They would not sell the plans they had. Even if it wasn't rifled say a 20 ga design I am very interested in your current path.

Again beautiful job. Very very nice work.

dominick · « **Reply #49 on:** May 08, 2012, 12:53:03 PM »

Quote from: seacoastartillery on May 06, 2012, 06:05:22 PM

Dom, as for your efforts to develop a 2 barrel Nordenfelt, a breech loading Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon and a gravity fed magazine with sleeve-cartridges for them, the photo below shows our heartfelt attitude toward your ideas that rapidly turn into products.

Tracy

Two thumbs up for the "Idea Board" ideas!!

M & T, Thanks for your support. Maybe a 1" bore rifled breechloader version down the road a ways.

Dom

James, This is the direction I am working towards. Breech loader Hotchkiss. No comment on Valkarie.

dominick · « **Reply #50 on:** May 14, 2012, 02:43:53 AM »

I finally got a chance to shoot the Hotchkiss for the first time yesterday. It was fairly sucessful. The hammer spring was set at near zero tension when it rested on the barrel and on the first two attempts the spring came off during firing. I fixed the spring and when I finally got 5 shots in a row, my videographer had problems with the camera shutting off. I need to replace the spring with a stronger one to prevent shell ejection with the 22 blanks and do a re-test. The photo is the 9 shots I took at 25 feet. First shot hit the bottom of the cross, The second firing session, 3 shots on the right. Third attempt, 5 shots on the left.

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #51 on:** May 14, 2012, 05:04:21 AM »

Great Videos!

Darn it all; Now I want one of these, too!

You done good, Dom!!!!

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #52 on:** May 14, 2012, 05:23:57 PM »

Yea, what Ex 49'er said! And it takes some guts to show how things really go when you make the video and springs pop off, or in our case, when springs are not powerful enough to pop a primer on the Krupp FC Gun. Great looking cannon and I bet the next video shows pure fluid motion and explosive action!

Nice looking target too,

Tracy

jamesfrom180 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 16, 2012, 04:33:19 AM »

very very nice cannon. That is a beautiful piece of work.

dominick · « **Reply #54 on:** May 20, 2012, 05:43:10 AM »

Ex 49er, Seacoast, and James, thanks for the compliments.

I figured out the spring problem from the last videos. The 22 blanks were violently ejecting and kicking the hammer back causing the spring to come off. The ejecting shells were also blackening the back of the shield with powder residue which was not good. The problem I had to solve was how to keep the 22 blanks from ejecting and still have them readily accessible for reload. The photos below show the buffer plate I came up with for the solution. It has a stop that will prevent the tab above the vent from lifting off the 22's but is free to move against them when struck by the hammer. The four following videos are the results. Dom

The first 2 videos below, I was still dealing with weak spring pressure. I did not want to increase it to where the crank handle was difficult to turn. On my first gatling gun I made the spring pressure so strong that I needed to lenghen the handle to overcome the spring pressure. This strong spring held in the 22's but it was a bear to turn the crank.

Fixed at last! The two videos below are with the correct spring pressure. [NOTE] THESE VIDEOS WERE EDITED INTO THE ABOVE VIDEO AT REPLY #50.

The Jeff · « **Reply #55 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:16:55 AM »

Awesome work!

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #56 on:** May 21, 2012, 02:42:06 AM »

THAT would keep your head below the gunwhales if you were a Torpedo Boat Sailor! A fine looking gun, Dom and fearsome too. Now about the Buffer Plate you introduced into the design, I see how it is forced to stop moving up as each barrel is fired, but does it rely on the .22 case's upward movement to reset it's position after the hammer blow has knocked it down or do you have a hidden torsion spring in there somewhere to do that?

Tracy

dominick · « **Reply #57 on:** May 21, 2012, 05:41:49 AM »

Quote from: seacoastartillery on May 21, 2012, 02:42:06 AM

THAT would keep your head below the gunwhales if you were a Torpedo Boat Sailor! A fine looking gun, Dom and fearsome too. Now about the Buffer Plate you introduced into the design, I see how it is forced to stop moving up as each barrel is fired, but does it rely on the .22 case's upward movement to reset it's position after the hammer blow has knocked it down or do you have a hidden torsion spring in there somewhere to do that?

Tracy

Tracy,

My host pics crapped out again.

The photos show how the tab works. It is basically a see-saw with the other half "stop side" [opposite side of the plate above the vent] heavier that keeps the "vent side" plate raised off the vent and with a stop that prevents the plate from raising off of the vent very far. There is about a 1/16" clearance between the top of shell and the bottom of the plate and this allows the barrel to revolve.