80pr RML at Warnambool, Victoria

[A.Roads]

We fired an 80pr Rifled Muzzle Loader for visitors to "Flagstaff Hill" at Warnambool, Victoria (OZ) a few times last Sunday. My wife fluked one of those perfectly timed photos of the blank charge going off. Adrian

[Zulu]

Was a linstock the proper way to ignite that gun?
Zulu

[Ex 49'er]

In the old days I sure wouldn't have wanted to have had duty in that lighthouse when they were touching off rounds in that gun. Thank you for sharing your photos.

[A.Roads]

Was a linstock the proper way to ignite that gun?
 
No definitely not "correct", however copper friction tubes are not available here and, even if they were, with the crowd on an embankment behind the camera I doubt that modern safety rules would accomodate the remote possibility of a flying tube injurying a spectator. We use home made paper quills about 3 inches long, hollow and coated internaly with powder - these have never failed to go of instantly.
Adrian
 

[Cannoneer]

Thanks for posting the pics, Adrian; your wife captured some fine shots.

Question: What is printed on top of that barrel, and is the barrel just there as a prop.

[KABAR2]

I think I put up a Video of them doing their drill last year it was a well done viedo done by the fort not some spectator....... In that video the gun carriage is painted grey......

[A.Roads]

Yes the wood barrel is a prop & the top has an information panel for visitors to read.
 
I recall a video posted of a re-enactor gun crew firing a gun in an Australian Colonial fort, but it was not this one, it would probably have been Fort Lytton in QLD or Fort Glanville in S.A.
Adrian

[rivercat]

We fired an 80pr Rifled Muzzle Loader for visitors to "Flagstaff Hill" at Warnambool, Victoria (OZ) a few times last Sunday. My wife fluked one of those perfectly timed photos of the blank charge going off. Adrian

This has got me fired up for when we fire our 68pdr can just imagine the flash from the front of the barrel.
Nice pictures mate

[KABAR2]

Thanks Adrian for jaring the memory.....It was  Fort Lytton  I found a photo I used as a screen shot for awhile....... They did a good job with camera angles if you notice on the edge of the blast a solid objet... it's part of what was probably a WWII concrete fire control tower.....that would be in the shot if it were not for the smoke and fire.....

[Double D]

Didn't have discussion on this about a streak seen coming from the vent that turned out to be a lanyard attached to the friction primer to capture it when it fired.

[Zulu]

Didn't have discussion on this about a streak seen coming from the vent that turned out to be a lanyard attached to the friction primer to capture it when it fired.

Yes we did but I don't think this is the same picture.
Zulu

[KABAR2]

Not a valid youtube URLI found the video I was talking about and no it is not the one DD is talking about they use a self contained firing device that lock into the touch hole....
.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Fort+Lytton+cannon+videos&mid=AAB0975D2ADA85DB5F3BAAB0975D2ADA85DB5F3B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1
 I also discovered a site which has many different videos of cannon firing at the fort....

[A.Roads]

If I recall correctly the crew using the lanyard were the lads at Fort Glanville in South Australia.

[Cannoneer]

You surely do recall correctly, Adrian. The Fort Glanville Historical Association reenactors were using friction primers to fire the fort's 64-pdr rml. For the sake of economy, they had a line attached to the brass tube, so that it could be retained and reloaded.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:64_pounder_gun_firing_-_fort_glanville.jpg