Using fuse for ignition

[Will Bison]

A few years ago I was at one of the local ranges watching some folks shoot a cannon. They used standard cannon fuse, perhaps a ten second length. The range is not supervised but good discipline about going down range is always exercised. I don't generally like to use fuse to fire my cannons but in this case it seemed safe enough. The range is 400 yards to a low hill with nothing beyond for more than a mile.

I was watching the fuse burn down when I heard shouts of "CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE". When I looked down range I saw a band of wild horses running down the hill to the 400 yard butts. One cannon crew member made a quick attempt to pull the fuse but it was too late. The horses were now in line with the cannon at about the 300 yard line when the shot went off. Other than scaring Hell out of the horses the incident was uneventful.

Since then I've often thought about how quickly a seemingly safe situation can turn bad. When I do use fuse now, I really look over the whole spectrum of "what ifs" before I light up.

[GGaskill]

This has always been a concern of mine, too.  While I was not present at the following event, I will use it as an example.  Some friends were shooting cannon in the hinterlands across a road (apparently not regularly travelled) and after lighting the fuse, a car rolled up and stopped to watch the activities.  Unfortunately the car stopped close to the line of fire.  The gun went boom and fortunately neither car nor occupants were hit, but everybody was considerably upset.   (Obviously firing across the road was a bad thing, but that is out of the scope of this discussion.)
 
I have taken to using electrical firing using either model rocket ignitors (a relatively expensive option) or homemade ignitors using either #32 copper wire or nichrome wire.   Both are very quick responding, less than a second between first push and boom.
 
If you are confident enough of your piece to stand next to it and fire with a linstock, then the http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=59198" target="_blank">open quills made from Post-Its sound like the best thing.
 
You want to minimize the period of non-control and fuze is not a contributor to that.

[CAV Trooper]

I've never had a problem priming the touch hole of my howitzer with loose 4Fg and lighting it with slow match on a 3 foot linstock. I have total control over when, or if, the shot goes off.

The same procedure is used by the NPS when firing the full sized six pounders at the Castillo de San Marcos and Ft Matanzas. The only difference is that, since the touch hole is larger, we prime with 3Fg.

[Cat Whisperer]

When I light the fuse, (as many do) I yell 'fire in the hole' so EVERYONE knows the fuse is lit.  Doesn't resolve the above issue, but at least everyone is on the same sheet of music.

Excellent for you, Will, to have brought this to our attention - forewarned is forearmed.