What is the best way to load BP for my gunsmoke barrel....??

[opatriot]

Gday friends ........I purchased a a barrel from gunsmoke -dean -.... last december. and finnaly have project completed ..1/3 scale field carriage ........Im excited to use my new cannon but cant get my mind around the best way to load BP. ...i have emailed him but he has not responded.................His barrel comes with a powder chamber 1/2"wide  by 1/2"deep with touch hole in the rear of the chamber ...and the rear of the barrel is beveled slightly to meet the powder chamber ..........so im thinking if i use a scoop to poor 90gr. of powder in it ..powder wont even reach up to the powder chamber very well  ..??? ....and if i make a tinfoil charge ...90gr. is not enough volume to reach pwder chamber .. and prick ..?? .........can you please walk me through what works best for you ..?? what is your prcedure for golf ball loads ..??? what is your procedure for blank loads ..?? ...your advice would be GREATLY appreciated..........thankyou kindly ...davey

[Double D]

Who is Gunsmoke Dean?

That is a pretty small chamber for a golf ball cannon and it's going to be a pain to load. Personally I would  take some where and get it  machined out if the construction of the cannon permits.

Foil wrapped powder cartridges should go in the powder chamber and should be pushed to the back.  Adapt your cartridge until it will fit the chamber.

If you are building cartridges with ball attach put  some wad between ball and powder cartridge so the cartridge extends back into the chamber.

Don't worry about airspace. in the cannon, especially a chambered cannon. Just fill the space between ball and powder with wadding.

Use the load chart Safe Loads and Cannon plans Sticky to determine safe Maximum load.  Remember  the bore diameter for computing loads is the diameter of the powder chamber

[opatriot]

Thanks   DD  for your advice and reply......Dean is a cannon maker listed in the sickeys as a referance under the name ....gunsmoke .....I dont know why he makes them with powder chambers ? ?  I remember Dictator and a few others on this forum have  this same cannon , and they seemed to love them ......they didnt mention the dilema I seem to have .........thanx ...davey

[Double D]

Okay, Got him now, he is a email address and doesn't have a website.

How about some pictures and a bit of a description of the gun.

You could always load the gun like a  Rifle.  Tip it up on end and pour the powder in.  Style doesn't count, we just want to see smoke and fire...safely of course.

[Cat Whisperer]

In loading mortars with powder chambers, I use a pvc pipe or copper tube to guide the powder into the chamber.  A funnel on the top helps, but pour only from a container holding ONE charge, not the big can -just in case.

You could easily build a device (assuming a cannon with a powder chamber) that would position the the charge into the chamber and press it to the back.  Also, build it so that it can be operated from beside (not in front of) the tube.

[Rickk]

I believe that some of the full scale bore mortar shooters with subchambers use a long funnel to get the powder into the subchamber.

With a big and short bore, they can get their body parts right in there to clean the chamber. That means it is pretty easy to make sure there are no residual sparks.

Aluminum foil wrapped charges provide a bit of added insurance in case there is something still smoldering in the chamber.

If you are going to load it with loose powder, make sure that the subchamber has been damp mopped well first. You will need mops for both the bore and also the subchamber to do this right I would think. Dry mop afterwords, as the small chamber may accumulate quite a bit of water.

[opatriot]

Some great ideas guys .....Thankyou ..... I could Pick it up and dump powder down tube like a musket ..mmm ..that would work but  a little heavy ...maybee 35-45 LB.S.......The barrel at its highest point is somewhere around 30 degrees ......I think maybe the copper tube /funnel idea would work ...........I could fabricate to make it one piece and addhere some kind of material to the bottom  and sides to raise  it to powder chamber hight ........Think ill work on this today .......thanx guys ...davey

[GGaskill]

Get a piece of 1/2" hard copper pipe about 6" longer than your bore and a 1/2" hardwood dowel to use both for forming the foil bag and pushing it into the chamber.  Form the foil around the end of the dowel, pour powder into foil cylinder, close open end, place bag in tube, place tube in bore against chamber, push bag through tube into chamber with dowel.  Works great for my 1" chambered Parrott.

[gcr]

Here is one of Dean Lardie's  golfball cannons.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976734654.htm