Author Topic: New British Grenade Mortar  (Read 936 times)

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Offline threepdr

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New British Grenade Mortar
« on: July 18, 2006, 04:35:19 PM »
I bought this mortar tube recently and just finished the bed.

The repro tube was made in the 60s by Bill Muese. It is bronze, wieghs about 13 pounds and is 8 inches long. The bore is 2.25 inches and has a chamber that can hold about 1.5 oz. The tube has a very nice "GR2" royal cypher hand chased into the bonze just above the vent.

The bed is solid oak. I made it based on the stats in Muller's Treatise on Artillery. It is scaled from a 12 lb Coehorn bed. It probably should be painted gray, but I just could not bear to cover up the oak grain. Maybe later.

I hope to fire it soon. Anyone have a source for 2 inch balls? If not, it will be raquet balls filled with concrete.

Click the small pics to go to a much larger one



See my history and archaeology blog at:  http://erasgone.blogspot.com/

Offline cannon man

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2006, 05:02:31 PM »
Hey great lookin mortar man but isnt the angle a little steep? oh well good lookin gun anyway.
                                                                  Cannon man

Offline claypipe

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2006, 07:35:23 PM »
Check out the pair up for auction on Gun Broker:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=52723273

CP

Offline GGaskill

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2006, 08:40:37 PM »
Opening bid is excessively high for repros of this size.
GG
“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”
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Offline Double D

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2006, 06:07:54 AM »
Actually not a bad  price for the pair. Wonder of projectiles go with them.

Offline Cpt Ed

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2006, 11:45:22 AM »
DD,

You are correct they are worth the price. If I lived close to the seller, I probably would have purchased the pair by now. Shipping cost and probable damage have kept me from the purchase, as well as my interest is mostly Civil War Artillery. The listing seller has been trying to sell them for the owner on GunBroker for several months now. The price in the beginning was $3999.00. A month later it was dropped to the $1999.00.

The pair was probably created by Cannon Ltd. in Ohio and today would cost over $5,000.00 to duplicate. Check their web site or catalogue. Now that Accessory box of implements probably would add another $500 to $700.00 to the replacement cost. If you look closely in the lid of the accessory box, in the leather holder, you will see what looks like a Civil War Gunners caliper. If the caliper’s are original period they alone are worth more than the whole package. They probably are reproductions, which today would cost $175.00++ to reproduce if you can find someone to do the task for you.
Always think safety...be a More Complete Cannoneer.

"I HATE SMALL TOWNS BECAUSE ONCE YOU'VE SEEN THE CANNON IN THE PARK, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO."

Offline Michael Az

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2006, 06:56:20 PM »

If you look closely in the lid of the accessory box, in the leather holder, you will see what looks like a Civil War Gunners caliper.

What did they measure with the caliper?
Michael

Offline Cpt Ed

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2006, 02:03:47 AM »
Michael AZ,

It is a 19th century English device, engraved with numerous scales on both sides, and was used for measuring both the outside diameters of cannon balls and the inside bore diameters of cannons, with direct readouts in inches, angle, shot, cannon, and gauges.


Always think safety...be a More Complete Cannoneer.

"I HATE SMALL TOWNS BECAUSE ONCE YOU'VE SEEN THE CANNON IN THE PARK, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO DO."

Offline Michael Az

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Re: New British Grenade Mortar
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2006, 04:13:36 AM »
Thanks Cpt Ed, thats kind of what I would have guessed. Also looks like it might have been made to angle the barrel for range. Complex looking little tool. Thanks for the photo.
Michael