# Replica Cannon



## TerryGwinnett (Feb 14, 2015)

I have a miniature cannon that I inherited from my grandfather. He used to fire it at special events. I'd love to fire it on July Fourth, but I have no idea how. Is there a good source for black powder in general, or this kind of cannon specifically, in or near Gwinnett?  I don't want to just experiment with it for obvious reasons.


----------



## mattech (Feb 14, 2015)

Here is one a guy made for my dad recently. They worked together for over 30 years and when the guy retired he gave it to my dad. We shoot it a good bit. We juat use a about a cap full of black powder and make a ball with a paper towel and stuck it in. It makes a big bang, the video doesn't do it justice.


----------



## mattech (Feb 14, 2015)

Here is a close up picture of it.


----------



## TerryGwinnett (Feb 15, 2015)

Very cool. This is what I'm working with.


----------



## aabradley82 (Feb 15, 2015)

You can get powder at Bass Pro. You do have to ask for it


----------



## JustUs4All (Feb 15, 2015)

Black powder or pyrodex, paper wadding, no projectile, and I use cannon fuse the diameter to go into the touch hole.  The fuse keeps my eyes from being over the touch hole when the gasses come out there.


----------



## rosewood (Feb 20, 2015)

I want a cannon....


----------



## lagrangedave (Feb 20, 2015)

I'd hunt with it.


----------



## Chase4556 (Mar 2, 2015)

Academy sells them..


----------



## tv_racin_fan (Mar 2, 2015)

Dixie Gun Works... has cannon of all sorts.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1680

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1673

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1654

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1650

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_106_665&products_id=1653


----------



## TerryGwinnett (Mar 2, 2015)

I have the cannon, I just need the stuff to shoot it.  I didn't see any powder on Dixie's website.

I also need somebody to supervise to make sure I don't destroy something the first couple of times.


----------



## j_seph (Mar 2, 2015)

TerryGwinnett said:


> I have the cannon, I just need the stuff to shoot it.  I didn't see any powder on Dixie's website.
> 
> I also need somebody to supervise to make sure I don't destroy something the first couple of times.


I'll bring lots of beer and lots of black powder and sit back and watch the learning curve


----------



## mattech (Mar 2, 2015)

First time I shot my dads, I was terrified. Lol just used a half a cap and build up. After the first shot, its nothing.


----------



## tv_racin_fan (Mar 2, 2015)

TerryGwinnett said:


> I have the cannon, I just need the stuff to shoot it.  I didn't see any powder on Dixie's website.
> 
> I also need somebody to supervise to make sure I don't destroy something the first couple of times.



Got a place to shoot it?

Bass Pro Shops has the powder.  Tho there are other places that may have it. You have to ask specifically for black powder. It can't be on the shelf due to explosive regulations.

I have powder and we can make it work without fuse.

What size is it?..


----------



## Knotwild (Mar 5, 2015)

I have been thinking about one myself:

http://www.gunsamerica.com/977100484/1-3-4-Bore-Golfball-Field-Cannon.htm

http://www.gunsamerica.com/939157858/WWII-Golf-Ball-Mortar-Cannon.htm


----------



## TerryGwinnett (Mar 5, 2015)

I don't know the size. Do you mean caliber or barrel length?


----------



## tv_racin_fan (Mar 6, 2015)

I meant caliber, it aint that important unless you have intent to shoot a projectile.

I am across the lake from you in Forsyth  County. Pretty sure we could find a place to light that thing off if you aint got one handy.


----------



## TerryGwinnett (Mar 6, 2015)

I'll just shoot it off in the backyard. I'll bet it'll sound great echoing off the hills across the river. When I got it, it had some lead cannonballs with it. They've been lost, though. I probably wouldn't have fired projectiles anyway. I'll hit up Bass Pro for some powder and start small.


----------



## tv_racin_fan (Mar 6, 2015)

Pretty sure it is 50 cal... they made most of em in that size.

Ok... How do you intend to "light er off"?

One way is cannon fuse.. that may be a bit hard to do. Not sure what sort of "touch hole" that has you may just be able to trickle some powder in and on and light it off with something long enough to keep you out of danger. YOU don't want to have any body parts over the "touch hole". Flame is going to shoot out of there or could and ask any flinter about that.  You don't want anyone directly behind it either.

Bird feathers that are large enough to have hollow quills used to be the method of choice for normal sized cannon.  Partly because they had ready made charges and with quills you had ready made fuses.  You just trickle some powder in and when the time comes trim the point off small enough that your powder dont just pour out then stick the quill in the "touch hole".

If you find a tube the right size you can use it to cut some pressed cardboard. Like you find on a note pad or in a new dress shirt and cut some wads.  I'd start with about 15/20 grains of powder and honestly if all you intend is to make noise that may well be all you need to make the noise you want.  Pour the powder in push a couple wads in on top, make sure to push the wads all the way down, and light er off.


----------



## GAHUNTER60 (Mar 8, 2015)

lagrangedave said:


> I'd hunt with it.



This guy did!

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm


----------



## rosewood (Mar 9, 2015)

GAHUNTER60 said:


> This guy did!
> 
> http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm



Hmm, guess from the way he wrote the article, it isn't legal to shoot a deer one in his state.  However, I don't think there is anything in the GA Regs that would prohibit it.  It is a muzzle loader after all.

Good read though.


----------

