Here's some pics from the 4th of July party. I built a small 15th century gonne (1.1" bore). These were the proof shots, doubled up on powder and load. I never realized how much blowback comes out of the touch-hole until looking at the still frames taken of the video! This one will eventually get a barrel hook that will go down through the wooden stock and can be used to brace the gonne on a fence or wall. It'll also get a small carraige assembly for open field use. In these pics, the barrel was just resting on the stock and braced using limestone hunks. The proof shot dug a foot long rut in the ground behind it...just a wee bit of recoil!

The other one is a Civil War mountain rifle cannon (2.25" rifled bore). It was quite loud!......very loud. We fired a 2lb load of BBs (a plastic ibuprofen bottle full) at a large ceramic Tigger from about 25 yards. What was left of tigger was then shot using a small pill bottle full of BBs from the 1.1" one. I wouldn't have wanted to have been Tigger! Anyways, enjoy the pics, the night shots are pretty cool.....



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Wow :eek: That is scary muzzle blast / flash ! Wouldn't want my face hugging to close to the touch hole. :p

At 1.1 " bore would a lead ball for this be in the 4 gauge or 1/4 pound range ? I wonder how much a stone ball load would weight at this caliber and maybe 3 or 4 stone balls might have been a useful close range multishot load at the same weight as one lead ball.

Stone or one could used hardened clay balls ( Ceramics ) to save on more valuable lead and the time it takes to make round stone balls.

These very early small canon or large hangonnes are very fascinating. :cool:

I have to admit I understand almost none of this, but the photos are interesting.

Is that touch hole backblast normal? One would think that it ship board cannons would set fire to the deck above them.