[Don Halter]

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.....

[Jean Thibodeau]

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

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.

[Joe Fults]

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

[Kjell Magnusson]

[George Hill]

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