Any cannoneers or handgonne shooters here

[owejia]

Anyone here enjoy shooting bp? Started making small thunder [signal] mugs last year. Got interested in making small cannons and handgonnes also. Have a few older friends that enjoy shooting bp. Been working on a Japanese sleeve [hand]cannon using precussion caps to fire it.Cannot exert enough force by squeezing the firing lever to ignite the cap. Experminted with the plastic ring caps for cap guns and they will ignite the charge in the hand cannon. This thing had about drove me crazy,but have finally figured it out.Can buy bp in bulk and have cheap shooting. Working on molds to cast round projectiles to shoot in them. Making a set of dies to load the brass shotshells in my single stage press.Like shooting bp almost as much as smokeless.

[RED333]

You can buy RB molds.

I have one .54 and .454.

What size bore do you have?

Can you give a link for bulk BP?

[owejia]

Link to Black Powder http://www.addictedtoblackpowder.com/



Cannons .780, hand gonne .625, cheroot cane cannon .32, Japanese hand cannon .32

Have to allow for windage. Edited March 11, 2013 by owejia

[seez52]

I wish someone would coordinate a group buy on BP. I can never find any around here

[owejia]

The last local bp I bought at Dixie Gun works in Union City, buy the time you pay sales tax goex was about 24 bucks. I ordered a mixed case of diamond back from the link above with hazmat and shipping it was 12 dollars a pound. Shooting the cheaper stuff in cannons and hand gonnes makes it easier to shoot bigger loads. If hunting with bp I would probably use the Swiss bp. Pyrodex at walmart is about the same price as goex from Dixie gun works. Pyrodex is nasty stuff and I no longer use it. I also reload 41 colt,38spl,and 38S&W cartridges with bp. I like the smoke and noise. Loaded a large thunder mug with 4 oz and used a tennis ball as projectile step daughter was filming it and almost dropped the camera when fired.With 4oz loads it cost about 5 bucks a shot. With the hand gonnes and hand cannons only use 30 to 60 grains. Fuse is cheap also. We also load the brass shotshells with bp they are a hoot to shoot.Want to go dove hunting this year and use the brass shells loaded with bp in my old stevens 235 double with side hammers like the old timers did back in the old days. Edited March 11, 2013 by owejia

[Handsome Rob]

I buy all my BP in bulk from http://www.powderinc.com

 

You could save a bunch in shipping, tax & HAZMAT fees if you drove over the line to Arkansas......

Edited March 12, 2013 by robtattoo

[DaveS]

I actually shoot cannons as a hobby. Here is one of our 6 pound Confederate Cannons.

 

 

Me on the left (hand behind back after pulling lanyard)

 

 

Me with the sponge...

 

 

Our 12 pounder (on limber) and our 3 inch ordnance rifle (in background) Our little group owns 6 Confederate Cannons.

 

 

Dave S

Edited March 19, 2013 by DaveS

[DaveS]

Another picture of the 6 Pounder. Loaded with 10 oz BP and 8 oz peat. Purty huh?

 

 

 

 Lets see some of yours?

 

Dave S

[DaveS]

You guys are killing me.  I've been looking into some type of BP cannon for a while .

 

Great pictures Dave.

Thank You!

 

Dave S

[DaveS]

Dave, 

10oz. BP 8 oz. Peat.          What's Peat?

Peat Moss. Used as a filler and gives you more "bang" for your buck. Gives a good loud BOOM and your cannon will recoil some what with it. When firing "live" ammo, we don't use a filler.

 

Dave S

[owejia]

DaveS the cannons I make and shoot are hobby size. The biggest bore will be about 1 1/16" bore and maybe 12" to 14 in long. Just getting started shooting them, my large lathe is down and not running, so all I have to use right now is my tinker toy atlas 12" x 36in . Like that flame, steel wool as packing will put out a nice fire ball in these small cannons. Do you have and shoot any motars?

Edited March 19, 2013 by owejia

[DaveS]

DaveS the cannons I make and shoot are hobby size. The biggest bore will be about 1 1/16" bore and maybe 12" to 14 in long. Just getting started shooting them, my large lathe is down and not running, so all I have to use right now is my tinker toy atlas 12" x 36in . Like that flame, steel wool as packing will put out a nice fire ball in these small cannons. Do you have and shoot any motars?

Steel wool does make a good filler, but we stopped using it when we were setting too many grass fires with it. It's good for a bang though! We don't have any Mortars. The state of Tennessee just donated a carriage for a twelve pound napolean to us, so now we are looking for a Napoleon barrel. Fun Fun!

 

Dave S

[Guest tangojuliet]

so dave you know randy ruebel ?

[DaveS]

Randy and myself are great friends. I guess we've been friends for about 30 years now. Randy is in the brown pants in the 2nd picture, and me to his left.

 

Dave S

Edited March 26, 2013 by DaveS