Cannon

[DaveS]

We were at Iuka Mississippi last month for a big reenactment. We took two of our guns (3" ordnance rifles).

 

Here we are firing during the battle. (I'm on the first gun, far side front with the brown slouch hat).

 

 

We will be in Johnsonville this coming weekend. Stop in and say hello. I will give you the grand tour of the guns!

 

DaveS

Edited October 31, 2013 by DaveS

[Moped]

I think those are the ultimate firearms!!!

[DaveS]

Almost as good as it gets!

 

DaveS

[RED333]

COOL!!!

[leroy]

Now we're gettin somewhere!! A "real" big bore....

They look and sound great!!!

 

Keep up the good work!

leroy

[Jonnin]

Looks like fun, do you ever really fire it or just  powder & noise?  

[Sidinman]

Hey Dave, is that New Johnsonville, your speakin of?

[DaveS]

Hey Dave, is that New Johnsonville, your speakin of?

Yes, Sorry, New Johnsonville at the state park.

 

DaveS

Edited October 31, 2013 by DaveS

[DaveS]

Looks like fun, do you ever really fire it or just  powder & noise?  

Mostly blank rounds (for the reenactments) live cannon ammo is highly frowned upon during reenactments, but we have had live fires with them. Problem is, those 3" ordnance rifles have a range of about 1800 yards. Most live shoots are conducted at about 200-300 yards, and they are quite impressive when fired live. Steel rounds are very expensive to shoot, but some folks shoot veggy cans filled with concrete depending on bore size. Not us!

 

But generally blank rounds for noise and smoke.

 

DaveS

[Jonnin]

cool!  Yea one of my friends went to the national civil war competition BP whatever it is called stuff every year.  He said they shoot into something (piles of sawdust maybe? I forget what he said) and recover the rounds to use again and again due to the costs.

 

I knew you did not fire live rounds in the reenactments lol. 

[DaveS]

 

 

I knew you did not fire live rounds in the reenactments lol. 

I've felt like it at times though! LOL

Just joking with ya!

 

DaveS

[Glenn]

I have a friend that has a 12 pounder. He shoots shot-puts.

[DaveS]

I have a friend that has a 12 pounder. He shoots shot-puts.

Dang! What type 12 pounder does he have, do you know?

 

DaveS

[LowBb]

nice

[Glenn]

Dang! What type 12 pounder does he have, do you know?

 

DaveS

Here is a picture

 

[Glenn]

Here is what it did to a van. The medium size holes are canister shot

 

[url=http://s687.photobucket.com/user/BigGuy300/media/Donthidebehindthevan.jpg.html][/URL]

Edited November 1, 2013 by Glenn

[MacGyver]

That's cool!

[bajabuc]

When I lived in Wyoming,  the Sheridan blackpowder club hosted a regional shoot...Sorta like Friendship but smaller...one of the cannon shoot contestants showed up with a 120 mm rifled cannon mounted on a ship carriage.  The barrel was from a sawed off piece of a main battle tank barrel.  The barrel was about five feet long... shooting cast lead rounds that had the rifling cast with the round.  He shot one round...hit the target bullseye and packed up.  Nobody else even came close.  He spent the summer going to shoots...winning the prize and leaving.  Usually, the cannon shoot prize was 500 dollars and 25 pounds of powder.

 

The association outlawed rifled bores. 

[DaveS]

Here is a picture

 

Hell yea! That'll get your attention! Thanks for the picture!

 

DaveS

[DaveS]

Here is what it did to a van. The medium size holes are canister shot

 

I'm telling you what Buddy, Canister shot is bad a**!!!

 

DaveS

[Glenn]

I'm telling you what Buddy, Canister shot is bad a**!!!
 
DaveS

Can you imagine charging at a line of cannons shooting that stuff? Those were some tough sobs

[DaveS]

Can you imagine charging at a line of cannons shooting that stuff? Those were some tough sobs

Several of us reenactors were sitting around a camp fire recently at Chickamauga GA and we were poking fun at some infantry reenactors. Us artillerymen were talking about an old tactic of bouncing a solid shot off the ground and into the legs of an advancing enemy line. Keep in mind that the last line of defense for a Battery of Artillery is to fire "Canister". Canister looks like a giant shotgun shell and contains any where from about 20 to hundreds of 1" steel balls depending on caliber of cannon. One of the Infantry reenactors spoke up and said, The last thing you ever wanted to hear was a battery commander yell to his gun crews; "Range, 100 yards with Double Canister, Load!" Your day was about to get real bad real quick!

 

There are actual reports of troops turning to run when they advanced close enough to hear the gun commands and heard what was being loaded. Most of the time it was so noisy and so much smoke the infantry couldn't really see how close they had gotten to the guns.

 

DaveS

Edited November 2, 2013 by DaveS

[Glenn]

DaveS,

I'm sure this is a familiar sight to you, but here is a artillaryman's view or lack of it.

 

[DaveS]

DaveS,

I'm sure this is a familiar sight to you, but here is a artillaryman's view or lack of it.

 

That's 100% correct. You bring tears to my eyes, I love it!! I was supposed to be at New Johnsonville today, but due to a family illness, I'll be heading to Alabama instead. The rest of the battery is there though.

 

DaveS

Edited November 2, 2013 by DaveS

[DaveS]

Here is a two minute clip from the movie "Gettysburg". We had 4 of our guns there and we're mixed in there somewhere. The clip is Confederate Reenactors laying down an artillery barrage. Imagine all those guns firing canister?

 

Enjoy

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrY81GZgrtg

 

DaveS