sh1bby69 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Hi there guys! Well I'm new to this forum and I am looking for your help. Well I just go a cannon for my BDAY from an antique shop and it's a solid brass with some good weight to it. It also has a ramming rod. My question is how much BP is appropriate for this cannon. Here are the specs on it: Ramming Rod:-length: ~140mm-diameter: ~10mm Cannon:-Inner Barrel-length: ~137mm-diameter: ~11mm-Over all barrel-length: ~180mm-tip thickness: ~8mm (from the inside to the outside walls) Here are pictures of it as well. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/sh1bby69/IMG_0049.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/sh1bby69/IMG_0050.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/sh1bby69/IMG_0051.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/sh1bby69/IMG_0052.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/sh1bby69/IMG_0053.jpg If you guys can help me out that would be great. Also if you have websites that have good references that would be great! I would love to fire it; mainly blanks. Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 That's cool looking! Lotta scroll work and detail...the elevation, lanyards loops etc. Dunno anything about firing them tho. Will refrain from any help there...sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSidewinder Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 First, although the picture suggests that it's model designed to actually be used, make SURE that it was made to do so. A lot of models may look like they're meant to be used, but actually aren't. Some people here use functional replicas. I'll let them answer questions about live charges, but I can offer this: start with a lot less BP than you think you should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh1bby69 Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 thanks for your input guys....as far as I know it has been fired because of the little burn marks around the fuse area. I'll see if I can do a little more research on it but it has a nice and heavy weight to it and I believe it can be fired but like you said I need to make sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepOvertone Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I'd start with about an eighth teaspoon of FFFa blackpowder. and a bit of paper as wadding. That should be safe to start. I dont think that going above half a teaspoon will make it any louder and might be dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh1bby69 Posted June 1, 2008 Author Share Posted June 1, 2008 I'd start with about an eighth teaspoon of FFFa blackpowder. and a bit of paper as wadding. That should be safe to start. I dont think that going above half a teaspoon will make it any louder and might be dangerous. what do u mean by fffa bp is that a kind of powder? I was also told to use no more than 25 grains of FFg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oskarchem Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 FFFa is a size of Black powder; here's a list of classification: Name Mesh size FA 3 - 5 2FA 4 - 12 3FA 10 - 16 4FA 12 - 20 5FA 20 - 50 6FA 30 - 50 7FA 40 - 100 Meal D + 50 Fine Meal + 100 Extra Fine Meal +140 I guess taht FFFa is 3FA. For your cannon I would recommend that you use 6-12Mesh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepOvertone Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Obviously the more f's in front of the the letter, the smaller the grains of black powder are. The Letters also mean something. There are A type powders and G type powders. The A types are blasting powders that havent been coated or polished. The G types are used in fire arms. These have been polished and coated to make them flow better. We use the A type powders for pyro because there is no need for the higher priced G powders. Either type would work in your cannon. I suggested the 3fa powder because of its size. It will probably fit a bit better into the combustion area of the cannon. It will burn a bit faster also. Just my opinion. Its not based on any solid science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I see you annexed that list from passfire. It has a very common error that makes it able to be picked out no problems. The meal granulations should be -50, -100, and -140 respectively. It should be noted that the A grade powders are not the same granulation as g powders. I believe g stands for glazed. There are also B powders. These are also blasting powders, but are based with sodium nitrate. Cannon 6 - 12Saluting 10 - 20Fg 12 - 162Fg 16 - 303Fg 20 - 504Fg 40 - 100 There is a meal grade for g powders too I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oskarchem Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Yes I got the list from passifire. I hope that it's allowd to get parts of information from then. If it's not I'll just delete it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh1bby69 Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 alright guys thanks for your help! I'll try to pick up some BP today and I'll film me shooting it off! Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSidewinder Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I'm a sometimes-enthusiast for muzzleloading. The "g" in commercial powders either stands for "glazed" as Mumbles said, or for "graphite", which is what they are glazed WITH. (I've seen it stated both ways, though never by what I'd call a "real authority", so I'm not sure which one is the original meaning.) It ensures that your powder remains free-flowing, even in very humid conditions, by forming a water vapor barrier. And it DOES work well. I remember target-shooting one day when the weather was absolutely shitty. Hot, rainy, heavy fog, and perspiration running off me because it COULDN'T evaporate. But the FFg I was using in my Hawken replica was completely unaffected. Some "Flintlockers" with me were having ignition troubles because the dew was collecting on and in the frizzen pan. I was glad my rifle used percussion caps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mormanman Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm not sure if this will help you or not. The cannons (Civil War full replicas) are designed for a charge bigger than what is supposed to be used. BTW are you sure its brass, they do really use brass for full size cannons they used Bronze. Either way since its not cast iron its really strong. Cast iron you can get around 1000 shots and bronze is about 1500-2000 (if I remember my numbers correctly.)You could probably do the conversions and see if it works. Our cannons for Civil War reenactments used 4oz. of powder (Probably 2f or 3f) and had to fit a 4in ball. (We didn't shoot anyone) and I think the barrel was/is 3 to 3 1/2 feet long. I hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAST420 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 ....lol if you put ANYTHING in that think its liabal to blow up......you might be able to fire it once but youll never find it after... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 My first glance at the picture was "It's a crap toy." Looking closer, it's actually a pretty high-grade miniature. I have done some hand engraving, and the engraving on your cannon almost looks hand cut. The barrel looks turned rather than cast, although that can be hard to tell. It looks to be a pretty good little cannon. If the piece is cast, be very cautious. If it is turned and machined from bar, it'll be significantly stronger. I would load it blank only, no projectile - just wadding. Start very small, ignite from some distance, and once you find a charge you like, I'd perhaps test it twice with a 150% load, again from a distance. Then, back it off to 100% and you will probably be OK. And by load, we're talking perhaps enough BP to fill a fired .22 casing. Edit to add: Looking closer, that is a really fine cannon. It looks to be hand-crafted by a talented home machinist, and I'd swear the engraving is hand cut. Nice gift! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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