Cannon B.P. charge question

[willtill]

I have an aquaintance who has an old cannon. He wants to fire it with just black powder (no projectile) for the smoke and boom. Anyone have an idea of how much B.P. to start it off with? I was thinking of 150gr initially.

It was just freshly painted. This guy likes to paint everything.

The bore looks to be 1.5" in diameter. I didn't have my remote camera with me to scope the bore out, but I was told it was fired long, long ago. This cannon is a serious chunk of miniature artillery.

 

[EarnestT]

Use a 35mm film canister full. Pack with newspaper. Fire away

 

[willtill]

Use a 35mm film canister full. Pack with newspaper. Fire away

 

[toppkatt]

Someone stills has (or even knows) what a film canister is/looks like?


I still have some, even a box full of the metal, Kodak screw lidded ones from my father...

 

[willtill]

Someone stills has (or even knows) what a film canister is/looks like?


I still have some, even a box full of the metal, Kodak screw lidded ones from my father...

Not all of us are a bunch of whippersnappers; on this here message board. Of course we remember.

 

[MADad]

I seriously doubt you could put too much black powder in it. Like a rifle, it would just expel a lot of unburnt powder. I have a black powder cannon that shoots 10 gauge black powder shotshells. It’s a blast!

 

[dist1646]

Be sure to swab the bore with a damp bore mop between shots.

 

[wreckdiver]

Love black powder cannons. Just shot mine off tonight for a friend. Used 100 grains of Pyrodex and a tissue paper wad. Really like to get one that shoots golf balls or maybe even tennis balls.

 

[JohnnyE]

I'm not a canon guy, but the finer powders, like 3fg and 4fg burn really quickly and are pistol powders. The more coarse-grained powders are for long guns and canon. Do some serious research.

 

[EarnestT]

Not all of us are a bunch of whippersnappers; on this here message board. Of course we remember.

I bet we know what a carburetor and a set of points is too.

 

[Blacksmith101]

Here is a thread about cannon salute charges, post #4 might give some guidance. I would assume a 1 1/2" bore would be 1/2 as much as a 3" bore.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?446426-Salute-Cannon-Charges&highlight=Cannon+load

 

[Biggfoot44]

Someone stills has (or even knows) what a film canister is/looks like?


I still have some, even a box full of the metal, Kodak screw lidded ones from my father...

The younger generation would know them as dope canisters

 

[Biggfoot44]

Here is a thread about cannon salute charges, post #4 might give some guidance. I would assume a 1 1/2" bore would be 1/2 as much as a 3" bore.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?446426-Salute-Cannon-Charges&highlight=Cannon+load

Noooo ! It's cross sectional area , not diameter .

Quick maths , and a 1.5 inch bore would take 1/4 aka 0.25 aka 25% of the charge for a 3 inch bore .

 

[Biggfoot44]

IF you do a straight mathamatic conversion from the post in the other Forum ( which appears knowledgeable and plausible ) , you would use +/- 440 gr of the largest granulation BP you can find .

But that's a full power military Signaling charge , and Seriously LOUD . Like window breaking Loud .

Prudence would be start low at muzzleloader hunting charge level , and work up to a pleasing , recreational Boom . Say 50- 100 gr .

 

[Blacksmith101]

Noooo ! It's cross sectional area , not diameter .

Quick maths , and a 1.5 inch bore would take 1/4 aka 0.25 aka 25% of the charge for a 3 inch bore .

Thank you for catching that.