anyone built a signal cannon or other legal muzzle loader/black powder style?

[Soundguy]

"legal" Sort of needs to be sorted out. Not sure what kind of regulations are in place for home made black powder guns.

as far as I know, if it loads from the muzzle and uses black powder or a BP substitute ( pyrodex, etc.. ).. it's legal ( at the federal level ). Some states have rules that may prohipit it though... new york and california come to mind..

 

[RobertN]

My Uncle built a cannon years ago, as a 4th of July and New Years noise maker. He used an old down rigger from a full size backhoe. Approximately 3' long hydraulic cylinder. welded a couple struts on the sides, and cut out a big block of wood to hold it, with his chainsaw. Drilled and tapped the end for a fuse holder.

It made a very impressive boom, with a couple hundred grains of FF and a wad of patches on top.

Then, a friend who golfed saw it, and said "Hey look, that's about the diameter of a golf ball!". So they tried it. It worked. Amazingly well. The friend gave him a bucket of old balls. The thing sat itn it's mount, always pointed the same direction. A few weeks later, the golf buddy was hiking in the woods a couple miles away(they lived in a remote subdivision in the mountains). He started finding golf balls.... It was about 1.5 miles as a crow flies from my Uncles. They moved the cannon so they shot in to an embankment; did not want them flying two miles away and hurting someone.

I dont have any pics but I built a golf ball cannon. You can find similar ones everywhere on the web for $200-$300.

 

[LD1]

Yea, without knowing the exact range, and only having about a mile of "safe" area, is why I dont shoot at a 45 degree angle. I shoot more in the ballpark of 10 degrees, so I know it touches down before going beyond safety.

Havent even looked for the golf balls yet, cause I built it in the spring, and shoot into the bean field. I Imagine I will find them when ground hog hunting that field next spring.

 

[lockhaven]

made a brass cannon that shot coors cans, it was lots of fun and they only flew a short distance until we filled some with concrete. one afternoon while working hard acquiring a supply of ammunition we decided to fire the filled cans. The cannon was aimed at the hillside with great care all precautions were in place, more ammunition was acquired then after some thought 4OZ of 2F black powder was figured to be the correct amount. upon firing the cannon reared into the air and somehow got off its predetermined aim. The can took the top right out of the blue spruce, and proceeded to cut a path down the hedge finally stopping in a big hole on the side of the hog pen, much to the dismay of the hogs. Now the cannon did not stay put either. it was on skids and proceeded to slide in the opposite direction wedging itself under one of the ammunition makers pickup. Being single I did not continue to have a bad day, not so for my married com padres. Women have zero tolerance for such things.

 

[CBW1999]

Haven't made one myself (yet) but thought of a "bowling ball cannon". don't intend on big powder loads-

Very dangerous however- a number of years back, a guy made his cannon and liked to fire a handful of pennies out of it. Not too bright in my book to begin with. Don't know the hows and whys- doesn't matter at this point, misfired and the idiot decided to "unload" the pennies.

Needless to say, The Medical Examiner spent a lot of time recovering the money in his chest cavity.

 

[lockhaven]

bowling ball cannon I like that, perhaps a pound of powder for a shot

 

[Soundguy]

sounds like a mortar

 

[lockhaven]

think about the landing, what is the diameter of a bowling ball? I and assuming we are talking ten pin size

 

[dmccarty]

made a brass cannon that shot coors cans, it was lots of fun and they only flew a short distance until we filled some with concrete. one afternoon while working hard acquiring a supply of ammunition we decided to fire the filled cans. The cannon was aimed at the hillside with great care all precautions were in place, more ammunition was acquired then after some thought 4OZ of 2F black powder was figured to be the correct amount. upon firing the cannon reared into the air and somehow got off its predetermined aim. The can took the top right out of the blue spruce, and proceeded to cut a path down the hedge finally stopping in a big hole on the side of the hog pen, much to the dismay of the hogs. Now the cannon did not stay put either. it was on skids and proceeded to slide in the opposite direction wedging itself under one of the ammunition makers pickup. Being single I did not continue to have a bad day, not so for my married com padres. Women have zero tolerance for such things.

Would this cannon be available for use in VA?
Do you think it would adequate for cricket removal?



Later,
Dan

 

[lockhaven]

:cool2::drink:
love it, the cricket man good OL'Moss has been quiet lately, do you think maybe they have him maybe you and me should go and rescue him, or we could just drink some more beer