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

[LD1]

I dont know if I mentioned it earlier, but my 400-450 grn loads were with black powder substitute. Pyrodex.

I dont care what they say, it just isnt the same grain for grain.

The first cannon I built, was just a plain jane version, no fancy lathe work. The guy who has that one shoots muzzle-loaders often. And has REAL BP. We were shooting the golfballs with 300gr FFG and it was impressive.

When I made my cannon, I used 300g of pyrodex. It was pathetic. I though maybe I just didnt get it packed tight or something even though everything was done the same as we did with the FFG for a dozen or so shots. So, I did it again. And it was again pathetic. Maybe as loud as a .22. So I slowly crept up until I had a similar bang as the FFG. And that was 400-450gr pyrodex.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I have made two of the cannons in the attached link. I turned mine out of 1018 and have fired them many times with 100 grains of FFG. VERY loud. The plans are very detailed and worth the thirteen dollars especially if you want a true scale model.

"1779" - 24 Pounder Naval Cannon

Your plans call for 9/16" bore or about 50 caliber plus patch for a smooth bore. Comparing that to my 58 caliber muzzle loader 100 grains sounds just about right. Have fun ,stay safe.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

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.

When I was in college, many years ago, SAME (The Society of American Mechanical Engineers) had a black powder cannon chambered for the old steel Oly beer cans. They took it to football games and fired it from the sidelines when the team made a touchdown. They used toilet paper wadding, and it would fire a stream of flaming toilet paper about 40 or 50 yards long.

I haven't seen it in decades. It probably was banned by the politically correct, or by the insurance company. Things have changed. Heck, they actually had a girl wearing the mascot costume last year. The world I grew up in is gone.