Real or Fake? Cannon Basics.

This guide is written as an outline to explain what you should be looking for in purchasing black powder cannon for firing salutes only. I CANNOT STRESS THE DANGER IN SHOOTING BLANKS OR PROJECTILES OUT OF CANNONS OF UNKNOWN AGE OR MANUFACTURE! In order to purchase a cannon for shooting blanks there are several points to know about the manufacture of cannons. There are several methods of manufacturing seen today on the aftermarket and the following is an overview from best made to dangerous to shoot. If you are going to purchase any cannon to shoot blanks ensure that the seller has a 15 day inspection period after receipt of the gun so that it may be taken to a qualified gunsmith or if possible a reenactment unit that specialize in live fire of cannons.
Checking the bore is important!
For the past400 years cannons made for the military are made by pouring metal into a mold to form the barrel and trunions as a one piece cast. Barrels are made either out of iron or bronze with the bronze barrels being very costly today.
Monolithic cast of barrel and trunions Cast on lathe for smoothing
(Photos Courtesy of South Bend Replicas)
The next step is to place the casting on the lathe to machine the outside of the barrel and trunions after which the barrel is drilled (on the lathe) to form the bore. This method ensures a bore that is parallel to the sides of the barrel. The chamber portion of the bore is slightly cupped with no sharp angles to accept the charge. This way the sponge can make contact with the entire bore to put out any lingering sparks after firing. Modern cannon manufactures such as South Bend Replicas, Steen Cannons and Dixie Gun Works still make barrels this way with the addition of a steel sleeve to increase the strength of the cannon.
A SBR drilled and sleeved barrel. Note rounded corners on powder chamber (breech)
Photo Courtesy of South Bend Replicas
Note: Bronze barrels made by Steen Cannons and South Bend Replicas may not have a sleeve due to stringent manufacturing methods that makes them as strong as or even stronger than original manufacturing methods. These guns should be bought only on the secondary market with proof of manufacture (sales receipt). Mortars and chambered howitzers will also not have a sleeve due to the powder chamber being smaller than the bore. This allows for a very light blackpowder charge to shoot a explosive shell at a high but short range.
A 24lb Cohern mortar showing powder chamber and bore.
Things to look for in well made cannon for shooting salutes 1.Sound casting on the outside with no pitting or dents deeper than 1/8 inch (a dented barrel is a sure sign of a poor casting/barrel made for decoration only) 2. A stainless steel sleeve 1/8 inch thick for bores 1 inches, inch thickness for bores 1 to 2 inches and 3/8 or greater for bores larger than 3 inches. If possible place the barrel on a lathe so that it can be rotated on its axis of the barrel to ensurethat the bore is centered in the barrel
3. A cupped Chamber that shows no cracks or crevices that could hold a spark
(Examples of dangerous chambers)
Photo Courtesy of South Bend Replicas
4. Trunions that are monolithic (part of the barrel) and not welded or machined into place. Since the trunions absorb the recoil from firing the gun they must be solid. Cannons made for the military always where cast with trunions in place. One of the ways to disable a cannon in order to prevent capture during wartime was to breakoff a trunion other methods included spiking the touchhole or plugging the barrel.5. Fuse hole that is at least 3/8 of an inch from the back chamber wall. This allows forbetter contact with the BLACK POWDER charge. NEVER use Smokeless Powder in black powder cannons. This guide regemends reviewing the information put out by South Bend /Steen/Dixie Gun works for powder loads.
6. In non sleeved barrels no rust or pitting in the bore. Like firearms a pitted or rusted bore can lead to cracks or even ruptures. Black powder is very corrosive and a barrel must be cleaned as soon as possible after firing for the day with hot water (no kidding) untill clean then oiled. Most originial barrels show rust in the bottom near the chamber.
Machined Barrels
Many cannon that are for sale state that they are machined out of a solid bar of metal. These are recognized by the lack of trunions or trunions that are welded in place in some sort of manner. Example of a machined barrel Machined cannon barrels are as good as the materials and the machinist that made them. Downfalls of this type of work: is questions of how strong the barrel is, what type of metal was used as the blank, is the bore have enough metal surrounding it to withstand the explosive force of firing, and last but not least, how smooth is the bore and chamber? If the bore and chamber are not gepletely smooth,. there is a higher chance of a residual spark setting off the next powder charge as it is rammed into the bore. This problem can be increased if the machinist used a twist drill bit in boring the barrel. This type of bit will leave a V-shaped powder chamber that will also increase the chance of a trapped spark. (See the photo of the sleeved barrel for the proper shape of the powder chamber. These type of cannon barrels should only be used to fire off blanks. Most of these where made for decoration and will have a partial bore the depth of the barrel or if gepletely bored may not have enough metal in the breech area. Like any other custom job, if you know who made it how it was made and the machinist has made cannons before. Then it is up to you to decide if you want to risk shooting blanks out of it.
NOTE: If you see in a description that it is an original cannon from before the 1890s with welded (Gas or Electric arc) trunions or any other part. or is seen in the pictures STOP! and ask the seller why they are trying to sell a reproduction. These type of welding methods did not gee into gemon practice before the late 1890s and would not be seen on military black powder cannons at all. Trunions where never welded on military cannons.
Sand cored Barrels/ Pipe Cored
These type of manufacturing processes introduces the chance for air pockets, debris and misaligned bores. The worlds militaries stopped using this method in the late 1770's. Sand coring of barrels requires that you then ream out the barrel afterwards to make it usable. This type of manufactoring has a high reject rate and even when it was in use by the worlds militaries, the standard was a centered bore in the casting. Barrels that were sand cored and used prior to the 1770's will show a spiral pattern inside the bore where it was reamed. When checking The bore from a period correct piece, it should be smooth and uniform from the muzzel to the breech. Any cracks, gaps, bumps or flaws is an indicator that it is a reproduction. Sand cored barrels that are from the 1770's or earlier will be very ornate with numerous bands and swells. Any decorations on the barrel with be nation specific. A good example can be seen at the Castillo de San Marco's in St Augstine in Florida nps. gov casa history. If you see an original for sale with an as-is or all sales final, it is a pretty good chance that it is a fake. Original period barrels are a high value item that need to be appraised by a qualified appraiser. Sellers should give you sufficent time to allow for the ability to get the barrel appraised and offer full refund if it is a fake.
An example of a sand cored barrel. Note the gas pockets in the walls of the gun
Photo Courtesy of South Bend Replicas
As you can see by the above picture one of the major problems with a sand cored barrel is the fact that the sand core will Float to one side of the mold. This will cause a weakening of the barrel and endanger the operator and possibly others. The pockets in the side of the bore can trap hot sparks and in the process of reloading cause a misfire when the next power charge is rammed home.
Sand cored/pipe cored Barrels have been made mainly for decorative purposes for the last 100 years with a large amount made in brass around the 1960s and 70s Any gun that was designed for decoration was not made to fire. People will try to drill a fuse hole and make them a shooter often with disastrous results. If in doubt,dont shoot and never use smokeless power/firecracker power in any cannon.
Pipe cored guns are the same. As seen in the picture describing chambers the chance for a void is very high and with the high heat that occurs in the casting process the tendency for the pipe to warp is high. These types of guns should never be used for projectile shooting and when shooting blanks no wad is to be used. The correct amount of powder charge does not require a wad as seen in the final picture of this guide
(A pipe cored gun showing voids in the back as well as excessive length fuse hole. Note how the bore is not centered in the barrel)
Photo Courtesy of South Bend Replicas
In Summary:
In buying any cannon (or selling for that matter) that shoots always ask to see a picture down the bore of the gun. Looking at just a muzzle shot will not help identify if it is shootable. If you see less than inch of metal surrounding the bore and they say it is a shooter (for bores greater than of an inch). it is a safe bet to say that that cannon is a decorative model that was altered to shoot and I would not regemend shooting it!Bore shots also can help identify if the gun was cored or drilled and in some cases you can actually see the bend in the pipe! Bore depth v.s. barrel length There should be at least the diameter of the bores worth of metal between the back of the gun and the end of the bore any less than that you risk a breach rupture! Ask length of barrel (minus cascabel) and the depth of the bore to help determine this. Finally, get the book Round Shot and Rammers by Harold Peterson. It will give you the basics of cannons are and what the really look like from the different time eras. The book also covers the basic drill on how to load and fire a cannon.
I would like to thank Paul Barnett from South Bend Replicas ((574) 289-4500)and Marshal Steen from Steen Cannons for their help and use of material. Both gepanies are highly regarded by the National Park Service and Reenactors/Living history groups alike for their workmanship and expertise alike.
IF YOU PLAN TO SHOOT YOUR NEW CANNON I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT YOU NEED TO GET WITH A GROUP (Reenactment/Living History) THAT HAS SHOT THEIR CANNON IN THE PAST YEAR! Just because Grandpa Joe used to do it a certain way does not mean it is the safe way or right way to handle black powder or fire a cannon. These groups will also steer you to the correct amount of power to use and what type of BLACK POWDER. (Never Smokeless)
Here is a good example:In the picture below we are shooting a original 1852 Dahlgren Boat Howitzer During the Annual Chesapeake Civil war days. With the correct amount of powder you will not need a wad and as you can see we get the right results. This gun has a 4 1/2 inch bore with Howitzer Chamber.
Tidewater Maritime Living History Association shooting a 12lb Boat Howitzer in 2005 at the Chesapeake Public Library Civil war Days
I hope this guide will help in buying a cannon for salutes. I will update this guide from time to time with more information. Good Luck!