The main reason recoil is allowed for is that the energy has to go somewhere. In addition, any time the cannon is in an emplacement, allowing it to recoil makes reloading much easier. Then all you have to do is roll it back into position, and don't need to roll it out first.
So, it is to prevent failure of the piece and to ease in reload that it is allowed to recoil
A great piece of history you have there, it would be great to find out about the upgrades but what gets me is why the British made such a gun in the 1790's?!
I just wish I could have seen the shot hitting the target, try filming to one side so that we can see the result....other than that great video & a very rare gun!
@DirkSchooner I'd like to add, if you restrain the cannon as perfectly immobile it's recoil nonetheless will eventually destroy the restraing parts. Cannon abord ships during the age of sail were always allowed to recoil back but were slowed down and eventually stopped with ropes so as to limit just how far back the cannon would move. They too fired solid shot, cannister and grape shot.
see "Live Cannonade Fire" on youtube to see just how destructive shipboard artillery was in that era.
No, not really. What slowed the recoil was a large rope attached to the ships sides and secured to the cascable (the ball on the end of the cannon barrel at it's rear). The stretch of this rope acted as a spring. The block and tackle (one tackle system attached each side of the gun carriage) was used to pull the gun back into firing position after it had recoiled backwards. Cannon were damned heavy, hence you needed block and tackle to move it efficiently.
OK, I have a question, I've been watching a few of these.; Why is the cannon allowed to recoil and not fixed so it can't move? I am sure there is a reason, but I'm thinking about cannon on ships, mounted, could they also recoil? Would it break the mounting if it was fixed? I
Yes the cannon has to be allowed to recoil or it would overstress the trunnions. No allowance for recoil would put more stresses on where the tube joins the carriage also. Although it is technically possible to hold a cannon in place, it usually isn't done for reasons of having a reasonable weight of carriage, and durability of parts.
@DirkSchooner I agree, cannonmn is correct. You COULD make the joints strong enough that the cannon would not move (in fact, you do this in a ship because there is no space for a moving cannon there), but it would make the entire construction impractically heavy. Mind that those things have to be able to be moved around with the greatest possible ease, so you wouldn't add extra weight unless you had to.
@DirkSchooner i have been on the HMS victory once and have seen all the cannons inside. they are not mounted on wheels like the ones firing in the field. they are mounted on some kind of rails so they can recoil.
I have a 3' ordinance rifle. I was shooting a similar bullet. the gun was shooting ok but with a flyer every few shoots. I found out the bullet was over expanding as it left the muzzel. It looks like yours is also. I switched to a thicker wall bullet. and now I am shooting 10" groups at 200 yards.I will send you a few of my bullets if you want to try them. they are 5 pound 8oz. 2.990" diameter
Very interesting. Looking forward to what else you have done. A few suggestions for video production:
1) Get a windscreen or fix one up for that cam
2) Get a tripod and take some mounted video
3) Position the cam in an oblique fashion to the gun and target - preferably behind the gun but oblique, so you do not obscure with smoke and you can still see the target.
We haven't shot it enough to get a good handle on the accuracy but it seems to be about what you'd expect from a muzzle-loading rifled cannon. Provenance: British military 3-pounder, rifled experimentally in England ca. 1860. Beyond that we have no idea.
No thanks, we don't even shoot cast iron cannons, they have to be bronze or steel for us to feel that we don't have to worry about their strength. I did help the discovery channel with its "tree cannon" episode though, you can see me in blue coveralls in the first few minutes.
Thanks Ed. We just got a larger antique cannon carriage that will let us shoot about 5 different barrels we've never shot before, so there will eventually be more videos.
The main reason recoil is allowed for is that the energy has to go somewhere. In addition, any time the cannon is in an emplacement, allowing it to recoil makes reloading much easier. Then all you have to do is roll it back into position, and don't need to roll it out first.
So, it is to prevent failure of the piece and to ease in reload that it is allowed to recoil
Faeriemage 5 months ago
Eh. That model doesn't hold a candle to the 12 pound Napoleon used by the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War.
GeneralKenobiSIYE 10 months ago
cant see wat it say on the begining
KinGkWeEzy 1 year ago
where do you got that gun from? i guess yur fav song Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture :D:D:D
aka99 1 year ago
A great piece of history you have there, it would be great to find out about the upgrades but what gets me is why the British made such a gun in the 1790's?!
I just wish I could have seen the shot hitting the target, try filming to one side so that we can see the result....other than that great video & a very rare gun!
anzac2404 2 years ago
@DirkSchooner I'd like to add, if you restrain the cannon as perfectly immobile it's recoil nonetheless will eventually destroy the restraing parts. Cannon abord ships during the age of sail were always allowed to recoil back but were slowed down and eventually stopped with ropes so as to limit just how far back the cannon would move. They too fired solid shot, cannister and grape shot.
see "Live Cannonade Fire" on youtube to see just how destructive shipboard artillery was in that era.
janedoe1024 2 years ago
@janedoe1024 they used a block and tackle system to slow em down right?
phil656565 2 years ago
No, not really. What slowed the recoil was a large rope attached to the ships sides and secured to the cascable (the ball on the end of the cannon barrel at it's rear). The stretch of this rope acted as a spring. The block and tackle (one tackle system attached each side of the gun carriage) was used to pull the gun back into firing position after it had recoiled backwards. Cannon were damned heavy, hence you needed block and tackle to move it efficiently.
janedoe1024 2 years ago
@janedoe1024 right, havnt studied ships or cannons in a while but i knew they used a block and tackle system somewhere in there
phil656565 2 years ago
Cmon.... you should have shown that tree!
ppgpop 2 years ago
OK, I have a question, I've been watching a few of these.; Why is the cannon allowed to recoil and not fixed so it can't move? I am sure there is a reason, but I'm thinking about cannon on ships, mounted, could they also recoil? Would it break the mounting if it was fixed? I
DirkSchooner 2 years ago
Yes the cannon has to be allowed to recoil or it would overstress the trunnions. No allowance for recoil would put more stresses on where the tube joins the carriage also. Although it is technically possible to hold a cannon in place, it usually isn't done for reasons of having a reasonable weight of carriage, and durability of parts.
cannonmn 2 years ago
@DirkSchooner I agree, cannonmn is correct. You COULD make the joints strong enough that the cannon would not move (in fact, you do this in a ship because there is no space for a moving cannon there), but it would make the entire construction impractically heavy. Mind that those things have to be able to be moved around with the greatest possible ease, so you wouldn't add extra weight unless you had to.
ThatGuyFromAustria 1 year ago
@DirkSchooner i have been on the HMS victory once and have seen all the cannons inside. they are not mounted on wheels like the ones firing in the field. they are mounted on some kind of rails so they can recoil.
Gruenkreuz100 1 year ago
isnt that a tin can your shooting
hairyasshole2 2 years ago
coll...probably seized during the War of 1812. Rifled and used by state militia during the Civil War. thats myyyy uneducated guess :-)
markm7737 2 years ago
Shownds like Wilford Brimley, don't it?
aivilik 2 years ago
Comment removed
bluerazors 2 years ago
I suggest you go the Graybeard Blackpowder Cannons and Mortars forum to discuss-they have information posted there that will answer the question.
cannonmn 2 years ago
Geez....Where do you get all of these cannons? I really enjoy these videos :)
Classicalguy12 2 years ago
Glad you like the videos. I buy them from other collectors usually.
cannonmn 2 years ago
I have a 3' ordinance rifle. I was shooting a similar bullet. the gun was shooting ok but with a flyer every few shoots. I found out the bullet was over expanding as it left the muzzel. It looks like yours is also. I switched to a thicker wall bullet. and now I am shooting 10" groups at 200 yards.I will send you a few of my bullets if you want to try them. they are 5 pound 8oz. 2.990" diameter
piutesteve 3 years ago
Small,but powerful indeed.
That one seems particularly small when
shown next to the gunner.
How much does the gun and its carriage weigh?
clibanarii123 3 years ago
The tube is about 300 lbs., the carriage is probably about 275 I'm guessing, so total is about 575 lbs.
cannonmn 3 years ago
So how did it get to the USA? During the 1812 War? or was it bought?
RAMPG 3 years ago
No one knows how it got here. We got it from a collector in the northeast, who got it from someone in a rural area.
cannonmn 3 years ago
Awesome! I bought a civil war schooner cannon a couple of years ago and we take good care of her, but we love blasting it once or twice a year!
zpardee 4 years ago
great vid
bleedforweed 4 years ago
Very interesting. Looking forward to what else you have done. A few suggestions for video production:
1) Get a windscreen or fix one up for that cam
2) Get a tripod and take some mounted video
3) Position the cam in an oblique fashion to the gun and target - preferably behind the gun but oblique, so you do not obscure with smoke and you can still see the target.
Great stuff!
weakassuserid 4 years ago
Supremely interesting video. Well done.
tafino 4 years ago
We haven't shot it enough to get a good handle on the accuracy but it seems to be about what you'd expect from a muzzle-loading rifled cannon. Provenance: British military 3-pounder, rifled experimentally in England ca. 1860. Beyond that we have no idea.
cannonmn 4 years ago
No thanks, we don't even shoot cast iron cannons, they have to be bronze or steel for us to feel that we don't have to worry about their strength. I did help the discovery channel with its "tree cannon" episode though, you can see me in blue coveralls in the first few minutes.
cannonmn 5 years ago
Have you tried a wooden cannon?
itsmemaario 5 years ago
You guys are awesome keep it com'n... Ed from NYC
mystaffy66 5 years ago
Thanks Ed. We just got a larger antique cannon carriage that will let us shoot about 5 different barrels we've never shot before, so there will eventually be more videos.
cannonmn 5 years ago