Flash Powder Ground Cannon

This was a demonstration of a cannon shot made of approximately 40 grams of homemade Indian black aluminum flash powder put into a solid steel cannon mortar and set off. This particular Cannon was built from a solid 4113 steel round stock bored 2" ID 4" OD and 5" tall with 1/8" fuse hole. This cannon can also be bought along with many other related and interesting products at http://www.pyrocreations.com/salute_cannons. A friend of mine, who is a skilled pyrotechnic, set this off with me. Hope you like it. Sorry about the time delay, we wanted to make sure to get far away for we were anticipating the high density and velocity shock wave that inevitably came.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• bang
• boom
• cannon
• explosion
• flash
• powder
• loud

[mw2isforpwners]

i have a question did u pack the flash powder in or just put your fuse in pour in the powder and light it off? i wan to know how to light off this cannon safely with flash powder without creating a giant pipe bomb =P

[nathanstepp]

@mw2isforpwners No you do not need to pack the flash powder! Due to the high combustion velocity of the powder, it is virtually unnecessary and possible dangerous to pack the powder. You will gain the desired effect without packing it.

[martyn347]

i need help from you dude. i want make cannon tell me wich powder is better BLACK powder OR FLASH powder. thanks!!!

[nathanstepp]

@martyn347 depends on the cannon. if its solid metal bore, as long as its strong (and I mean really strong), flash powder would be good (and don't pack it! but if its something weak or very thin metal like pipe use black powder and pack it. black powder is safer but it won't give as loud of a boom. flash powder on the other hand will give and earcracking bang and you don't even need to pack it. hope this helped. if you need more info just feel free to ask and i will do my best to help :D

[juscallmesteve]

no mine was Eckart 5413 H-S with Kclo4+cab-o-sil

70/30 ratio

[nathanstepp]

Hmmm, my best guess is that it was the initial shock wave. The mixture you used tends to have a denser and slower moving shock wave which creates more stress on the cannon. The mixture I use tends to have a less dense shock wave and moves at a higher speed thus damage can be reduced it not eliminated. Whichever way, it seems to be a structural problem.

I see the advantages of the powder you used though. You can gain a lower more "boom" like sound that many pyrotechicians strive for. Cool.

[TimAndEricAreTheBest]

Amazing. Knocked the leaves off the tree!

[crazfrance]

Nathan. Steve G here.

Please have your mother call me!! My phone broke long time ago and had her cell # in it. I figured she would have called me by now. I hope all is well with you guys.

Thanks!!

[theitalian556]

@nathanstepp Lol @mw2 This kid knows nothing about flash powder!

[martyn347]

@nathanstepp thanks dude you rly helped me tnx again :)

[drchen054]

A small correction, it is nitrocellulose(not black powder) that can propel a bullet to 3000 fps or more. Flash powder burns at around 2500 to 3500 fps at best when confined. Flash and high explosives react so fast that they will waste energy in deforming, exploding, or otherwise damaging the barrel instead of devoting its power to pushing the bullet. Hence it is not used. There is something called a explosively formed projectile (efp) I recommend for you. It is an ingenuous idea related to yours

[Kirk4536]

That Was Cool Snekelfrits