Cannons. Reputable manufacturers of fireable cannon?

[Spyder]

I'm in the market for a cannon. Or a howitzer. I've been looking around some, and there seems to be a wide variety of quality and price. I lack knowledge and experience in this area and would prefer not to hurt myself or buy junk. I'd like it to be capable of safely firing real cannonballs or grape shot, but would probably just use golf balls (or whatever other common sized lower cost projectiles are used by cannon folks for bore size). I'm open to different ideas and prices, depending on what I wind up getting, but the two that most interest me are as follows.

A Revolutionary War era, full size or scaled down would be fine, of pretty much anything the Continental army would have used. It would be an in-house display that would occasionally be wheeled out to the back yard to shoot at squirrels and bales of hay and whatnot.

Some sort of swivel gun, that depending on construction and material, I'd mount on the back patio and have available to load and fire whenever I felt the need.

Peterson Arms, I like their swivel gun setup. I see a few others of similar size/price, but not that come with the mount.

https://petersenarmscannons.com/cannons

I haven't really seen any Rev' War era fireable replicas. Lots of civil war stuff, and lots of mortars, but the mortars don't do it for me. The little 50 caliber stuff looks like fun and I may get one for the office display, but I want something bigger. And on the other end, as much as I'd love to have a 12 pounder, I don't really have the space for THAT much cannon.

It seems a lot of the companies (which I haven't found very many, but there's a few) won't tell you if you can fire anything other than golf balls/billiard balls out of them which I get for liability reasons, but...

Ideas and suggestions appreciated!

[IrishJoe3]

Dixie Gun Works had a variety of full size and scaled cannon barrels and often supply reenactors with field pieces. Cheapest ($800) would probably be a civil war cohorn mortar that'll lob cement filled soda cans (https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...Coehorn+Mortar) to a full scale 12 pound Napoleon. If the $60,000 plus price tag doesn't turn you off the price of feeding it will. The combat load was 2 1/2 pounds powder of powder to fire a 12 pound solid shot

[The Gleam]

Make sure to get one with a loaded chamber indicator and microstamping.

It's the only way you can be sure it's safe.

For the children. And their children. And kittens.

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[Capybara]

Paging CSA Cannoneer!

[BrokerB]

2.5lbs powder!!!! Yeehaw!

[sigstroker]

Be sure to re-watch that Mythbusters episode where they shot through a berm and bounced a cannonball through a house.

You can build a cannon out out almost any tube, as long as it's stout. A guy I knew that built his cannon out of an axle would shoot it 800 or 900 yards.

There are also plenty of cannon kits out there.

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/category/category_id/541/name/Cannons+%26+Cannon+Kits?view_all

http://www.thecannonstore.com/

[AR22]

Come over to the Graybeard Cannon Forum..Great place to learn..Best guys in the Business as far as knowledge on Cannons..

What kind of scale are you looking at?..Or are you seeking full scale, probably not though....Micheal Brooks makes some fine Bronze scale barrels..Micheal Ellidge in Texas is the best at carriages in the business..Not cheap, but you will get the best..You may pay more but you will have a safe, beautiful, and best Cannons out there..Quality will not only hold value, but likely increase in time.Junk will just remain junk..There is alot of junk out there that is cheap, but unsafe, not done aesthetically, safely, or historically correct..Avoid that junk at all costs..Alot of this junk on Ebay..

I build my own..Here is one I built myself..Full scale Confederate Hughes Gun Breech Loader..

Bottom line..Take your time, and learn about them first..You do not want your family, friends, or yourself injured for a little fun..

[lodicollector]

Hern iron works

[Spyder]

AR, I'll try and find time to jump on that forum and look around. I don't really know just what I want yet, but will know it when I see it. 😁
Too many projects in the fire already to even think about trying to build my own. I'd rather pay for a safe one then tinker on this particular thing!

[AR22]

Yeah that is a good idea..It takes alot to make a safe working Cannon from scratch and do it safely. But if you put in the effort and research and learn. My full scale in the photo was not my first Cannon build..I learned by starting off with a smaller scale...It can be done..I am Carbineone over on the forum if you come there..

Hern is not a bad barrel..Not the best. But OK..He posts over on the Cannon Forum under his name..Jack Hern

[Sir Toast]

Don't let Alec Baldwin near it.

[sbo80]

I don't know anything about makers, but I knew someone with a 1/2 scale (if I remember right) Napoleon cannon. It was beautiful, on a nice period-correct carriage. Bore big enough for pool balls. I was never around when he maxxed it out, but we shot light loads that launched a plaster ball (he used cheap christmas ball ornaments as a mold) a couple hundred yards. That was mostly for the noise and smoke without being overly dangerous on the projectile. My point being, that to me, it was an ideal size. Small and light enough to move it around and store it without too much effort. Big enough for cool looks and fun booms. The little .50 cal signal cannons are not interesting, and real full scale cannons, while awesome, are a whole other level of commitment (and pricey to feed).

[M1NM]

I sketched out an idea for making multiple era cannons. A heavy wall tube (soda can size). Plugged and welded at the back with pivots welded to the tube. Wood or fiberglass shroud around the tube for proper era look.

[FeuerFrei]

AR, I'll try and find time to jump on that forum and look around. I don't really know just what I want yet, but will know it when I see it. 😁
Too many projects in the fire already to even think about trying to build my own. I'd rather pay for a safe one then tinker on this particular thing!

Start smallish and build a mortar/howitzer length muzzle loader. The difference is how you mount it. I made one out of seamless steel pipe and made a breach plug and welded it into the pipe. Add touch hole for cannon fuse and done. Slug the polished bore and make ammo from quikrete. Mold hand made ammo that'll really fly. Easy to config to swivel gun because it's just a pipe.

My little mortar project turned out to be a crowd please'r on every 4th. It's latest config it 18" long and soda can sized bore. Re-bar bi-pod and sits on an old plow disk. Easy peasy to make. 400 + yards is easy. Easy for one man to move around too.

Cut your teeth on something like that and move up from there. Likely you won't buy one from then on.

[plumbum]

I literally just want a gonne, because I don’t know what kinda stuff I’d do with a full on howitzer!