[EDNY]

Just bought a 16" signal cannon from an estate. The owner passed away a long time ago and none of his children know how to make the cannon go boom, but they know it works!

I have a jug marked "carbid for cannon".  I have experience with carbide from shooting police revolver competition..we used small carbide lamps with some "spit" to create a flame to blacken our sights (makes acetylene gas).

Been on-line but just can't figure how this signal cannon is supposed to fire. It is a muzzle loader with small fuse hole near the breach.  The children mentioned something about loading paper in the muzzle...it also has a ramrod.

I tried a little water in the barrel, some carbide, waited about 30 seconds and tried igniting the fuse hole with my Bernzomatic...with -0- results. Obviously I can ignite the muzzle end..but it just burns. Even tried packing some paper up front.

Any of you old timers know how to make this work?

Thanks
Ed

[ghost28]

Couldn't tell ya, but they had an episode of pawn stars where they would buy one if the owner could show them how to fire it off. They had there firearms expert load it up. It is cool though.

[Jan Bogert10]

pic,?

[EDNY]

pic,?

Should be able to see (2) attached photos..

[themoose]

Ed

That's a real cool looking canon .... Oh by the way I have seen a lot of pictures of pirates with eye patches and wooden legs....Whats that all about?

Moose

[EDNY]

Ed

That's a real cool looking canon .... Oh by the way I have seen a lot of pictures of pirates with eye patches and wooden legs....Whats that all about?

Moose

Probably why I'm not using  black powder and instead working with carbide! Too little or even no boom is better than too much boom

[chopper526]

Just pour in some pyrodex, jam in some tissue paper, light the fuse and run like hell. That's all this rocket scientist did and he's giving a tutorial saying you can do it too!.......shiver me timbers!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbNKj1FvgA

[32chevy vett]

I have had carbide cannons. That is no carbide cannon. I have also had black powder cannons That is a black powder cannon.

[EDNY]

I have had carbide cannons. That is no carbide cannon. I have also had black powder cannons That is a black powder cannon.

Thanks

That's what I thought but the owners kids said their father used the carbide in the jug. When cleaning the bore I noticed it had carbide residue inside.  Probably need to find a cannon forum.