I am planning on making my 5th cannon sometime this year but I wanted to get some advice from a knowledgeable crowd to make sure my design will be sound. It will be quite a bit larger than the previous ones I have made, with the largest one being 0.750 x 11 inch bore in 1.50" diameter 4140 stock and fired with FFFg. There are a few specifications that I am set on so far and some that I have a rough idea about.
The barrel bore will be 1.50 inches which will primarily be firing chrome steel ball bearings of the same size(8.0 ounces) using Black Powder.
Body length is going to be somewhere in the range of 24-36 inches depending on how much center to center I can squeeze out of the lathe I will be using.
Planned material for the body is either 3.00" or 3.50" diameter annealed 4140 steel rod drilled out to size and depth. Any extra attachments(such as trunnions) will be installed via shrink fit so as to leave the barrel as strong as possible.
I intend to outfit it with a Cap Lock firing mechanism(my biggest question here is should I make the fire tube/nipple removable or no?).
Will this design be of sufficient strength to withstand firing larger loads and/or charges with black powder(what kind of safety factor)? What about smokeless?
Last question regards the legality of a cannon like this in California. I have looked high and low regarding this type of device and all sources point to it being legal as long as it is a primitive muzzle loading device fired with black powder. Anyone here know if I would need to get it registered or missing something? Or am I fine within the stated parameters?
The barrel bore will be 1.50 inches which will primarily be firing chrome steel ball bearings of the same size(8.0 ounces) using Black Powder.
Body length is going to be somewhere in the range of 24-36 inches depending on how much center to center I can squeeze out of the lathe I will be using.
Planned material for the body is either 3.00" or 3.50" diameter annealed 4140 steel rod drilled out to size and depth. Any extra attachments(such as trunnions) will be installed via shrink fit so as to leave the barrel as strong as possible.
I intend to outfit it with a Cap Lock firing mechanism(my biggest question here is should I make the fire tube/nipple removable or no?).
Will this design be of sufficient strength to withstand firing larger loads and/or charges with black powder(what kind of safety factor)? What about smokeless?
Last question regards the legality of a cannon like this in California. I have looked high and low regarding this type of device and all sources point to it being legal as long as it is a primitive muzzle loading device fired with black powder. Anyone here know if I would need to get it registered or missing something? Or am I fine within the stated parameters?