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Be very afraid.

Sometimes you guys scare me. Almost as much as the lil oriental fireworks pyro in the next property too me. He has never heard of brush fires.:runaway:
(He is actually a good guy otherwise).
 
Being a member of the CF (air force), I can tell you that in almost all airforce base there is a NDT shop, if you got the chance to get in contact with one of the guy working in the shop you may have the chance to make your cannon being tested, making your cannon tested in a ''civilian'' NDT shop will cost you a bundle.
Other point: I didn't know that it was legal to own and use a firearm with a bore in excess of 20mm, where in ''the infamous law'' is it writen that we can own cannon?:confused:
 
leflingeur said:
Being a member of the CF (air force), I can tell you that in almost all airforce base there is a NDT shop, if you got the chance to get in contact with one of the guy working in the shop you may have the chance to make your cannon being tested, making your cannon tested in a ''civilian'' NDT shop will cost you a bundle.
Other point: I didn't know that it was legal to own and use a firearm with a bore in excess of 20mm, where in ''the infamous law'' is it writen that we can own cannon?:confused:
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AFAIK, it does not say we cannot.

And Cannons are classified as a matchlock. Makes them not a firearm, until you use it to do something illegal, like, maybe, a drive by shooting, or a hold-up. At which point they, and any other non-firearm, cross that line.

Use them safe and sane, and there are, effectively, no rules, as far as I have heard.

The NDT techs can do any of a couple different techniques on an old tube, but unless it has something really obvious wrong with it,, the best answer you are going to get is either it has, or has not, shown any indication.
Without cutting the tubes up, and examining the resultant slices, an Xray or eddy current inspection can only show that there is "something" causing a reading or a indication on the film, but not what that may have been. Ultrasound can show that there is "something" causing a discontinuity, and Liquid penetrant or magnetic particle inspections only work on flaws on the surface (LPI) or near it (MPI). An indication could be a slag inclusion, a crack, an odd bit in the alloy, a cold shut... or nothing to worry about.

Many NDT techniques also require a test piece or setting standard, to compare readings to, in order to have reasonably useful results.
Still my be worth discussing with the NDT guys you have access to, but it's not the be-all to end-all, in the grand scheme.

If it makes you feel better, you can get the cannons inspected, but the results may not provide you with a clear indication of safety, by any means.

Proof firing and keeping well under the proof loads, is the historically accepted way to know whether a BP tube is going to be safe. Unsafe guns are generally taken out of circulation in the process.

Cheers
Trev
 
The two threads of what guys have and answers to my old cannon question are actually closer than we think. They both come back to safety.

I did consider getting a rabbit done thru the NDT shop at some nearby air base ... but these two guns are still someone else's. Besides one tube is about 6 feet long, 10" diameter and a four-man lift. Not something to chuck into the trunk of a car for a casual trip to Jason Spencer's Gunco. Dye penetrant seems like a good idea, but how would it work on a rough cast and heavily painted surface?
 
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oh damn this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I already had a B&C stock for my .308, and a glock on my firearms list of things to buy, now I am going to have to add a frigg'in cannon!

I always thought it would be cool to have a cannon, take it to the parents farm and fire it on Canada day, Rememberance day etc... as a salute. If I lived on the coast and did some sailing, I'd have to mount a cannon on it... ya know.. for pirate defence :pirate::pirate::pirate: Now I might just have to follow through... Hmmm maybe mount one of those swivel guns on the apartment balcony... should be a good deterent ;) :50cal:
 
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leflingeur said:
Other point: I didn't know that it was legal to own and use a firearm with a bore in excess of 20mm, where in ''the infamous law'' is it writen that we can own cannon?:confused:
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The easy answer is, where does it say you can't own one? :D

But really, it depends how you interpret the definition of a firearm.
Before I built my last cannon (3" bore), I decided to confront the RCMP on the subject, as I wanted to understand the "Law" as it pertains to cannons. And really, I wanted to be sure I wasn't building anything illegal. :eek:

Based on my extensive conversations with members of the RCMP investigations branch, this is what they said; A cannon will be classed as a firearm if it has a rifled bore, is breach loaded, uses a metalic cartridge and is fired via a percussion mechanism, regardless of bore diameter.
So if you restore an old Bofors 20mm anti-aircraft gun that is fully functional, it WILL be classed as a firearm according to the current definition (and prohibited, as I think they were fully-auto were they not?) :runaway:

If you build a reproduction of a 12 pounder (muzzle-loaded, fuze initiated) Napoleon field gun, it is not classed as a firearm, and is theirfor exempt/excluded from existing "firearms" regulations. Similar to the existing exemptions extended to matchlock/flintlock rifles and/or muskets.

The only regulations that I am currently aware of, are the one's governing the use of cannons and muskets when used on Parks Canada Property (i.e. re-enactor safety regulations);

As an aside, the last time I brought my 2 pounder cannon to the range, a number of RCMP shooters (they shoot at our club all the time) came up to me and commented on how "kewl" it was, etc, etc. that I had built a cannon. Afterall, there's "nothing in the books on old field guns" one of them said.

So, I guess we should enjoy them while we can. :dancingbanana:
 
A ml touchole cannon is classed as an antique, there is a blanket exemption for these. A modern breechloader is subject to registration.
Recently got to fire a new 2 3/4" bore (popcan size) cannon. LOTS of fun.
Have started a mortar. Will have to improvise a larger steady for my lathe to finish boring it though. The steel is too large to fit my existing steady, and I really do not want have a 50 lb piece of steel come loose. Pilot drilling wasn't a problem, but boring puts a bit more of a lateral load on the piece.
Had a smaller mortar years ago, it fired a tomato paste sized can, max. range was about 200 yds, 8 seconds loft.
I would be very, very cautious about shooting a cast antique. Too many factors over which one has no control.
 
fat tony said:
I got a cannon made for me by a nice fellow in the states but the powder chamber is of 2 diameters is this normal or not normal? :confused:
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not sure exactly what you mean , but a Coehorn mortar has a small powder chamber , so that the projectile sits right over the charge. ie: 2" chamber for a 5 inch bore,
I have seen " funnel" shaped chambers in some mortars. No experience with them in cannons tho.....:D
 
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