Is ammo for the ship's cannon still being manufactured? The Constitution could be sent to find and destroy the 3 missing Alquaida ships.
The Constitution carries a gun complement of thirty-two 24-pounder Long Guns, twenty 32-pounder Carronades, and a pair of 24-pounder Bow Chasers, 52 guns in all. A 24-pounder works out to about 146mm, so it's probable that the projectiles for the former Soviet 152mm howitzer [rifled] could be used in the smoothbore naval guns; the 32 pounder would do nicely firing grapeshot [¾-inch or 1-inch ball bearings should do nicely!] and were said to be able to pierce 5 inches of fir planking and 4 of oak, at 300 yards range. The half-inch plating of a recent shipping vessel should be a reasonable target for such loads, therefore. And propellant can be provided from bags of the *Navy Cool* black powder prop charges used for the 16-inch guns of the Iowa class battleships. The current powder is moderated with a graphite coating and so is a bit less powerful than that of the 18th Century, but it's a fair tradeoff, as the graphite coating reduces the powder's tendency to draw moisture from the air.
You know any good timing chantys for reloading drills? I've got to admit that's one from a bit before my time, though at least one former Iowa gunner's mate was fond of such things. He was one of the 47 who died in the 1989 explosion in Iowa's Turret Two.
-archy-/-