Blackpowder, bowling balls and sewer pipe! (Fire in the hole!!!)

One Fine September Morning... ^

[eno_]

They also used powder several pounds at a time, and projectiles 10X-50X more massive than a bowling ball.

[FSPress]

Bet that scared the crap out of the moose at Snowshoe.

[putupon]

WOOHOO! I work in metal fab; I'm releasing mine to the shop for fabrication first thing Monday mourning!

[mhking]

Freepers, Caption this Photo.

Al Gore & Bill Clinton's final picture after Bill told Al, "Let Tipper hold yer beer, you come over 'ere 'n take a look at this!"

[M Kehoe]

Enjoyable post. Makes we want to skip Mass and go to the range.

5.56mm

[e_engineer]

The article claims an 8.5 inch bore, which most closely matches a 10" schedule 160 internal diameter.

10" schedule 160 pipe has a pressure rating of 2950 PSI.

Perhaps some freepers with ballistics experience can tell us how much pressure we could expect when firing a 14 lb. ball with the three ounces of Fg (coarse) Pyrodex specified in the article.

[mewzilla]

Whoa! Wonder id R. Lee Ermey knows about this?

[varon]

No home should be without one ;-)

[Matthew James]

I can just see you out there with this guy havin' a ball!

[Pharmboy]

Ah yes...reminds me of my youth when me and a buddy from across the street made a "musket" by burying one end of a pipe in the ground (the pipe at about a 45 degree angle), lighting a slow-fuse firecracker, shoving it into the pipe followed by a marble. That marble whistled also...

[Pharmboy]

Let's do that AGAIN! Rod out the fuse hole, make sure there aren't any errant embers,

Remaining embers has cost many an artillery man his life. This was a key part of the reload for black powder cannon...using a wet rag on stick to swipe the bore.

[MikeJ]

I'm also wondering about work-hardening, and about how he secured the breech to the barrel.

He might have done it just right, and have a high margin of safety. He might have overlooked something important, too... that thing would be a killer if it ever blew apart.

[arthurus]

Quote: "Kids, DON'T try this at home!

Not 'til Daddy gets home, anyways. ;-)"

Note to self: warn Mom to pay attention to Dad's next acquirements... and hide any bags of powder!

-RealDharma

[Atlas Sneezed]

Are they enviro safe now that the mercury is out?

---

Just don't use Ni-Cads, according to the notoriously dishonest enviros.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I have seen an article on this being done with a recycled gas pressure tank. Such tanks are rated precisely, and closed at the end. Knowing the mass of the projectile will allow you to calculate back to the velocity that corresponds to a safe chamber pressure.

Then, just work up a charge until you an appropriate velocity. Shoot the thing all month safely, doing it this way.

[Darksheare]

And people ask me WHY I joined Field Artillery.
;-)
*BIG evil grin*

[Darksheare]

Caption:
"What?! Ear plugs? We're Artillery, we don't use earplugs. I can't hear ya, speak up. Don't shout, I'm not deaf."

[FourtySeven]

Great post!

Now, I wonder how long until legislation is introduced banning the manufacture, sale, and distribution of such a "weapon"!

It's for the chilren u know!

[Eaker]

A bowling balls diameter averages 8.6", so if one were to use 10" x 0.500"wt; seamless X-60 pipe you will have a actual bore of 9.75". Weld a cap meeting the same specs on one end and call it good.

Off hand I don't know the yield on said pipe, but it should be sufficient for firing a bowling ball. At a weight of about 55 pounds per linear foot it would be pretty tough to tote around though.

I do agree that sewer pipe is a poor choice.

[csvset]

I saw a TV program where a guy was using pressurized gas to power his bowling ball gun. They showed them demolishing an old barn and a old grain silo with it.