Curious stone cannon

[Matchlock]

Exactly, 'Nando,

The hole in the muzzle plate/flat is highly unusual and dangerous, and the lateral damages seem to be rests of former integral stone trunnions, which would make much more sense than drilling a horizontal hole for a transversal bar into granite ...

Best,
Michl

[Matchlock]

With a lot of things said, I'm still facing two severe problems with three seeming recesses in line on the surface; wish I could mark them in red as 'Nando managed to do ...

m

[Andi]

Here is a nice article Lu Mau De - Untersuchung über die Erfindung der Geschütze und des Schießpulvers in China, unfortunately in German language, about the use of early firearms, explosives and cannons in historic chinese literature. There are also pieces mentioned as "Steinkanonen" (stone cannons) but the author did not specify if this are cannons made of stone or cannons for shooting stone balls. But I guess the author means cannons for shooting stone balls.

But the author mentiones lots of other interesting devices like handgonnes with barrels made of bamboo. The Article was published in a periodical Sinica somewhen between 1925 and 1942, unfortunately I was not able yet to sort out the relevant issue.

Many of the holes on the stone cannons are looking like natural cavities in the stone. It is hard to identify touch holes on the fotos.

[Matchlock]

Hi Andi,


I'm sad to say that this article has been outdated long since, for at least 30 years.

Steinbüchsen doubtlessly means pieces of cannon firing stone balls.


Best,
m

[kronckew]

as old as these appear, the 'extra' holes may have been added well after they were no longer used. they are obviously not mounted as they would have been during service, as they are now just propped up on blocks. probably would have had a bit finer surface finish way back then as well. i've seen a sketch of an early breech loader where the breech block was held by a pin thru the centre of the breech with the touch hole forward of the pin hole. the breech block did not contain the charge, just sealed the end. most designs used a wood wedge to tightly force the plug against the breech, and thus has a square section behind the cartridge/breech plug to hold the wedge.

in any case i would likely have preferred being the target than the gunner with that frangible beasty. at least i'd want to be far away when it went off.

only somewhat related, i remember a episode of 'myth busters' where they made a cannon entirely of duck tape that fired an 18 pound ball rather effectively. held up for a few shots if i recall...

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

... in any case i would likely have preferred being the target than the gunner with that frangible beasty. at least i'd want to be far away when it went off....

Maybe that was the trick; 'abandon' the weapon on the battle field, expecting the enemy to play the smart and fire it back .

[CutlassCollector]

With the extreme thickness of the barrel how would the flame survive the long narrow journey down the touch hole to the charge without going out?
If the touch hole was completely filled with gunpowder would not this be itself an explosive risk due to quantity and the confined space.
Not my area of expertise, although I do enjoy these interesting posts, so forgive me if the question is poor.
CC.

[kronckew]

the powder contains the oxygen required to sustain the burning of the fuse charge, as it is not contained on the open end it burns rather than explodes. stone, being more insulating than bronze or iron/steel would enhance the burning as less heat would be lost to the surroundings. confinement is relative, the larger main charge is bigger than the fuse vent can ventilate, so you get a bang rather than a fizz. as vents wear, in metal cannon at least, they are replaced, drilled out & a new vent screwed in, to avoid loss of propellant gasses. i suspect in a stone cannon the thing would be discarded after the vent wears too big. being ceramic, this is likely still a long life. i'd worry more about it exploding after a limited no. of shots.

p.s. the 'spiking' of cannon so enamoured of authors only temporarily puts a cannon out of action, as the vent is fairly easy to drill out. artillerymen were well aware & usually had tools available. 19c cannon had pre-drilled threaded standardized plugs that could replace a vent in minutes. spiking only gave you enough time to get (hopefully) out of range of your own abandoned cannon before the victors turned them on your retreating selves. abandoning the guns is a shameful disgrace.

one reason the artillery's cannon are their 'colours', like a regiments regimental flag, given by the monarch is defended to the last man and losing your colours (or cannon) to the enemy is a shameful disgrace.

conversely capturing the enemies colours or cannon was the highest act, usually very well rewarded. capturing a french imperial eagle ranked at the top. britain only captured 5 eagles during the Napoleonic wars, 2 of those at waterloo.