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Old 2nd December 2013, 09:02 AM   #1
Marcus den toom
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I don't really see the problem with the holes in this cannon.
The breechblock, which is sadly missing, would have had a touch hole. Whih also solves the problem of wear since you just could use a new breechblock.

>1 is behind the actually breech and could never act as a touch hole.
>2 looks to be drilled horizontally or at least at such a shallow slope that it would have emereged at the far end of china before reaching the bore (because once again, the breechblock is missing and can't possibly be connected by drilling a hole at least 20cm in front of the breech).
>3 is the mystery hole i was guessing at. If there is a hole there it would be likely a hole to move this cannon. We don't have measurements, but anyone with a bit of life experience knows that a piece of granit (one of the heaviest of stones) weighs a few "pounds". So logically there should be some way to move the cannon without having a 100 chinees man stampeding against one cannon while the enemy is raining arrows on them. There might have been a lot of chinees in that era as well, but i doubt that they where put to work in such a in effective way.
>Remains hole number 4 which again would come in handy to move a cannon (with a iron bar stuck into it? )

My question is how the breechblock would have been secured? In newer breechloading cannons the breechblock was secured by a bar which was put behind it or just by using wedges which would be pounded behind it.
Pounding near a stone cannon wouldn't be my idea of save working, seeing as a stone cannon is much like a handgrenate and even a small crack in this thing would have caused chinees new year to come earlier than normal (force always seeks the way of lowest resistance).


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Old 2nd December 2013, 11:18 AM   #2
CutlassCollector
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I think Marcus may be on the right track. Look at all the lugs on the bronze example. Attachments would have been needed for ropes or bars to locate, aim and absorb recoil on the stone cannon as well.
The breech touch hole makes sense also, instead of having a larger amount of powder which may explode as well as ignite the main charge.

I am sure I have seen pictures of an experimental double firing flintlock somewhere, with two inline locks one in front of the other - hence two in line touch holes - carrying two loads. Really advisable to fire the front one first! Not enough room in this cannon though.

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Old 2nd December 2013, 11:42 AM   #3
Matchlock
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Of course it is clear what Marcus has tried to show.

Please see my comprehensive thread on the subject:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...h+loading+1440


In my eyes, none of the hole problem is solved though ...


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m
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Old 6th December 2013, 10:03 PM   #4
broadaxe
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Reading this interesting thread I'm seriously doubting this is actually a cannon.
A stone soft enough to be drilled with a simple bow drill and such a small diameter hole, would likely be prone to explode with the smallest amount of gunpowder. On the other hand, a very hard stone such as granite or basalt, was almost impossible to be drilled like that.
This 'cannon' appears to be made of upper crust of limestone (Narry), which is a crunchy substance. The 'breech' area is narrower than the 'barrel', it should have been exactly the opposite. I believe it may be some kind of windlass or mechanical part from an antique industrial facility.
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