BIG GUNS

Gavin Nugent · 21st January 2011, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

THEY WOULD HAVE USED A LOADING SLING ON A LARGE LIFT. I CAN'T FIND A PICTURE BUT NO DOUBT IT RESEMBLED THE SIEGE MACHINES USED TO THROW LARGE ROCKS. THE BALL WOULD BE ROLLED INTO POSITION IN THE SLING THEN THE BALL LIFTED AND SWUNG TO THE BARREL AND THEN PUSHED IN. THE CHARGE OF POWDER AND WADDING IF ANY WOULD GO IN FIRST THEN THE BALL. TAMP IT IN AND TOUCH IT OFF. DON'T STAND BEHIND THE CANNON THE SAME GOES FOR THE RECOILESS CANNON BUT ITS THE BLAST THAT GETS YA NOT THE ACTUAL CANNON RUNNING OVER YOU.

Thanks Vandoo, this is exactly what I thought but as yet I haven't seen one. I really would have expected to see something like this in the civil war image above as they also look bloody heavy! The guy second in on the right seems to have a large set of calipers or something else perhaps to aid lifting with two men?

Gav

VANDOO · 21st January 2011, 06:15 PM

I HAVE DONE A BIT MORE DIGGING SEARCH WIKIPEDIA FOR "LIST OF LARGEST CANNONS BY CALIBER". THERE ARE SOME GOOD PICTURES AND INFO THERE. I HAVE INCLUDED A FEW MORE PICTURES TO KEEP IT INTERESTING.
1. FIRE SACK MEDEVIL SIEGE EMPLACEMENT , NOTE HOW THEY HAVE A DOOR TO PROTECT THE LOADERS AND HOW THE GUN IS SECURED AGAINST RECOIL. THE BEST SECURITY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO USE A LIVE TREE AND CUT IT OFF AND SECURE THE GUN AGAINST IT IF POSSIBLE OTHERWISE A LOT OF DIGGING AND SHORING UP OF LONG POLES WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY.
2. AUSTRALIAN WW1 TRENCH MORTAT EMPLACEMENT. THE MORTAR WAS ESPECIALLY SUITED FOR TRENCH FIGHTING AS THE SHELL WENT UP AND DROPPED DOWN INTO THE TRENCH WHERE DIRECT FIRING GUNS COULD NOT.
3. PUMHART VON STEYR, STYRIA AUSTRIA 15 TH CENTURY, BORE 820MM, 690 KG. STONE BALL, 15KG POWDER, RANGE 600 METERS
4. 18TH CENTURY FRENCH MOTAR DIAGRAM
5. SMALL FRENCH TRENCH MORTAR WW1
6. KNIGHTS OF SAINT JOHN, 1480 TO 1500 FIRED 260KG BALLS
7. 600MM MOTORIZED KARL GERHERT ,FIREING ALSO SEE LOADING LIFT.
8. MALLETS MORTAR, BORE 910MM, 1857, BRITISH, EXPLOSIVE SHELLS.
9. PAIX HANS MONSTER MORTAR 1832
10. TSAR CANNON LARGEST BORE AT 890MM.

NOTE IN THE FIRST POST SOME OF THE CANNON BALLS IN THE FIRST PICTURE WERE HOLLOW AND CONTAINED EXPLOSIVE CHARGES. THAT WOULD BE LIGHTER THAN SOLID SHOT BUT STILL QUITE HEAVY IN THE LARGER CALIBERS.
THE SECOND PICTURE IS OF A MORTAR NAMED THE GENERAL, NOTE THE STEPS AT ITS FRONT . I SUSPECT AT LEAST 4 MEN USING SOME SORT OF SLING LOADED THE BALL ONE GOING UP THE STEPS TO EACH SIDE OF THE BARREL AND TWO IN THE MIDDLE TO SUPPORT IT AND PUSH IT IN. JUST A GUESS AND I AM GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE MEN ON A LOADING CREW.

junker · 21st January 2011, 07:15 PM

Hello,
here is a link for the second largest canon in europe called the "Faule Mette" from 1411 which was locatet in the city of Braunschweig, germany.
The balls had a weight of 550 kg and waer made of stone, the caliber was 76 cm. It was too heavy to take it away and was allways on the city walls. It just shoot 12 times and was cast in 1787

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faule_Mette

I saw one of the balls in the local museum
by the way there was one item which could be interestin for matchlock. There is also a 4 barreled wodden hand canon in the museum

RDGAC · 25th January 2011, 02:29 PM

I love the sheer, almost absurd size of the really huge guns. You can't help but go "wtf!?", for instance, when seeing the Pumhart von Steyr's enormous bore coupled to a tiny, tiny breech, in a squat whole that makes it remind me of Fizzgig from The Dark Crystal! And of course, the Paris Gun. A gun that needs supports merely to remain straight. That's just two of 'em.

I guess the most wonderful thing about them is that, but for their having been made, one would say that they were flights of fancy - very fanciful fancy at that.

Separated at birth: Fizzgig and the Pumhart von Steyr

21st January 2011, 06:15 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I HAVE DONE A BIT MORE DIGGING SEARCH WIKIPEDIA FOR "LIST OF LARGEST CANNONS BY CALIBER". THERE ARE SOME GOOD PICTURES AND INFO THERE. I HAVE INCLUDED A FEW MORE PICTURES TO KEEP IT INTERESTING. 1. FIRE SACK MEDEVIL SIEGE EMPLACEMENT , NOTE HOW THEY HAVE A DOOR TO PROTECT THE LOADERS AND HOW THE GUN IS SECURED AGAINST RECOIL. THE BEST SECURITY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO USE A LIVE TREE AND CUT IT OFF AND SECURE THE GUN AGAINST IT IF POSSIBLE OTHERWISE A LOT OF DIGGING AND SHORING UP OF LONG POLES WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY. 2. AUSTRALIAN WW1 TRENCH MORTAT EMPLACEMENT. THE MORTAR WAS ESPECIALLY SUITED FOR TRENCH FIGHTING AS THE SHELL WENT UP AND DROPPED DOWN INTO THE TRENCH WHERE DIRECT FIRING GUNS COULD NOT. 3. PUMHART VON STEYR, STYRIA AUSTRIA 15 TH CENTURY, BORE 820MM, 690 KG. STONE BALL, 15KG POWDER, RANGE 600 METERS 4. 18TH CENTURY FRENCH MOTAR DIAGRAM 5. SMALL FRENCH TRENCH MORTAR WW1 6. KNIGHTS OF SAINT JOHN, 1480 TO 1500 FIRED 260KG BALLS 7. 600MM MOTORIZED KARL GERHERT ,FIREING ALSO SEE LOADING LIFT. 8. MALLETS MORTAR, BORE 910MM, 1857, BRITISH, EXPLOSIVE SHELLS. 9. PAIX HANS MONSTER MORTAR 1832 10. TSAR CANNON LARGEST BORE AT 890MM. NOTE IN THE FIRST POST SOME OF THE CANNON BALLS IN THE FIRST PICTURE WERE HOLLOW AND CONTAINED EXPLOSIVE CHARGES. THAT WOULD BE LIGHTER THAN SOLID SHOT BUT STILL QUITE HEAVY IN THE LARGER CALIBERS. THE SECOND PICTURE IS OF A MORTAR NAMED THE GENERAL, NOTE THE STEPS AT ITS FRONT . I SUSPECT AT LEAST 4 MEN USING SOME SORT OF SLING LOADED THE BALL ONE GOING UP THE STEPS TO EACH SIDE OF THE BARREL AND TWO IN THE MIDDLE TO SUPPORT IT AND PUSH IT IN. JUST A GUESS AND I AM GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE MEN ON A LOADING CREW. Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 21st January 2011 at 07:18 PM.

21st January 2011, 07:15 PM	#3
junker Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 140	Faule Mette Hello, here is a link for the second largest canon in europe called the "Faule Mette" from 1411 which was locatet in the city of Braunschweig, germany. The balls had a weight of 550 kg and waer made of stone, the caliber was 76 cm. It was too heavy to take it away and was allways on the city walls. It just shoot 12 times and was cast in 1787 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faule_Mette I saw one of the balls in the local museum by the way there was one item which could be interestin for matchlock. There is also a 4 barreled wodden hand canon in the museum

25th January 2011, 02:29 PM	#4
RDGAC Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: York, UK Posts: 167	I love the sheer, almost absurd size of the really huge guns. You can't help but go "wtf!?", for instance, when seeing the Pumhart von Steyr's enormous bore coupled to a tiny, tiny breech, in a squat whole that makes it remind me of Fizzgig from The Dark Crystal! And of course, the Paris Gun. A gun that needs supports merely to remain straight. That's just two of 'em. I guess the most wonderful thing about them is that, but for their having been made, one would say that they were flights of fancy - very fanciful fancy at that. Separated at birth: Fizzgig and the Pumhart von Steyr Attached Images