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Author Topic: Has anyone made a mortar to shoot  (Read 952 times)

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Offline dougk

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« on: August 03, 2005, 04:17:37 PM »
those big popcorn can that you get at Christmas?  I found one the other day and thought wow what a good projectile.

Thanks,
Doug
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Offline GGaskill

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2005, 04:33:32 PM »
You mean a mortar?
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2005, 04:35:54 PM »
Hmmmmm.

There are a FEW folks here that shoot 8", bowling ball, and 10" that I'm aware of.

That should hold about 2 cu ft of concrete.  Say 8" thick walls - might tip the scale at about 1,500 lb or maybe much more.

Sure, I think I could market that to most any construction company for taking down a building in one fell swoop!

A few minor problems with the shear scale of it, but SURE WOULD BE FUN!
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Offline Ex 49'er

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2005, 09:12:52 PM »
Multiple shots could bankrupt a person as far as blackpowder is concerned. You might need to buy stock in the company to afford it; otherwise better
start eating crackers and put another mortgage on the house.
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Offline GGaskill

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2005, 09:31:32 PM »
Concrete's density is about 142 lbs/cu ft.  So what are the dimensions of a can?
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Offline dougk

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2005, 01:09:58 PM »
The Can is 11 inches high with a circumference of 31 inches and a diameter of 11 inches.

Doug

p.s. I think it would make a lot of noise.  The projectile would be slightly smaller than the one used by the cannons in the "Guns of Navarone".
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Offline GGaskill

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2005, 02:37:03 PM »
There is a slight incompatibility between a circumference of 31" and a diameter of 11" (pi x diameter equals circumference so an 11" diameter should have a 34.5" circumference.) Assuming 11" by 11", we would have a volume of .6 cu ft and a weight of 85 lbs.  Substantial in any case.  If the true diameter is 10" (dividing circumference by pi), a 10" mortar should be stout enough to launch such things.
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“If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart; if you're not a conservative at 40, you have no brain.”--Winston Churchill

Offline Double D

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2005, 03:21:55 PM »
Devils advocate here.  

Why would you go to go to the time trouble and expense to build a mortar that big and then shoot cement filled tincans that are going to come apart on impact.  For a fraction of the cost of the mortar you can have a ball mould made and cast your own zinc  10 inch balls that you can shoot over and over again.   Now this isn't to say you shouldn't shoot one or two of thoses cement filled popcorn cans just as a field test.
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Offline GGaskill

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2005, 03:41:56 PM »
That 10" zinc ball is going to be one hell of a bullet mould.  144 lb ball plus the mould itself.  Each ball would use about $150 worth of zinc.  Even casting it hollow like a shell would probably weigh over 100 lbs.  Might be nice for a show shell but pretty expensive for record shots.  (-:

Casting these warrants a video.
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Offline dougk

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2005, 04:16:54 PM »
Wow this is very interesting.

I did a quick search and found the following to Mortars.






"This weapon was a 13-inch Model 1861 seacoast mortar which was mounted on a specially reinforced railroad car to accommodate its weight of 17,000 pounds. Company G of the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery, served the "Dictator" at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia in 1864. The mortar could lob a 200-pound explosive shell about 2 ½ miles. The "Dictator" was usually positioned in a curved section of the Petersburg & City Point Railroad and was employed for about three months during the siege."

A 17,000 lb Mortar might be a little large.... :eek:
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2005, 04:31:06 PM »
Quote from: dougk
Wow this is very interesting.

I did a quick search ....

A 17,000 lb Mortar might be a little large.... :eek:


But on the other hand, you would be the ONLY one on the block to have one!

You'll find a wealth of pictures and references (as you found on your own) with links in the REFERENCES Sticky above too.
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Tim K                 www.GBOCANNONS.COM
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Offline dougk

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2005, 06:14:55 AM »
I would like one that has a 6 mile range... :-D   After going broke building it I just hope I would have enough $ to fire it...

Doug
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Offline Double D

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Has anyone made a mortar to shoot
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2005, 04:42:50 PM »
Quote from: GGaskill
That 10" zinc ball is going to be one hell of a bullet mould.  144 lb ball plus the mould itself.  Each ball would use about $150 worth of zinc.  Even casting it hollow like a shell would probably weigh over 100 lbs.  Might be nice for a show shell but pretty expensive for record shots.  (-:


Paulsen has solid shot  for 10 inch $190 that weigh 127.5 pounds. What is  it going to cost to build a 10 inch mortar?  Buying 7 of these balls is all  just part of the project.  ...and remember these balls are recycleable
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