Ryan Gill (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} montieth) wrote,@ 2008-03-23 01:45:00 |
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Big guns....
People ask me why I don't do more than one impression in my re-enacting. That's because I prefer to do a given impression well and with as much resources as I can. If I did ACW, I'd have to do artillery and this stuff is expensive. I love what these guys are able to do.
In this case, a 13" (thats the diameter of the bore of the gun and thus the width of the projectile) sea coast/siege mortar of US Civil War vintage. This is firing not shot (a solid iron ball), but shell at a replica set of fortifications a little under a mile away. Shell being a projectile that has a charge of black powder in it AND a fuze to make it go off. Good crews were able to cut the fuze based on the time of flight so that the shell exploded in flight over the heads of the unlucky folks on the other end of the fire. In the later part of the clip, you see an impact and hear what sounds like a bunch of bees buzzing around, that's the fragments that are flying past the camera that's close to the target and thats REALLY dangerous (read as deadly) effects out of a very old technology.
In another example you can see some smaller mortar rounds. The second one that impacts on the target is delayed by a good bit and you can see how it bursts long after it's fallen, the explosion is mostly upwards and you can hear the patter of the bits of dirt, stones and the fragments (not shrapnel) of the shell.
Here's an 8" Howitzer and a 30 Pounder Parrott Rifle (a Gun).
Amazing stuff these old blackpowder guns, howitzers and mortars. I suppose I could get into a replica one for about the price I have in one of my armored cars.
People ask me why I don't do more than one impression in my re-enacting. That's because I prefer to do a given impression well and with as much resources as I can. If I did ACW, I'd have to do artillery and this stuff is expensive. I love what these guys are able to do.
In this case, a 13" (thats the diameter of the bore of the gun and thus the width of the projectile) sea coast/siege mortar of US Civil War vintage. This is firing not shot (a solid iron ball), but shell at a replica set of fortifications a little under a mile away. Shell being a projectile that has a charge of black powder in it AND a fuze to make it go off. Good crews were able to cut the fuze based on the time of flight so that the shell exploded in flight over the heads of the unlucky folks on the other end of the fire. In the later part of the clip, you see an impact and hear what sounds like a bunch of bees buzzing around, that's the fragments that are flying past the camera that's close to the target and thats REALLY dangerous (read as deadly) effects out of a very old technology.
In another example you can see some smaller mortar rounds. The second one that impacts on the target is delayed by a good bit and you can see how it bursts long after it's fallen, the explosion is mostly upwards and you can hear the patter of the bits of dirt, stones and the fragments (not shrapnel) of the shell.
Here's an 8" Howitzer and a 30 Pounder Parrott Rifle (a Gun).
Amazing stuff these old blackpowder guns, howitzers and mortars. I suppose I could get into a replica one for about the price I have in one of my armored cars.
