2016 Grand Muster...140th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn

[Drydock]

Great time!  Best muster yet!  Thanks to all for the cooperation,  allready thinking about next year.

Oh, and the SCOTS WHISKY was very good indeed.  Missed the scotch candy though . . .

[OklaTom]

Great time!  Best muster yet!  Thanks to all for the cooperation,  allready thinking about next year.

Oh, and the SCOTS WHISKY was very good indeed.  Missed the scotch candy though . . .

Bonus score for leaving out the "e" when referring to Scts Whisky, or Scotch. Och, aye lad.

[Delmonico]

Now I know where all the green Gatorade went.

[Pitspitr]

If anyone wants to send the folks at Kawasaki a note of thanks for the use of the Mule here are the addresses:

NKawamura@lcn.kmmfg.com

TFurman@lcn.kmmfg.com

[RattlesnakeJack]

Made it back to Medicine Hat north of the Medicine Line yesterday afternoon.  Busy unpacking and such, and now have to prepare for an expedition with my 1885 Artillery detachment to Fort Macleod (location of the first NWMP post, 1874) bright and early on Friday (July 1 - Canada Day).  

Taken last year at Fort Macleod -



(Nothing to do with GAF Muster, I know ... just showing what my next deployment will be ... )

[River City John]

Is that a 10# Parrot?




RCJ

[RattlesnakeJack]

Is that a 10# Parrot?

Good eye, RCJ!  Actually it is a 3/4 scale 10# Parrott Rifle tube, produced by Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene, ID (http://hernironworks.com/) which we mounted on our own carriage .... closest we could get in size and general configuration to a British 9 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading Gun tube, which is what our namesakes actually had in the field during the 1885 North West Rebellion -



Unfortunately, nobody reproduces the 9-pounder barrel .... The most noticeable difference in the barrel profiles is that the reinforced breech of the Parrott does not extend very far forward - ending behind the trunions - whereas on the British 9-pounder tube the reinforce extends ahead of the trunions. We have plans to build up the reinforced section of this barrel (with fiberglass or the like) to more closely resemble the profile of the 9-pounder, then re-paint ...   

[Johnson Barr]

General Jerry, is your pitspitr@nctc.net email account still active? -J.Barr

[Jake C]

Good eye, RCJ!  Actually it is a 3/4 scale 10# Parrott Rifle tube, produced by Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene, ID (http://hernironworks.com/) which we mounted on our own carriage .... closest we could get in size and general configuration to a British 9 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading Gun tube, which is what our namesakes actually had in the field during the 1885 North West Rebellion -



Unfortunately, nobody reproduces the 9-pounder barrel .... The most noticeable difference in the barrel profiles is that the reinforced breech of the Parrott does not extend very far forward - ending behind the trunions - whereas on the British 9-pounder tube the reinforce extends ahead of the trunions. We have plans to build up the reinforced section of this barrel (with fiberglass or the like) to more closely resemble the profile of the 9-pounder, then re-paint ...   

Okay, I have to say, that cannon is as cool as can be. How much powder does it use? Naturally I'm assuming you don't fire solid shot out of but what would it shoot?

[OklaTom]

General Jerry, is your pitspitr@nctc.net email account still active? -J.Barr

I also have potspitr@gmail.com. But I have not gotten a response from that address either...

[RattlesnakeJack]

Okay, I have to say, that cannon is as cool as can be. How much powder does it use? Naturally I'm assuming you don't fire solid shot out of but what would it shoot?

So far, we have only used that one for "blank" firing in demonstrations such as seen in the first photo, for which we normally use a 3 ounce charge ... It is a 2 1/4 inch bore, cast iron but the tube is cast around a high-pressure steel liner (smoothbore) so it presumably could be used to fire projectiles - we just haven't tried that (yet).

Our other gun is a 1/2 scale version of the British 9-pounder RML gun, made about 30 years ago by an engineer - its barrel is also smoothbore (2") but all steel, and the gun is roughly the overall size of an original 6-pounder.  We do use that one to fire projectiles on occasion, using 2" steel round stock cut off in 2" lengths - not the most aerodynamic projectile, but it will punch right through a vehicle body at 150 yards or so! This is the smaller gun -

[Scattered Thumbs]

R J, either you're very tall, or your comrades are boy scouts in disguise. 

My vote is for very tall.

[pony express]

My vote is for very tall.

Your vote would be correct, ST. I'm about 6'1" and he's got me beat by a couple inches, at least.

[RattlesnakeJack]

6' 4" ....

[Scattered Thumbs]

I'm just a 6' midget.  

But I get to be 6' 3" with my cowboy boots on.  

[RattlesnakeJack]

I prefer a low walking heel, so I only get to be about 6' 5" or so ...

[Drydock]

Then he puts on one of them bearskin hats, an ends up around 8' or so . . .

[RattlesnakeJack]

Nah ... bearskin is too hot and heavy ... and is what's worn by those poofty English Guards chaps ... ... what you're thinking of is the glorious Highland Feather Bonnet ...  -

[Delmonico]

Wonder how that would fare in a light Nebraska wind, never did find my onion that blew off my table and into the ravine.

[River City John]

Nah ... bearskin is too hot and heavy ... and is what's worn by those poofty English Guards chaps ... ... what you're thinking of is the glorious Highland Feather Bonnet ...  -

The amazing thing is the amount of training it takes to make that ostrich stay perched up on his head without moving.

RCJ