Range Reports; Blow Up the World

The 19^th annual Blow Up the World day at the range and BBQ has come and gone with minimal hitches, and some things to report.

First was the absence of our Grillmaster, who has, I hear, left the state. He was missed, bit not terribly, as most folks seemed to have brought something to eat that didn’t require grilling.

Good to see this year was a bumper crop of youth shooters ranging from 16 down to about 5, all of whom got plenty of quality trigger time.

I brought a 2.75” BP mortar,

Shown here as we prepare to launch our first astronaut into low-earth orbit. (just kidding. He was industriously swabbing the barrel with the gun brush at the time.)
Also a 3.0” BP howitzer and some new loadings to test.

The mortar is chambered specifically for a pop can full of cement (abt 1.5 lbs), and with 500g of 2fg, can toss them the better part of a mile. Last year, I tried 400g of 2fg under 6oz of regular gas, and got a very narrow spike of flame about 15 feet high. This year I tried a load comprised of 200g of 2fg powder under 8 oz of regular gas in a pop can, and was rewarded with a very satisfactory fireball about 10 feet in diameter, which resolved to a smoke ring, also about 10 ft in diameter. You could feel the heat from 30 feet away, which was the end of the pull cord.

The effect I was looking for was a large black mushroom cloud, rising majestically from the muzzle of the mortar. I’m getting close. Further experimentation is indicated.

The howitzer is made from very heavy wall stainless steel pipe, and has a 3 inch bore, which, coincidentally, exactly fits a #303 can, of the type that normally holds Spaghetti-Os, black olives, or diced tomatoes. Filled with cement, this weighs in at about 2#, and can be launched with 500g of 2fg powder, or up to 1000g of fg cannon powder. Today’s special load was a #303 can full of lug nuts of the type that are closed on one end. The effect I was looking for was whistling as the nuts fly down range. As the lug nuts weighed a bit more than the cement, I used 400g of Pyrodex, and while the nuts whistled quite satisfactorily, the range achieved was disappointing. Additionally, the can needs to be pre-cut down the sides to insure all the nuts get out and to improve the spread. I suppose some shotgun guru could have told me this, but he didn’t drop by as I was preparing all this. Again, further experimentation is indicated.

When I presented 2 cans of lug nuts to the counter man at my favorite junk yard, and explained exactly what I planned to do with them, he let me have them for free. An entertaining story as to the end use of otherwise mundane parts is frequently good for a discount. Besides, I buy so much stuff from them that they know who I am by now, but they sell to me anyway.