MA Cannon license

No cannon license here. But I would be interested because I like artillery...

I have always shot my 60mm M2 mortar replica on private property, with 100+ acres with juice bottle rounds.
WHEN local LEO show up I let them fire it. Happened 5 or 6 times in 3 different states. Gotta follow local noise ordinance.

Some old, old pics...

Raw:
View attachment 480835

Finished:
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View attachment 480836

Been about 9 years since I fired it. It's an hour drive to my friends property where I can shoot it.
I don't think my local gun range would allow it. (North western mass) Miller's or Turner's Falls rod and gun...
How do your projectile ignites? It is "drop down the tube" or something else? A 30MM version would be nice as it is hard to get 60MM practice rounds in the local store.

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What does the license look like? Half the reason I'd do this is to pull a cool license out of my wallet to show off.
It's been a few years but the one I saw looked like an old-style RI AG carry permit. Piece of paper or cardstock run through a laminating machine, but stiffer laminate than the old style paper LTCs. Want something cool when they ask for ID to use your check, etc. get a MA Machine Gun License.
 
How do your projectile ignites? It is "drop down the tube" or something else? A 30MM version would be nice as it is hard to get 60MM practice rounds in the local store.

View attachment 480878

Huggs juice bottle, old film bottle, cannon fuse, pyrodex black powder, tin foil and cat litter.
Light fuse and drop in. Film bottle is lifting charge. Detonation charge is in foil inside of bottle. Kitty litter is for effect.

Has that nice mortar KRUMPFF sound.

I can shoot potatoes out of my "air cannons", but tennis balls are much more fun and reusable ammo.
FYI: Tennis balls have the same OD as beer and soda cans.
Yep shot full soda cans, cans filled with sand and some filled with concrete.
1/4 mile was the longest shot I could find with concrete rounds. It was a crappy rainy fall day few years back and we drove to find the impacts in a corn field.
 
How? A friend called the FAA and asked "Is there any law or regulation against strafing the ocean with a machine gun?" and the FAA informed him they were aware of no such prohibition. So, he piloted while his girlfriend practiced area denial techniques from the passenger seat on the Atlantic. Made some neat videos as well.

As to the Canon exam - A local cannoneer (RIP) told me the exam was an old fashioned blue book, with one question given: Write down the loading and firing sequence for a cannon.
That was recently changed due to the kid who put a handgun on a drone a few years ago in CT.

Its not necessarily a criminal penalty from my reading, but the fine is upto $25,000.

 
No cannon license here. But I would be interested because I like artillery...

I have always shot my 60mm M2 mortar replica on private property, with 100+ acres with juice bottle rounds.
WHEN local LEO show up I let them fire it. Happened 5 or 6 times in 3 different states. Gotta follow local noise ordinance.

Some old, old pics...

Raw:
View attachment 480835

Finished:
View attachment 480834

View attachment 480836

Been about 9 years since I fired it. It's an hour drive to my friends property where I can shoot it.
I don't think my local gun range would allow it. (North western mass) Miller's or Turner's Falls rod and gun...
What do you use as a propellant? Did you have to register it as a DD? That’s awesome.
 
What do you use as a propellant? Did you have to register it as a DD? That’s awesome.
Pyrodex.

Technically it's a black powder "pipe". If there was firing pin in the bottom of the tube then it would be considered a mortar tube.
The real demilled ones you could buy (IMA sells them, but all gone now) all had the firing pins removed.

Do you have to keep it in a safe?

Nope. It's sitting in my basement. It's just a 1/4" thick stainless steel tube with a welded cap and trailer ball hitch welded to the cap.

I think I have the original PDF's with all the specs on building a 60mm M2 I got from the WW2 reenactors forum. I'll have to check.
 
Look up some reeactment units. I know there is/was a 5th Mass Artillery Civil War unit with a Parrot gun around. I was a reenactor with the Lafayette Artillery here in NH and we would shoot the original M 1841 six-pounder with only a casual heads up to local police. With the 1st NH Cavalry, we had a 12-pounder mountain howitzer that we brought to Mass on occasion. When in Mass, we had to provide a diagram of the firing area to the fire marshall of the area and he would have to be on-site for the firing. We had some members who were licenses. I just never got around to it. We did several Living History events on the common in front of Lawrence City Hall at events organized by the Lawrence memorial Guard. I let other guys get the permits.
 
It's been a few years but the one I saw looked like an old-style RI AG carry permit. Piece of paper or cardstock run through a laminating machine, but stiffer laminate than the old style paper LTCs. Want something cool when they ask for ID to use your check, etc. get a MA Machine Gun License.
Rob,
You got me in this game. My wife found me MG license app on the kitchen table 10 years ago and looked at me and said “really?” I decided not to apply and you all can call me a p*say but I just clocked 35 years married.
 
Rob,
You got me in this game. My wife found me MG license app on the kitchen table 10 years ago and looked at me and said “really?” I decided not to apply and you all can call me a p*say but I just clocked 35 years married.
Lol that would make me fill it out faster....
 
I'm calling town hall tomorrow morning. I just want to hear what the clerk has to say.
They should be able to handle your request. There was a fortune teller across the street from the USPO for many years. I don't know if she had a license.
 
FYI: Tennis balls have the same OD as beer and soda cans.
A fact once known to all red blooded American youth.

Back when both top and bottom of a can was crimped you could build a lovely cannon using a couple of cans, a can opener and some tape. 3 cans with tops and bottoms removed, 3 cans with triangular holes in the top and bottom (can opener) a tennis ball, some lighter fluid and a baseball bat as a rammer and Bobs yer uncle.

”Someone I know” built one that was 10 cans long and would punch a hole in 3/8 plywood ...
 
A fact once known to all red blooded American youth.

Back when both top and bottom of a can was crimped you could build a lovely cannon using a couple of cans, a can opener and some tape. 3 cans with tops and bottoms removed, 3 cans with triangular holes in the top and bottom (can opener) a tennis ball, some lighter fluid and a baseball bat as a rammer and Bobs yer uncle.

”Someone I know” built one that was 10 cans long and would punch a hole in 3/8 plywood ...
If you want a real long tennis ball barrel. 2-3/4" Automotive tailpipe has a perfect ID of 2-5/8" and can be purchased in 10 foot lengths.
Made my air cannon tennis ball bazooka out of it.

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If you want a real long tennis ball barrel. 2-3/4" Automotive tailpipe has a perfect ID of 2-5/8" and can be purchased in 10 foot lengths.
Made my air cannon tennis ball bazooka out of it.

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I read that the Stanley Brothers (they built steam powered cars over 100 years ago) would wind piano wire around the boiler to increase it's pressure capacity.

I wonder if you wrapped the tail pipe with wire (real tight, like windings in an electric motor) maybe you could "up" the delivery charge a little. Or a lot.
 
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