Starting to think about going big...

[McClarkus]

CA you're limited to 1 lb of black powder in your possession now.

That sucks. I believe the fed law is 40 lbs. That means with a wife we double that. They do have laws regarding storage however. Long story short, they don't want it in your closet. phantomcanyoncarvingdotcom is my web site that shows the cannon ball hitting the 5 gal can of water and also the mortar going off. There was a lady photographer friend or ours once who took a picture of the ball hitting the can full of water and actually captured the ball in mid flight, having passed though the can, on the downrange side of things, clearly visible in the photograph. People hoot, holler, and giggle like little schoolgirls when they go off on a range day. In Colorado, we can flatbed trailer them uncovered, facing forwards or backwards, without raising eyebrows. I have never been stopped in 15 years.

[D5CAV]

I prefer post Civil War era. Those do require a Form 4 DD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzdQq1YwE0A

Not anywhere near as crisp as a US Army crew, but they didn't blow themselves up.

This would be my choice for a Form 4 DD cannon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrZsnAWOU1g

Need two licenses for this one - Form 4 for DD and Form 4 for transferable MG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65ZewIslLbA

[HTRN]

Anything big using fixed ammo is going to be serious money - about the cheapest DD going is the various 20mms, and you're still talking upwards of 10 grand. 105mm? I don't even want to guess, but gut instinct says over a quarter million for one. Then there's the ammo situation - the stuff you wind up shooting is exactly available from Midway.. Figure every time you pull the trigger, it's gonna cost you a hundred to over a thousand dollars.

Meanwhile, a Mac 11 can be had for 4 grand or less, has the likes of Lage making neat stuff for them, and the ammo can be had at Walmart.

[Windy Wilson]

Every time I read this title I think about Benny Hill in The Italian Job.

[D5CAV]

Anything big using fixed ammo is going to be serious money - about the cheapest DD going is the various 20mms, and you're still talking upwards of 10 grand. 105mm? I don't even want to guess, but gut instinct says over a quarter million for one. Then there's the ammo situation - the stuff you wind up shooting is exactly available from Midway.. Figure every time you pull the trigger, it's gonna cost you a hundred to over a thousand dollars.

Meanwhile, a Mac 11 can be had for 4 grand or less, has the likes of Lage making neat stuff for them, and the ammo can be had at Walmart.

These days a Lahti 20mm will set you back closer to $20k. Ammo is a mere $200 per round, when you can find it. Those who have Lahti 20mm cannon reload with brass turned from bar stock, so reloads are about $40 each, once you have the shell casings. The supplies of Solothurn 20mm ammo (the kind also used by Lahtis) is almost gone, which is why when rounds show up, they go for $200. However, compared to the bigger stuff, 20mm ammo is relatively inexpensive, so more shooting and more fun in ownership, which means a 20mm Lahti gets more buyers than a 105mm howitzer.

Actually, the bigger guns typically sell for not much more money. If you look, you can find 105mm, 90mm, etc. for anywhere from $20k to $100k depending on provenance and how complete the trails and mounting are. A big gun has to be pretty much "ready to shoot" to command a $100k price.

They're not as many, but, as you pointed out, ammo is a serious issue. The bigger score at the auction I linked to was the ammo that the collector had amassed before his death. He had pallets of 40mm shells, including practice projectiles. Good luck finding those! He also had practice projos and shells for 90mm and 105mm.

Most of the people I know who have the big 105mm, 90mm, etc. machine their own projectiles from brass. Yeah! 100 lbs of brass per shot!

Shooting the big stuff takes a big wallet. But that is true for the professionals as well. I remember the 105mm gun rounds I signed for cost over $3,000 each, and that was back during the Reagan era. Over 90% of our ammo costs were main gun rounds. 7.62 NATO, 5.56 NATO, .50 BMG and 40mm grenades were a drop in the bucket.

[Netpackrat]

How much does 20mm Vulcan go for these days? An Anzio 20mm isn't exactly cheap, but would the ammo for one be a cheaper option than feeding a Lahti?

[Steamforger]

How much does 20mm Vulcan go for these days? An Anzio 20mm isn't exactly cheap, but would the ammo for one be a cheaper option than feeding a Lahti?

Every now and again I go to their website and drool over their 20mm. Then I realize I can buy about 6 unimproved acres with a view for what they're charging....

[HTRN]

D5, good to know. I'd love a Lahti, but like you pointed out, feeding it is not cheap. Frankly, I'd consider buying a Tormach Gang tool machine if I was going to own one. Couple that with FFL07 to make some of the investment back - not much demand for machine turned 20-50mm, but then, like you pointed out, not a lot of competition, either.

I'm amazed that prices have come down - I remember it was maybe 10 years ago, when a complete 90mm antitank gun had an asking price of 150K on that infamous DD forum, and was sold in a week. I suspect that the reason for the price drop is simply a shitty economy.

Personally, I think a 4 bore with a quick breech and a 45" barrel on a mini hydraulic carriage shooting big cast bullets would be a blast - no worries about ammo or finding a range measured in miles, big enough to a "cannon", and no NFA hassles.

[slowpoke]

How much do Armstrong rifled guns go for now?

[Mike OTDP]

No idea. I've no intention of going into NFA artillery, it's too expensive. But Civil War artillery? They have matches for that.