Mortar Shotgun Round Experiment

 

Mortar Shotgun
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I wanted to see if I could make my black powder mortar that I got from Backpowder Cannons work as a shotgun.

The first thing I did was take my soda cans and open up the top.  The idea was to use the soda can as a sabot to hold the “buckshot” together and then discard after the projectile left the barrel.

I have a buckshot mold, but it takes so long to get rounds that I used gravel for my test.

As you can see in the video, it worked.  Additionally, it might not be apparent is that gravel is too light for a mortar shotgun.

I should have used my cast lead buckshot.  The weight of the lead would have made a difference.  At some point I want to redo this experiment as I think a mortar shotgun is a cool thing to have.  Nothing says get off my lawn like a few hundred rounds of 000 buckshot raining down from the mountaintop.

Actually, I would never use this offensively, but I really want to see what it would do to a target.

I really enjoy my black powder mortar, and you really should think about getting one.

Shooting a Beer Can Mortar into a Mobile Home

 

Blackpowder Can Mortar
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Of all the toys I have have had, nothing is as fun as my Beer Can Mortar.  I love making up rounds and then experimenting with how different powders impact my range.

Since I was tearing down the trailer anyway, I decided to have a little fun.  I wanted to see if I could shoot my cannon into the wall of the trailer.

I did not know what to expect, and I was a little nervous.

Luckily, there was nothing to be nervous about.  The loose fit of the mortar, and the small amount of powder I used kept the can mortar round from doing too much damage.

Actually, the mortar is not designed to be a direct fire weapon.  Rather it lobs the rounds up and over to land down on the target.  The round probably would have done more damage if I shot it froma farther distance and let the cement filled soda can fall down from the sky.

In the end, it did not matter how much damage the round did, as I was only trying to have a little fun showing off my can cannon.

Once again, I think everyone should own a beer can mortar.

How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar

How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar

 

How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar
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I am showing how I make my beer can mortar rounds because in searching the net I found that no one else had, sure the cool feral cat hunting post shows how to make a mortar, and I did see an image of a tub of projectiles, but no where could I find good instructions.

Its pretty simple, cut the top off an aluminum beer can, and fill with a cement mix.  I have read that some use sand and then top it with a cement cap, but I have also heard that the can comes off like a sabot and lands in a flat plate a few feet from the muzzle of the mortar.

I heard that readymix turns to gravel, and that plaster of paris is best.

I decided to use type n mortar because it was cheap and I had a bag sitting around.

I tried shoveling some mortar in wet, and did a few with dry mortar and adding water.

The second was was easiest and fastest.  I won’t know which is best till I get some field time.

Update:

For general shooting both ways works well.  I think that the wet mortar way is best, but not enough to make a difference.

How to Build a Beer Can Mortar Bed

 

Soda Can Mortar Bed Build
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It did not take long to make a basic beer can mortar bed from some 2×4 lumber and screws.

This base is very basic.  I have some ideas for improvement.

However, I want to start from a known system.

This bed is built using the plans that came with my mortar tube from blackpowder-cannons.com.

The video is pretty self-explanatory.

How to Build a Mortar Bed

  • First, start by cutting 2 pieces of 2×4 15 inches long, a piece 13 inches long, and a support 3 inches long.
  • Next, mark the center of the 15 inch boards.  Mark that line 1/2 inch from the top.
  • Then, drill a pilot hole through the mark you made, and then follow up with a 1 inch hole saw.
  • Cut the top out of the cut on the board so the cannon trunions can slide down into the hole you cut.
  • Next center the 13 inch board at the base of the two longer boards and screw them to the shorter board forming a channel for the mortar to sit in.
  • Knock the 3 inch board into this channel and set the cannon into the trunion holes.
  • Move the 3 inch board forward and back until then cannon is resting at a 45 degree angle when sitting in the trunion mounts and resting on the top of the board.
  • Finally, screw the support board in and your bed is finished.

I went ahead and fabricated some strap to hold the cannon in place, and I painted mine, now to make some rounds and find some places to test fire it.