Winchester Model 1898 Cannon
The Winchester Model 1898 Cannon (English also: Winchester Model 1898 Breech Loading Signal Cannon ) is a salute cannon with a barrel length of about 30 cm. It is a patented breech- loader for use with shotgun blanks in caliber 10 . The cannon was produced by Winchester in the years 1903-1958, since 1976 by licensee Bellmore-Johnson . All original and licensed copies were made in New Haven County , Connecticut .
The cannon is mainly used for salute and gun shots at festivals and as a starting gun in American yachting .
history
Winchester
The cannon was developed by Charles H. Griffith, who received a patent on the breech-loading breech of the cannon in 1901. A second Griffith patent, granted in 1902, on a loading mechanism as a drop barrel weapon never went into production. From 1903, the cannon was offered by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company under the name Winchester 1898 Breech Loading 10 Ga. Cannon in the Winchester Catalog .
The standard version of the cannon was black; The carriage and the wheels were painted accordingly, while the tube was colored dark by means of a blue stain . In addition, a nickel-plated version was produced - each at around twice the retail price, and from 1930 a chrome-plated version, optionally with rubber tires. These were replaced in 1955 by much heavier lawnmower tires from Firestone . Since the sales figures of the salute cannon remained permanently low compared to the handguns, production was finally stopped in 1958 after a total of 18,400 pieces. Spare parts and service were available for a few years after that.
Blank cartridges that fit the cannon are still sold by Winchester itself.
Bellmore-Johnson
Due to unbroken demand, Winchester (part of the Olin Corporation since the 1930s ) issued a license to replicate the cannon to its long-term business partner Bellmore-Johnson in 1975 or 1976 . The firearms designer from Hamden had developed Winchester models as commissioned work in the past.
Bellmore-Johnson started production in 1976 and also offered a brass version in a mahogany box . In 2001, the Naval Edition, marketed as such, was supplemented with a polished brass tube on a black steel frame. Since 2002, Bellmore-Johnson has been a sole proprietorship specializing in cannon production in North Branford , whose owner Richard Care produces 250-300 cannons annually by hand. The Cannon Store connected to the workshop also sells salute cannons from other manufacturers, some of which are detailed replicas of historic ship cannons.
After the main Winchester factory in New Haven was closed in 2006, the salute cannon is the last Winchester weapon to be manufactured in the region.
Markings and differences
Originals and licensed buildings are technically and - apart from the execution version - identical in appearance including the clearly visible lettering. The mount also bears the original “ WRACo. “Lettering. The pine boxes are also authentically reproduced. For correct use, the large caliber "10 Ga " and the warning "NOT FOR BALL " are stamped on the barrel . The cannons can be distinguished from each other by the manufacturer's information as a smaller running label:
| Winchester | Bellmore-Johnson |
|---|---|
-
|
-
|
Another difference is the numbering. Originally, the cannons did not have serial numbers , but factory-internal identification numbers that were stamped in pairs in the barrel and trunnion for later assembly. In addition, cannons for export were numbered by an imprint on the barrel side. Six-digit serial numbers were only provided for the Winchester cannons after a change to the templates in 1955; However, it is unclear whether such specimens were built until production was discontinued in 1958. The replicas have serial numbers of this type.
In contrast to the originals, the standard version of the replicas is colored black by means of a more modern dip coating .
technology
The gun, a breech-loading , verschießt only blank cartridges in the shot bore 10 of the length of 2 7 / 8 inches (7.3 cm).
The lock is hinged at the bottom of the tube and must be folded down for loading. The locking system corresponds to that of a Mauser rifle; two locking elements engage in cutouts in the pipe end. To unlock, the locking block must be rotated 15 degrees with an attached loading lever. The ignition is carried out by the ignition pin located in the center of the breech block. This is triggered by the cock with a hammer spring attached to the bottom of the pipe. A cord attached directly to the tap is used for shooting by the shooter.
The dimensions of the cannon are:
| size | inch | cm |
|---|---|---|
| Length over all | 17th | 43 |
| Length of pipe | 12 | good 30 |
| Outside diameter of the pipe |
1 1 ⁄ 4 to 1908: 1 |
good 3 to 1908: good 2.5 |
| height | 7 1 ⁄ 4 | good 18 |
| width | 7th | almost 18 |
use
The cannon is mainly used for gunfire . Occasions are public celebrations such as Independence Day and New Year's Eve , commemorations for example on September 11th and private celebrations of all kinds. The main buyers for this purpose are veterans and scout associations .
In particular, the Model 1898 salute cannon is the preferred weapon for starting shots at yacht races because of its great effect and ease of use . Historically, it also acted as a modernization compared to start signals with flags. The cannon was also used for sound effects in the theater.
literature
- Wolfgang Dicke: The little thump: Salut cannon Mod. 1898 from Winchester is easy to use in: Deutsches Waffen-Journal 39 (2003), 7, pages 68-69.
- Norm Flayderman: Flaydermans Guide to Antique American Firearms , 8th Edition, 2001, by Krause Publications, Iola, WI, USA, ISBN 0-87349-313-3 , page 280.
- Thomas Henshaw: The History of Winchester Firearms 1866-1992 , 6th Edition, 1993, by Academic Learning Company LLC, USA, ISBN 0-83290-503-8 . Pages 56–57 ( preview in Google Book search).
- George Madis: The Winchester Handbook , 1st Edition, 1981, by Edwards Brothers, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Library of Congress CCN 81-68757, ISBN 0-910156-04-2 , page 174/175.
Web links
- Bellmore-Johnson: Winchester Signal Cannons
- The Cannon Store
- Model 1898 Winchester Signal Cannon on YouTube
- Model 1898 Winchester Signal Cannon demonstration on YouTube
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Winchester Cannon History: The Winchester Years (1901-1958). Bellmore-Johnson, accessed March 21, 2020 .
- ^ Winchester Cannon Patent Drawings. Bellmore-Johnson, accessed March 21, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Modern Winchester Cannon Manufacturing ( Memento of May 4, 2003 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Madis
- ^ History weapons: 150 years of Winchester. Winchester Repeating Arms Company , 2016, accessed March 20, 2020 .
- ↑ Winchester Salutpatronen Kal 10 25 pcs. Shootingstore.at, accessed on March 28, 2020 .
- ^ A b History of Winchester Cannons: The Bellmore Johnson Years (1975-Present). Bellmore-Johnson, accessed March 21, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c d e f Henshaw
- ↑ a b c Jim Shelton: Last of the locally made Winchesters. nhregister.com, July 2, 2009, accessed March 22, 2020 .
- ^ US Repeating Arms Company closed its New Haven facility in 2006 ( Memento of May 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ A b Richard Care: Winchester Cannon Barrel Roll Marking. bellmorejohnson.com, accessed March 30, 2020 .
- ↑ Winchester Brass Presentation Signal Cannon 1976 Edition American. Retrieved March 30, 2020 .
- ^ Mourning salute in Groton marks 9/11. theday.com, September 12, 2012, accessed March 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Angus Laidlaw: Kit Cannons to build for the Fourth In: Popular Mechanics , July 1979, p. 84 ( preview in Google Book Search)
- ↑ Aaron Smith: 20 antique guns that fetched big bucks. cnn.com , December 22, 2014, accessed March 22, 2020 .
- ^ New Cannon Will Signal Future Sail Boat Races . In: Mason City Globe Gazette , July 24, 1936
- ↑ Norm Fleyderman: Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values , 2001, p. 280 ( snippet preview in the Google book search)