Posted 14 years ago
Vestaswind
(49 items)
I have hints of this item. But not if it's the real deal or not. Marked 12fw on the wheels,12 fdb on frame. I took a pic from the back to show the age of the chamber. It looks as though it's been fired. Found it in the basement of a house being torn down, and given permission to dig. This is either toy, or militia? Sample or training item?
What are the measurements of the barrel? Does the small round part open on the back? It looks a lot like an old cannon that the 40 and 8 I used to belong to uses on their "engine" in parades nut it had a firing pin located on the back. That one shoots a 10 guage blank shotgun shell. This one may do the same and the firing pin may be broken off. I don't remember who made that cannon and I no longer belong to the 40 and 8. Good luck.
Follow this link, this is one like yours on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-LARGE-BIG-BANG-CARBIDE-CANON-TOY-22-3-4-LONG-/120653669674?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item1c1784e52a#ht_3369wt_1139
Now that is totally sweet. I am missing the firing pin but after looking at that one (that is close but not it) I found a site where I found mine!! Thanks tons guys, all I needed were the right key words to find it. My only real question was is it real, and it is! There are reproductions out there. For anyone that is interested I found it here (All iron is mine)
http://www.toycannons.ray-vin.com/carbide/12f.htm
Thanks so much! Mystery solved!
ARg! Actually mine is the die cast version. I didn't look at the barrel right, and it has a water sump.
ITS AN OLD BANGSITE CANNON
Hi, I "think" this is a "signal cannon". They were used in the 16th through the early part of the 19th century to signal a ships entry into port. This was done so that the ship could be inspected for people that may be infected with diseases, contaminated cargo etc and then if need be, the ship would be quarantined accordingly. I've seen these before just a couple times. Actually there was one brought in to the shop on "Pawn Stars" and it looked very similar to yours. But it's just a guess. Still an awesome piece. Congrats again. Kerry
This is a small cannon. It's sitting on my dinning room table in this picture. It's a "toy" Can you imagine trying to market this today in say a toy store?
I would say it's a carbide cannon. I had one when I was a kid. Some of the fireworks stands around us still have them around the fourth of july. The water sump a the bottom of the barrel held about a tablespoon of water, the tank on the back held the carbide. When you put carbide into the water it formed a gas in the barrel, and when you it the firing pin it caused a spark to ignite the gas. causing a big BOOM!
I would say yours dates to the 30's or 40's.