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this is a real 1,5" pom-pom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHN3d0r2g0c looks like hard work |
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No, that’s a Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQEs6i4fwLA The 1 pounder “Pom Pom” used the same ammo, the 37x94R, but was an oversized Maxim machine gun, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_1-pounder_pom-pom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG1DoHPAaRA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7hmOm6FCNI |
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No wonder they called them "pom-poms"! |
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Also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQEs6i4fwLA |
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question is what they used in the boer war, iirc the term pom-pom originated from this period. did the boer realy had maxims for the 37x94R or the older hotchkiss revolver canons? |
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Lancaster , read that Wikipedia article , quote: Second Boer War The British government initially rejected the gun but other countries bought it, including the South African Republic (Transvaal) government. In the Second Boer War, the British found themselves being fired on by the Boers with their 37 mm Maxim-Nordenfelt versions using ammunition made in Germany. The Boers' Maxim was also a large caliber, belt-fed, water-cooled machine gun that fired explosive rounds (smokeless ammunition) at 450 rounds per minute. Vickers-Maxim shipped either 57 or 50 guns out to the British Army in South Africa, with the first three arriving in time for the Battle of Paardeberg of February 1900. These Mk I versions were mounted on typical field gun type carriages. ( End of quote) The Maxim Pom-Poms were used by both sides in WW1. In 1915 the German Schutztruppe in South-West Africa dumped at least one such gun into the Otjikoto Lake. I heve seen it years ago in the Tsumeb museum , Namibia. The Germans used DWM made examples as antiaircraft guns and called them Maxim Flak M14.Just at the start of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG1DoHPAaRA you can see such an aa gun firing. British used their Mk I or IIs also. There is one in the Imperial War Museum, London, said to have been the first gun to shoot down a Zeppelin over London. But the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannons, in 37x94R too, also saw some use in WW1. Originally bought by the German and other navies to ward off torpedo boats, they were insufficient and obsolete for this purpose by 1900. So some were relegated to colonial use as they still impressed the natives. German ships and boats on the East African coast and on Lake Tanganjika were armed with these Revolving cannons. Others were tried without success as aa guns, but their firing rate of just 120 rpm maximum (one shot per turn of crank) was far too slow for this purpose. Later, remaining stocks were dismantled. Barrels and ammunition were reused later in WW1 to build light infantry guns like the French Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP or the German 3.7 cm Tankabwehrkanone 1918. |
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thanks, had not thought the big bore maxim was available so quickly don't forget the hotchkiss revolver canon beside of seeing limited use in the great war was dismantled first to build the trench canons a friend was looking for an idea to build a breech loading canon, they are legal here with a smooth barrel. For an easy build I recommend the trench canon minimized a little bit for a 25 mm caliber barrel and 20x128 cases( fired for free from the army) and cut down on the shoulder to give a 100 mm long rimless case whats is no problem because of the shell holder breechblock. |
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Quote: This sounds like a wild project Lancaster! What would the 'action' be.....one of these old suckers? I think you'd need a group of blokes to lift it if they could, if not a crane! As to rifling, perhaps some 'invisible rifling' might help on the smooth bore side of things? Being cheeky there I know! |
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the last pics shows the action very well. its simple if you have a big lathe. who and how to made the invisible rifling? and the canon needs a visit in the proof house. also homemade canons only use for salut firing need a proof and if they find some kind of rifling on a breechloader chance is very high the gun will not be acceptet by the proof house. muzzle loader canons with rifled barrel are no problem. I known a home made 76 mm canon in the napoleonic style that was made from a cut off russian T 34 tank canon. the owner was a foreman in a railway repair hall. when the russians leave germany in the early 1990s they load everything on trains. once there was such a loaded train standing over night next to the reapair area of this man to leave next morning and he had night shift. with all the stuff there was also a T 34 tank on the train thats stands as a ww2 memorial for centurys in a barrack. because darkness is your friend he take a blowtorch and the train leave the railway area next morning with a castrated T 34. anything else was welded in working time and the canon successful got the proof. |