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rampa_room_artillery
10-12-2008, 04:37 PM
I have come across this gun and was wondering does anyone have prints for this gun or know where one is located at so I can get dimensions off of it? would it be aproved to shoot off of a praire carriage?

2.9-inch Blakely rifle, Type 10. Total length, 36.45 inches; maker, unknown; rifling, 6-groove sawtooth, right-hand twist; weight, 197 pounds (per scale); known survivors, 3, one of which is marked "BLAKELEY(sic)/LONDON." Little is known of these except for the presence of the survivors.

rick bryan
3rd va co B
11434

Rob West
10-12-2008, 06:20 PM
Rick,
Two things you need to do,
1) Provide to the N-SSA that during the Civil War that either the United States Government or the Confederate States Government actually had this Cannon in their inventory, also known as public property.

2) Find some one to rifle a reproduction tube or liner, a friend of mine just spent over a $1000.00 at a machine shop to have a cutter head made for a cannon he is building.
You may want to contact Ken Kurdt of the 3rd US Inf, he has a rifling machine and produces most of the rifle liners for the N-SSA. Bill Anderson also does machine work, he could possibly make this cutter.
In my opinion it would be cheaper to build the 2-1/4 Confederate mountain rifle or the 3” Parrott pack howitzer.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 757 868-0570 home or 757 508-3007 cell

Rob West
N-SSA Nat'l Artillery Officer

R. C. Hubbard Jr
10-13-2008, 03:01 PM
Here is a photo of some happy Mn. boys who were able to get their gun back in the 1870's. #10 adapted to a pack carriage ( as were the guns of the 2nd Indiana Cav.) ( OR's.)
http://www.myhostedpics.com/images/guardsgunner/187020red20wing20reunion1.jpg

Rob, I can't find that much on the pack parrott. In which service and how many of those were there?

Bob

cannonmn
10-14-2008, 01:10 AM
#10 adapted to a pack carriage ( as were the guns of the 2nd Indiana Cav.) ( OR's.)




R.C.H.: Interesting photo but I'm not sure what it is, can't quite understand what your post is saying, could you 'splain a little more pls? Thanks.

cannonmn
10-14-2008, 07:22 AM
I can't find that much on the pack parrott. In which service and how many of those were there?



I'm not trying to speak for Rob but what I've heard is that Parrott's drawings of the "Pack Parrott" exist, but no specimens, manufacturing records, nor government orders of any survive. So maybe it existed on paper only.

R. C. Hubbard Jr
10-14-2008, 01:06 PM
cannonmn,

Read this

1) Provide to the N-SSA that during the Civil War that either the United States Government or the Confederate States Government actually had this Cannon in their inventory, also known as public property

and this

Parrott's drawings of the "Pack Parrott" exist, but no specimens, manufacturing records, nor government orders of any survive. So maybe it existed on paper only.

There is more info on the possible use of the #10 (pictured) than the recommended unproven, undocumented pack parrott which does not meet criteria of 1).

cannonmn
10-14-2008, 03:43 PM
the #10 (pictured)

That's where ya lost me, I don't understand what you mean by "#10."

The piece in the photo look like a typical-sized GAR salute gun. I haven't seen a GAR-marked one like that in the photo, but the size is about right for the various small salute guns the various GAR ;posts had made up.

Do you know what the post-thing is coming vertically out of the trunnion band? I thought maybe it was a bolt to help hold the band on.

rampa_room_artillery
10-14-2008, 05:20 PM
so now that there is record of the gun,
the only question that there is, is how much for a rifled liner for the gun?? is it afordable to build? is there anyone out there willing to try producing a few liners? for good prices?



if not then its a dead subject and we will keep with the 2.25 confederate, and pack parrot.


Rick bryan
3rd va co B
11434

R. C. Hubbard Jr
10-14-2008, 07:37 PM
cannonmn

That would be Blakeley type 10.

It is the only small english rifled gun which could be adapted to the MT. How. carriage

Bob.

barrett
10-29-2008, 11:18 PM
Apparently there's one at the Navy Yard- Barrett, 7th Va Infantry

http://www.cwartillery.org/ws-usny.html

National Register of Surviving
Civil War Artillery

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Navy Yard, Washington, DC

FOUNDRY REG# INSP FDY# YR WEIGHT GRVS COMMENTS
2.75-inch Whitworth breechloading rifle
Manchestr 46 61 6RH captured near Ft. Fisher
2.75-inch Whitworth muzzleloading rifle
Manchestr 115 63 6RH
2.9-inch (10-pounder) Confederate navy Parrott rifle
Tredegar 3RH with underloop
2.9-inch Blakely rifles, Ripley Type 10
unknown Quarters H
unknown Quarters H

RaiderANV
10-30-2008, 01:48 PM
There are at least TWO Blakely's in the Navy Yard in DC. One is mounted on a wall and the other is sinking in the mud out back when last I laid eyes on it back in 1998.

It's well documented that R. Preston Chew's Battery ANV had Blakely's. I came really close to having one save from the mud/death bath but the team voted it down as to much work. Gov.org agrement was the unit had to vote to undertake the task and not just three of us who would do all the work nonetheless. Seems alot of history has met this very fate. :cry:

It's reported they were very accurate and I'd guess by the aggressive sawtooth rifling very hard to reproduce.

Terry Davis 10639
11-01-2008, 04:54 AM
I am no expert on Artillery, but I just finished the book Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg byPhilip M. Cole.

On page 95 and 96 he talks about the 12 pdr blakely and states that there were at least 4 present at Gettysburg, but thier participation is vauge. to quote " at least one Blakely was mentioned as participating with Captain R.P. Chew's horse battery and the others were attached to Captain J.F. Hart'ts horse Battery."

Also in the book (my paraphrasing) Col. E.P. Alexander stated that they perfomed very well with the english shells, but they were a real problem when confederate manufactured shells were used. He states that the only advantage was the guns lightness, but that no field carriage could be made to withstand its recoil. "It was continually splitting the trails or racking to pieces its carriages, though made of unusual strenth and weight."

Terry

Ken Hansgen, 11094
12-13-2008, 03:47 PM
FWIW, a fellow I once knew in California had what he called a 3-inch Blakely -- I don't remember if it was rifled or not -- this was around 13 years ago. His name was Bob Hayes -- once was a State Rep., then a State employee, then ran a gunshop in El Centro, which I think has since closed. Have no contact with him anymore, but if you can find him and get any more info -- good luck.

Also, at Shiloh NMP are some 3.5-inch Blakely rifles, one of them in the Ruggles artillery line (Tour Stop 4).