Firing The Thunder Mug on the 4th of July

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 2:08 pm

I loaded the Thunder Mug with about 500 gr. of FFFg Black Powder and 100 gr or so of some old Pyrodex R. I wadded the charge with some coarse steel wool, packing it in tight and hammering it into place.

These are captures from the video of it going off.

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b.jpg

c.jpg

d.jpg

The Thunder Mug is made from the body of a hydraulic cylinder with the ends milled off, welded to a base plate with a handle and fuse hole in the bottom of the cylinder.

IMG_6847.JPG

GunnyMack · Post by **GunnyMack** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 2:16 pm

I have one somewhere, though it's much smaller scale. It's 45 cal bore with an 11° target crown- one of the guys at school needed to get a grade for crown cutting so he just machined it and I added the touch hole. It will launch golf balls very nicely!!

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 2:33 pm

The bore on this one is about an inch and a quarter. I once case a lead slug that weighed about a pound and a half. I filled the Thunder Mug about 3/4 full of 3Fg and hammered the slug home. Upon firing it went up out of sight .. a minute later I caught sight of it coming down in my neighbor's pasture. I found it about 300 yards distant from where I fired it.

GunnyMack · Post by **GunnyMack** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 3:36 pm

Next thing you'll be launching anvils!

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:07 pm

Jim: You found the slug???!!!
Love your T-mug. v

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:21 pm

Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:07 pm Jim: You found the slug???!!!
Love your T-mug. v

Yes. I was able to spot where it landed in the pasture and found it fairly easily. I kept it for years until one day I tossed it in the lead pot and made bullets with it.

Scott Tschirhart · Post by **Scott Tschirhart** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:24 pm

Hmm? Is that about the size of a golf ball?

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:27 pm

Scott Tschirhart wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:24 pm Hmm? Is that about the size of a golf ball?

Never tried it. Should be close. Bore is real close to 1 1/4".

Scott Tschirhart · Post by **Scott Tschirhart** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:51 pm

Google says a golf ball is 1.68 inches in diameter.

JimT · Post by **JimT** » Fri Jul 05, 2024 7:14 pm

Scott Tschirhart wrote: ↑Fri Jul 05, 2024 6:51 pm Google says a golf ball is 1.68 inches in diameter.

I bet my 2 pound hammer could make it fit!

GunnyMack · Post by **GunnyMack** » Sat Jul 06, 2024 4:58 am

1 ¹³/¹⁶" bore is needed BUT you'll need to patch it!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Jul 07, 2024 7:30 pm

I was out of town for Independence Day, so I did not get to use my golf ball mortar. It is a hoot!

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Jul 08, 2024 7:40 am

The golf ball mortars here are tempting and so is the thunder mug. I hadn't realized the latter actually had a purpose in the age of sail.

https://www.petersenarmscannons.com/

Firing The Thunder Mug on the 4th of July

Firing The Thunder Mug on the 4th of July

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