Curious Questions Regarding Cannon?

[stillhunting]

Hello to All,
Just wondering. Im kind of a land lubber in that I comb the beaches with my old Whites 6000Di so Im not too well informed in underwater collecting other than the laws. My question is in regard to Cannon. It seems while reading the info on the 1715 fleet that each galleon had different amounts of cannon. Some 50 or 60 cannon on a ship. Other ships also with 40, 50, or 60 plus cannon. My question is:
a. Are cannon considered rare or are they only rare to someone who doesn?t know about shipwrecks. Or, are they relatively common?
b. Ive read the story many times of cannon seen on many wrecks but no one seems to bring them up. Ive enen read that one or two cannon were embedded on the sand on one of the 1715 Fleet beaches and metal detectorists even today can pick up the detection of it in the sand. My question is: Does no one seem to be interested in cannon or are they just to big and heavy for anyone to be bothered. I know even if I found it on the beach, I would not bother with it cause moving it would probably take a large truck and cost more to move it than time would be worth. I would love someday to find a small one, maybe 3 footer with a small barrel if they do exist. But that?s only one of those dreams in the back of my mind.
c. If anyone has the time I was wondering: If I was to take my camera and snorkel out to one of the 1715 wrecks. Does anyone know which would be the best wreck SCENIC wreck to take a few pictures of some cannon laying on the bottom. I don?t mean fake cement cannon that I have heard they have put at a few sites but a Scenic wreck with real cannon. The snorkel swim would have to be not too far from the beach. Ive heard some of the wrecks are 1500 feet out which may be a bit too far from the beach.
d. My last question I was wondering what the difference between bronze cannon and brass cannon. Is bronze like gold in that no encrustations grow on it? I am just surmising here. I don?t know so I figured I would ask. I assume bronze cannon are much rarer then brass as well?
Ill be visiting the 1715 fleet beaches in about a month and will be bringing a camera this time along with my metal detector for the beaches for the week Ill be staying. I went about a month ago but found nothing cause of beach renourishment. Oh, well. I guess a camera would be better this time out.
Thanks, Sincerely, Jeff

 

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[littleneckhalfshell]

d. My last question I was wondering what the difference between bronze cannon and brass cannon. Is bronze like gold in that no encrustations grow on it? I am just surmising here. I don?t know so I figured I would ask. I assume bronze cannon are much rarer then brass as well?

Well I can answer part of this one. In the discussion of Cannon, regarding the makeup of Gunmetal, Most Cannon were made of an alloy consisting of Copper and Tin, this would be Bronze, but often in the literature the terms Brass and Bronze are used which causes a lot of confusion, many people using the terms interchangeably. Brass is an alloy of copper and Zinc and is a more brittle alloy. Though other metals in minor amounts can be found in Copper alloy cannon, the predominant alloy is of Copper and Tin, or Bronze. For the most part, when someone says this is a "Brass" cannon, they are identifying it as "Not" a cannon made of iron, but it is more than likely Bronze

 

[bronzecannons]

I've always been interested in cannons too.. especially the bronze ones cause the iron ones require a lot of work after recovery to restore them properly.

Most major ships of those days had several cannons onboard for protection purposes. Even some of the smaller ships had at least one or two cannons for protection. On the Asian ships you value was seen by the amount and types of cannons you had onboard your vessel.

Its not easy to find cannon of ships that have already been found or salvaged because of course the cannons are rare and worth a lot of money these days. You commented that if you found a cannon on the beach that you wouldn't even bother to recover it? I suggest you do because if it's a bronze cannon these items are worth a lot of money.

I just finished some research on bronze Asian cannons and if you would like to know more about these types of cannons and also European cannons it's worth purchasing it. The title is; CANNON JOURNAL - Compilataion of Info on Bronze Asian and European Type Cannons (1500 - 1800's). Please go to http://www.bronzecannons.net to learn more about this book.

Good luck!
Tony [email protected]