Posted on 09/04/2009 2:10:54 PM PDT by Wardenclyffe
UNIONTOWN, Pa. -- State police have charged a self-proclaimed Civil War buff with accidentally firing a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of a neighbor's home.
Fifty-four-year-old William Maser says he was firing a cannon Wednesday evening when the ball ricocheted and hit the house about 400 yards away.
(Excerpt) Read more at dispatch.com ...
I bet the words right before this happened were "hold my beer.. watch this"..
Well, just as long as it didn’t have a Confederate flag painted on it there shouldn’t be a problem.
It says he was charged, what was he charged with? Was the man unwilling to make amends for the accident.
I’m not saying he didn’t do something really stupid, but do we really need accidents where to be no one was hurt, as long as the person makes amends for said accident, to be criminal?
Maser is charged with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
:o)
Ya gotta expect alcohol was involved.
You need a good back stop no matter what you are shooting. This wouldn’t have happened with a frozen juice concentrate can filled with cement. (Like we used to use at the gravel quarry)
If it was in Texas, I might believe that. :)
He sent a 2 pound ball 400 yards and through the side of a house on a ricochet?
Use less powder, or go to a bigger range.
During the Civil War many a farm boy on each side lost a foot or leg when they would kick at a cannon ball rolling on the ground through their lines. Cannon balls will skip on the earth if the trajectory was flat at point of impact much like a stone skipping on water.
We believed that the same thing happened when a 25th Div 90mm tank round “parked” itself in our messhall wall in 1968. Impact was 8’ above ground and we heard nothing before it arrived. EOD was going to blow it in place we said “No freaking Way!” It was dug out and hauled away.
LMAO!!! Nominated for Pic Of The Day!
+1 on the backstop. Geez, I worry when I shoot steel core ammo with a rifle. Still...a 400 yard ricochet with a 2lb. projectile is pretty impressive in a way.
“I’m a history buff and all for shooting a cannon....in a big field at a Civil War reenactment or something.”
Two things from the American Civil War have impressed me: One, hearing a cannonade from the re-enacters. And two, hearing an old recording from a reunion of Civil War vets in 1937 of the rebel yell. Fascinating.
Sadly, the first thing I did was look for the name to see if I knew him. LOL! I guarantee we have some friends in common.
More local (to the Uniontown area) cannon news
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328777/posts
and hilarious fun with improvised cannons:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/990840/posts
I might need to go to the flea market & buy some bowling balls!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.