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Okay, let’s try this again.

In 1862, Georgia dentist, builder, and mechanic John Gilleland raised money from a coterie of Confederate citizens in Athens, Georgia to build the chain-shot gun for a cost of $350. Cast in one piece, the gun featured side-by-side bores, each a little over 3 inches in diameter and splayed slightly outward so the shots would diverge and stretch the chain taut. The two barrels have a divergence of 3 degrees, and the cannon was designed to shoot simultaneously two cannonballs connected with a chain to “mow down the enemy somewhat as a scythe cuts wheat”. During tests, the Gilleland cannon effectively mowed down trees, tore up a cornfield, knocked down a chimney, and killed a cow. These experiments took place along Newton Bridge Road northwest of downtown Athens. None of the previously mentioned items were anywhere near the gun’s intended target.
r*ddit

Technus ,

The only reason we know the right answers are because people like this weren’t afraid to try new things and find out what doesn’t work.

If you’re gonna dunk on the man, do it because he was a Confederate.

deegeese ,

I’m guessing the main problem is the two barrels never detonate at the same instant, so the chain flings the shot wildly somewhere in the forward field of fire.

Regular chain shot packs the projectile in a single barrel.

DrBob ,

If I recall I don’t think barrels and balls were precision machined so there would always be “windage” or some sort of gap between the ball and barrel. So not only the timings as you identify, but also differences in force between the balls due to windage and charge.

psycho_driver ,

Those are the same issues that led to my third child being conceived.

Im_old ,

I need more details please

mindbleach ,

A dead cow was involved, but nowhere near the intended mother.

baldingpudenda ,

Fuck, sights are off!

NABDad ,

Fuck sights?

Warl0k3 ,

I remember that with some cannons the fit was so sloppy you had to wrap the ball in rags or pack it in straw to get it to go any distance at all. This was just a spectacularly goofy idea from start to finish, and I love every inch of it.

DrBob ,

In Patrick O’Brian’s novels some/many of the cannons had sizing hoops. Incoming balls would be sorted by size because not every ball would fit every barrel.

mindbleach ,

The two-dollar word is sabot.

NineMileTower ,

During tests, the Gilleland cannon effectively mowed down trees, tore up a cornfield, knocked down a chimney, and killed a cow

So, it worked?

YarHarSuperstar ,
@YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world avatar

None of the previously mentioned items were anywhere near the gun’s intended target.

Reading is hard.

vatniksplatnik ,

Poor cow

DragonTypeWyvern ,

Hey, it hit what was in front of it. The solution to the being “randomly inaccurate” problem is more of them!

Rentlar ,

Solution: aim the Gilleland cannon at what you don’t want to hit, then fire!

NABDad ,

Unless one barrel misfires, then it hits whatever is standing next to it.

colonelp4nic ,

Kindness is also hard (and takes practice). I believe in both of our abilities to keep improving!

NineMileTower ,

That’s, like, the joke.

ahornsirup ,

Which isn’t necessarily an issue if your goal is to hit somewhere in a line of charging infantry. Why you wouldn’t just use canister shot is beyond me, but accuracy isn’t much of an issue if your target is an entire enemy formation.

YarHarSuperstar ,
@YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world avatar

It’s an issue if you need the chain to be stretched across parallel to the side by side group of soldiers charging at you.

deegeese ,

The cow was a yankee sympathizer.

vatniksplatnik ,

Moo!

Amanduh ,

Read the rest of the text

driving_crooner ,
@driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br avatar

Not as intended.

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