This is a rare and very impressive brass mounted steel signal or salute cannon intended to fire
10-guage blanks and was built circa 1898. This gun is based on 5" and 6" rapid fire deck cannon of
the period which were mounted as primary armamant on US Navy Cruisers and secondary armament on
Battleships in the early days of the US steel navy and during the Spanish American War.
We believe this finely designed and constructed salute cannon was built at a US Navy Yard or Naval
Gun Factory. In previous centuries working models of ordnance were built at armories and factories
as presentation pieces and/or to test different mechanisms. American examples of this type and period are rare
Over the past thirty five years we had seen but four examples of this type signal/salute cannon. We have found a fifth example as a consequence of having publicised the fourth one on our website. This one was found in Maine.
The industrial grade machinery and ordnance technology used to create the heavy forgings and castings for
this cannon would have only been available at a US Navy Yard or US Naval Gun Factory. While the
basic major forgings and castings of the few examples seen came from the same moulds/machines the
firing mechanisms and other details were different on each cannon. This example varies from the others in having a shorter breech block and breech block sleeve This breech block and firing mechanism in this one are nickel plated, probably to resist the fouling and corrosion associated with firing the black powder shells of the period, and the elevation screw seen on the others wan not fitted to thisd one.
Four of the five examples we have seen were found in New England. Therefore we feel these guns, or their components may have been specially built at the Newport Naval Torpedo Station (where all US torpedoes were designed & built until WW-II), or the Boston Navy Yard.
This rare cannon was built employing a side swing interrupted screw breech (like that of the full
size naval cannon), a working recoil mechanism, and traverse. The firing mechanism of
this cannon is contained in the rear section of the breech block and is activated by a firing lever after the mechanism is cocked by hand.
This handsome cannon is very finely built and very finely finished. We originally thought these
cannon were built for presentation to high ranking naval officers, however a good friend has
suggested these cannon may well represent a machinest's final examination to become
master-machinest. This theory seems quite logical considering the differences we have seen in the five examples
observed. We think it would have been a very valid test to present a candidate master machinest at a navy yard or the torpedo station with the basic forgings & castings of these cannons and instructions to build a working salute cannon solving all the design and machining problems he would encounter. Then he would be graded/advanced based on his finished cannon.
This cannon is in excellent condition and its mechanism works well. The steel barrel and breech sleeve
section retain 95%+ blued finish with some very light wear and fading , especially where the barrel recoils into the bronze/brass barrel housing. This housing and the brass/bronzebreech rings have nice age patina. the breech block and firing mechanism retain 97% nickel plate with some light age spots. The recoil piston and its barrel parts are natural
steel with good age patina. The cast iron gun cradle and trunion caps are natural gray with fine light patina. The cast iron base retains 97% original black paint/rust prevention finish.
This great looking and rare Spanish American War period salute/signal cannon would be an
impressive piece in a collection of marine or US Navy antiques, antique ordnance, or Americana.
Dimensions: OA length 24", width 7", height 8 1/2", barrel length 20 1/2", breech diameter 2", cal. 10-guage, weight
aprox 25 lbs.
Price: $2200.00
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