Price to get into the hobby?

[Sikorsky502]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the G but I've been reading the info on here for a while. I'm looking to start a new hobby and the military collecting is right up my alley. I'm an Iraq vet and would like to get back to having some military items to play with. Here's my question. What would I be looking at price wise to build a cannon? From what I've read something like the 25mm puteaux would be easy for parts and if I understand correctly can fire 25mm bushmaster rounds that are readily available. I don't need to buy something restored. I'm a mechanic and enjoy working on things so I wouldn't mind finding parts and building myself. Any info would be helpfull. Thanks.

[waterdawg2004]

This is the best spot for info and parts. Also try the 191a4 artillery forum. There are ads for Puteaux parts for sale on this forum, not cheap. Try subguns and strumgewher for parts and pieces for sale, and live guns, also look at cannonsuperstore. I have a Puteaux which I made live after paying the DD tax and had Ohio Ordance repair a hole in the barrel. They said a hole in the barrel can be repaired but a hole in the chamber can not. The holes in barrels where made when the guns was demilled. You can find cases, projos, die sets, primers for the 25mm but the powder is hard to find, I am still looking. I bought some live and orginal 25mm Puteaux rounds but can not find anymore. To answer your question for prices, I paid from memory approximately:
$14000 for demilled gun
$2500 for repair to make live by Ohio Ordance
$100/ round for live rounds, can't fine anymore
$21 to $58 for cases, some came really bent so I needed a die set also
$8 to $15 for projectiles
?? powder, probably $8 to $25 per pound, unsure how much needed for each round, maybe 1 pound?
$1700 die set from Ira Sellers
$500 for cleaning rod, custom made for Puteaux by Ira Sellers, could try bushmaster cleaning rod too?
$130 shop press from harbor freight to use with die set
$6000 8.5X16 foot cargo trailer to haul and store it, you can get smaller trailer new to haul it for $3000
$64 2500lb winch with wireless remote from harbor freight
$1500 loadmaster trailer mover to move around my guns and cargo trailers, instead of hooking up truck every time, worth it
$1000 Wehrmact uniform
$2770 Dnepr sidecar Motorcycle with hitch to pull it
$3500 repro Kubelwagen made from VW thing because the motorcycle gears where too high.
$$$ and who knows what else
$Priceless the smile on my face the first time I shot it.

Check out my past posts and you can kind of follow my progress with my guns. I am always looking.
I worked in Iraq for 1 year as civilian contractor and probably spent all of that money on guns and gun stuff.
Good Luck and Happy Trails
Buck

[Sikorsky502]

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the other forums. I've seen the puteaux stuff for sale on here, def not cheap, but it seems like once you get it all put together and pay for the DD that finding projectiles and ammo is the main issue. Any info on doing a conversion to shoot 25mm bushmaster ammo or the 30mm vulcan rounds. Seems like all the stuff to do reloads on those are easier to find.

[waterdawg2004]

Ira Sellers and AnonymousBob make rounds for the Puteaux from 25mm bushmaster projos. They are on this forum, somewhere and sometimes, you have to keep trying, look for their past posts. Bob lathes the rounds to correct size for about $8 to $10, Ira lathes them down and puts a nylon driving band on them to reduce barrel wear for about $15. Not sure about prices, they seem to make them only sometimes and then price them. I also have a 50BMG insert which came with my gun, just slips right in and I can shoot spotter .50BMG out of it, cheap and cool to shoot but not much kick. I use it to practice with. It was probably custom made, does not look like a Ma Duece barrel at all.

[Sikorsky502]

What about buying just a barrel for a bushmaster and having a breech made. Does anyone out there do custom work for that kind of stuff?

[waterdawg2004]

I have seen them online but I do not remember where. There where a lot of barrels out there and guys where making anything they they wanted, from civil war muzzle loaders to breech loaders. I do not remember if they where on a Puteaux carriage or a shop built carriage. Check past posts on this forum. Good luck.