New Cannons' Ranges

[Wes]

In the USA, the original dark gray (shooting) cannons were quickly replaced with the intermediate, inoperative (black handle) cannon and then the non-shooting cannon (with the emblem on top). Now, with the Pirates back in production, we have a new cannon--the pearl dark gray ones...but did LEGO reduce the spring power in order to meet USA safety regulations?

Before I fired it, I figured the new cannon would shoot further because it had a newer spring...but this was not the case. In testing one of the new cannons, I found it has only around 50 to 60 percent of the range of the old shooting cannons.

I'm glad to have shooting cannons back, though.

[Cardinal Brick]

Intresting, though from what I remember (it's been a while) the range of the old cannons easily covered my living room so even 60% of that is quite good. I wonder though if the European spring will be any diffrent?

[Moose]

I never had any old shooting cannons, but the one i got with Shipwreck Hideout seems capable of far distances. I accidentally fired the cannon in my room and it went at least ten feet at great velocity without signs of slowing down until it hit some containers right before my closet. these things could easily shoot 15-20 feet

[Wes]

I never had any old shooting cannons, but the one i got with Shipwreck Hideout seems capable of far distances. I accidentally fired the cannon in my room and it went at least ten feet at great velocity without signs of slowing down until it hit some containers right before my closet. these things could easily shoot 15-20 feet

That's impressive. Where did you get yours? I don't see a location on your profile.

[Admiral Blockbeard]

Wow, perhaps you could do a sequel to my Shoot off of cannons reviews! If you ever want a non-law abiding cannon, look to china's pirate brands

Best regards

Geo. uhh, I mean Cpt. PB

-really has been to long...

[Guss]

I just tested my unique lego canon , a shooting one ( bought in France , long time ago XD ) ... well, my girlfriend brothers used it a lot, so it shot approximately at .. 1, 5 meters... that's quite bad I think ^^

[UsernameMDM]

I never had any old shooting cannons, but the one i got with Shipwreck Hideout seems capable of far distances. I accidentally fired the cannon in my room and it went at least ten feet at great velocity without signs of slowing down until it hit some containers right before my closet. these things could easily shoot 15-20 feet

Call be a skeptic.

[donneyboy]

well, i dont know about the old cannons, since i missed out on the pirate sets. but i pulled the thing back all the way, released, it hit my window, then hit me in the face. seems powerful enough to bring me physical pain. also it can hit, and scare my cats when i fire it about 15 ft away.

[Amiral Villenerva]

The old cannons can fire quite far, a friend of me has one of the new cannons. They look great because the new metal colour on it but it doesn't fire much worser. You can find your cannonballs back at least

[brickzone]

Well, being in Europe, all my old cannons are shooting, and I can safely say it is probably no harm if the new cannons shoot not quite as far!!! I rarely fire the old ones because you are quite likely to lose a cannon ball. Not such a big deal now admittedly, but back in the day as kids they were in short supply, partly *because* many had been lost due to firing cannons - they probably got vacuumed up later from wherever they landed.

[Adam]

In the USA, the original dark gray (shooting) cannons were quickly replaced with the intermediate, inoperative (black handle) cannon and then the non-shooting cannon (with the emblem on top). Now, with the Pirates back in production, we have a new cannon--the pearl dark gray ones...but did LEGO reduce the spring power in order to meet USA safety regulations?

Before I fired it, I figured the new cannon would shoot further because it had a newer spring...but this was not the case. In testing one of the new cannons, I found it has only around 50 to 60 percent of the range of the old shooting cannons.

I'm glad to have shooting cannons back, though.

I don't get what you're complaining about- mine shoots fine. You don't need a shooting cannon to fire it's shot 300 feet; 15-20 is enough to simulate action- they can span the canal next to my house, and what more could you want?

[Patriot720]

I don't get what you're complaining about- mine shoots fine. You don't need a shooting cannon to fire it's shot 300 feet; 15-20 is enough to simulate action- they can span the canal next to my house, and what more could you want?

What?? 15-20 feet? My old shooting cannons only shoot 1-2 feet! Am I doing something wrong?

Edited November 28, 2008 by Patriot720

[GIR 3691]

The one I just bought is my first, and it seems to be on and off as far as distance. One time I shot it a few inches and it didn't even move the break-away wall, while another time I shot it clear across the room.

[SlyOwl]

It's the angle of the barrel which affects distance. Of course there is the standard trajectory influence, but you need it angle steeply enough that the cannonball will actually slide down the barrel when the pin is pulled back. If it doesn't, then the cannonball won't go very far.

This is one of the major design flaws with the BSB and SES: the cannon barrels are almost horizontal, so the cannonballs don't slide down, so they don't work. What's the word on Brickbeard's Bounty?

On a related note, we had a discussion on how to increase the range and power of the old cannons here

[domboy]

In the USA, the original dark gray (shooting) cannons were quickly replaced with the intermediate, inoperative (black handle) cannon and then the non-shooting cannon (with the emblem on top).

Can anyone tell me why?? I've wondered that my whole life...

Now, with the Pirates back in production, we have a new cannon--the pearl dark gray ones...but did LEGO reduce the spring power in order to meet USA safety regulations?

Is this really the reason... some safety regulation?? Nobody got hurt in my family with the few shooting cannons we had! I always thought the non-shooting/disabled cannons were rather disappointing...

Edited August 25, 2009 by domboy

[HumanPackMule]

also it can hit, and scare my cats when i fire it about 15 ft away.

Really?

*runs out to buy the cheapest set with a cannon*

[muffinman42]

i prefer a shorter range, it reduces the number of 1x1 round pieces you loss.

[Scouty]

I tested two cannons earlier today and this is what I found.

I fired both types of cannons twice, one leveled and one sticking into the air. I found the older one to only have a slightly larger range than the newer one, but it's rather insignificant.

That's what I found

[saberwing]

Let's do some maths here :

My cannon from Cannon Battle shoots about 2 meters far, which is 200 cm.

A average minifg is about 3.5 cm and a average man is about 180 cm.

so if 180cm = 3.5 cm, 200 cm = 10,280cm

This concludes that for minifigs, the range of the cannons would be 102 meter, which is half the distance it is suposed to shoot.

But it also depends on how high the cannon is located.

EDIT: fruitattack was right.

Edited August 31, 2009 by saberwing

[Scouty]

I'm interested to know how high these cannons were shot from.

I put mine dab smacked on the floor with only a cannon base as elevation. As a result they only shot, until impact, to a foot to three feet.

[Big Cam]

The older ones went pretty damn far, I've cleared at least 15 feet.

And I do remember getting a few cannons from the blackbeards set adn then getting another smaller set adn they didn't fire. Too many kids were getting hurt.

[fruitattack]

Let's do some maths here :

My cannon from Cannon Battle shoots about 2 meters far, which is 200 cm.

A average minifg is about 3.5 cm and a average man is about 180 cm.

so if 180cm = 3.5 cm, 200 cm = 1000cm

This concludes that for minifigs, the range of the cannons would be 10 meter, which is a really short distance.

You got the math mixed up. How did you get 200cm (actual) = 1,000cm (minifig scale)?

If 180cm = 3.5cm, the ratio is- 180cm / 3.5cm = 51.4

So to get your cannon's minifig range is- 200cm / ? = 51.4

? = 10,280cm is 102.8m giving your cannon a little over 100 meters of firing range in minifig scale.

[Uvga]

I have an old and the new cannons and they have a same range of fire about 95 cm. (when the cannons are 1cm above the floor).