Anti-gun activists like to claim that Founders intended the Second Amendment to apply only to flintlock muskets. But as Steve Green points out, Letters of Marque and Reprisal are also allowed under the Constitution… meaning you can take my privately-owned, missile, gun and torpedo-carrying frigate when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
In World War II, the US Navy made cement aircraft carriers to train naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. They had some in the Great Lakes.
I wasn’t aware of any in the Gulf of Mexico, but it makes perfect sense that there would have been.
I wouldn’t use a yacht with a howitzer. I’d have a medium sized cargo ship. Cruise off the coast of Somalia, wait for the pirate boats to show.
Doors in the gunwales slide open, cannon muzzles extend out
“Mister Christian! Broadside volley at your discretion!”
Smile! Wait for the flash!
Losing all your weapons in a “tragic boating accident” suddenly becomes less of a joke… “I was out on my concrete yacht, practicing with the howitzer, and CRACK!”
I’m sure everyone (especially Harry) is going to be shocked to hear this but … I have a cannon. It’s a very small cannon. A .68 caliber working scale model.naval cannon I fire it about once a year or so. I have been known to take it out on the boat with me too 😉
I read a bit too quickly and at first thought read that you “have been known to take out a boat” =8^)
Lol, that’s an honest mistake. While out in my boat — If I were to encounter a pirate vessel and I had my cannon onboard then I would immediately bring the pirate craft under cannon fire.
So I guess you could interpret your misread as close enough.:)
I’m shocked! Shocked, I tell you, to hear you have a cannon!
Ok, it doesn’t really surprise me. Not sure any weapon you do, or would have, would totally surprise me. Not even some that strictly speaking, would not meet modern goverment approval. After all, I have made some things that the goverment probably wouldnt approve of.
And of course, you would take it out on your boat. Have you put in for your letter of marque yet?😉
Cement does float! My brother built himself a 42 ft cement sailboat and lived on it for ten years.
Yeah, cement hulled sailboats were a “thing” for a while several decades ago so I vouch for your statement.
Just to be that pedantic guy: cement is a powder. When mixed with rock, water, and whatnot, and cures, it becomes concrete.
So your brother had a concrete boat, not a cement boat.
As someone in the business said to me: cement is to concrete as flour is to a cake.
No war ship for me. The slips on Winnipesaukee are too expensive.
Well … The nice thing about having a warship is you can park it just about anywhere you want to as long as it’s not a menace to navigation.
Gentlemen, in this day and age, it is possible to live the dream ….. within reason I suppose. I own and operate a swivel gun and an 8″ mortar! Both are, or course, black powder muzzleloaders, but do work wonderfully well. I should point out that a bowling ball is 8″ in diameter and they work exceedingly well in the mortar, reaching out to the better part of a mile with fair repeatability! Current downside is …. the price of black powder at this point in time is positively shocking, making gasoline seem exceedingly reasonable. There is currently no domestic… Read more »
If it wasn’t regulated as an explosive and not just a propellant, US manufacturers would probably stop making Pyrodex and sell us the good stuff.
The idea of letters of Marque granted to people fighting the Somali pirates a few years ago was brought up, and would probably still have some utility today since they are not all wiped out. The straight of Hormuz is somewhat absent of Iranian navy, but potentially shadow fleet tankers would be options. The only problem I see is that normally captains with letters of marque would take ships from nations currently at war with the USA. That might limit their utility, but Chinese unflagged ships in our territorial waters could be considered pirates outside the law and thus legit… Read more »
I’d never heard of the Puckle gun. I had to look it up. How cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPC7KiYDshw
Puckle gun was a new one for me as well – thanks!
I know of a guy (friend of a friend) who owns not a cannon, but a tank. It’s an English made tank. He live in rural Kansas and keeps it out in front of his house. He has restored it so it’s drivable and he occasionally take neighboring kids out for rides in it. I don’t think it has an operational gun.
What sort of mileage does he get?
” I don’t think it has an operational gun.”
Think…Not that you know of, though.