sound tests - A Cannon-Mania exclusive!sound tests - A Cannon-Mania exclusive!
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We are frequently asked,
"How loud is it?"
It's always been a difficult answer.
We are conducting sound testing for a wide variety of cannons, powders and
cartridges. The tests results are posted here. Much more to come!
The tests:
The cannons are fired in a large open area. All the tests are conducted under the same weather conditions, i.e. temperature, humidity and air movement. Each "boom" is recorded under the same conditions. The readings are taken at 25 feet perpendicular to the muzzle using a digital, sound pressure meter. The units recorded are in decibels (*dB See below). Three identical firings are used for each test. The final result is an average of the three readings.
Tests include:
12 gauge / 10 gauge / 8 gauge blank
cartridges
fg / ffg / pyrodex (RS) comparisons
different barrel lengths using the same powder load
wading / no wading; ball / no ball
carbide cannons
firecrackers
| Device | Notes | Results (dB) |
| 2.5 Inch bore / | 3 ounces ffg | 128 |
| Cannon Mania 8 gauge cannon | 8 gauge shell (12 drams ffg) | 124.6 |
| Winchester salute cannon | 10 gauge shell (Generic) | 121 |
| Winchester salute cannon | 10 gauge shell (Winchester) | 121 |
| 12 Gauge cannon | 12 ga (Winchester brand) | 120 |
| 2.5 Inch bore | 2 ounces fg black powder | 120 |
| 2.5 inch bore | 2 ounces ffg black powder | 123 |
| Firecracker on ground | Black Cat Brand, 1.5 inch | 106 |
| .50 caliber cannon | 20 grains with lead ball | 102 |
| Firecracker cannon | Black Cat Brand 1.5" | 101.6 |
What's it all mean?
The decibel scale is logarithmic. A sound which is 10 times more intense would be 10dB. A sound 100 times more intense would be 20 dB. 1000 times more intense would be 30dB.
The faintest noise at which the human ear cannot hear is considered the threshold of hearing, and is assigned a sound level of 0 decibels. A whisper has an intensity of about 20dB. Normal talk is registered at 60dB. The threshold of pain is 130 dB, and a reading of 160dB would result in instant perforation of an eardrum.
As the sound intensity doubles, the dB index increases by 3. Hence a sound recorded at 100 dB would have twice the energy of a sound recorded at 97 dB. Human perception is such that we say that for every 10 dB increase the subjective loudness doubles.
It is important to realize that sound intensity drops as you move further away from the source. If you are 200 feet away from a cannon, the sound level will be about one quarter that of what someone else hears 100 feet away. Doubling your distance from the cannon source will make the dB level drop by increments of 6.
This information is copyrighted by Cannon Mania and may not be reproduced by any means.