Home Defense, Cannons, & Metallurgy

[timmy]

We've had a lot of discussions about home defense here, and some about cannons. I recall bringing up metallurgy regarding wootz steel and "Damascus blades."

I was rummaging around on line today and found this example of a combination of all three of these subjects here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RajaGopalaCannon.JPG

(note the description)

I'm also watching Michael Woods' informative documentary for the BBC, The Story of India and picked up on Chandragupta II's Iron Pillar in Delhi. The Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_pillar_of_Delhi

notes the presence of phosphorus in the iron, so one might say that India is the early home of the Parkerizing Process of protecting firearms! (Though I admit, parkerizing also uses manganese or zinc...)

Like many here, I often like to think about what the combination of craftsmanship, such as what I see in my RFI 2A and in the beauty of a Thanjavur lost wax cast bronze, and millennia of excellence in metallurgy, such as the Iron Pillar, Wootz Steel, and Raja Gopala's cannon would result in, if combined today to produce a modern, hi-tech series of firearms!

For sure, we'd be doing less of the "Sig jig" and the "Glock Rock" and focusing on some fine firearms. May it happen soon!

[cottage cheese]

Nice info timmy.

India has a formidable heritage in metallurgy and weapon making. Sadly our socialist jump-start, and the rise and rise of the babudom has killed most things Indians would've been proud of.

regards,
cc