www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3...weird_news

UNIONTOWN, Pa. - A Pennsylvania history buff who recreates firearms from old wars accidentally fired a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbor's home.

Fifty-four-year-old William Maser fired a cannonball Wednesday evening outside his home in Georges Township that ricocheted and hit a house 400 yards away.

The cannonball, about two inches in diameter, smashed through a window and a wall before landing in a closet. Authorities say nobody was hurt.

Thats a BIG oops

Nothing like a ricocheting cannon ball to get things intersting in a hurry.

I know some reenactors who, many years ago, had something similar happen while firing a 3" Ordnance Rifle. The bolt hit a rock behind the target and sailed out of sight. It landed in a yard some distance away, prompting a visit from the sheriff's dept...

I hate it when that happens. Take care...
Joe

Heck that aint an "oops" thats an "OH *&^*&^*!!!!!!!!!" hahahah

Nothing like a little excitement to liven up your day....

should have yelled something like "MARCO" or maybe "You're it!"

I had color honors or "flag detail" many years ago as a Private in the Army. We went to post headquarters and we simply marched up and I had the hnor of pulling the pigtail on the cannon - the cannon was supposed to be be already prepped and ready to fire so again, I was supposed to march up and pull the chord. I did, it went boom and we marched off. When we were clear of the ceremony, the Sgt Major let our detail leader know that the canvas cover on the howitzer barrel had not been removed until I pulled the chord, then it was removed and promptly relocated to the hospital parking lot across the street at about 100mph....good times

It was to be only 10 years later that I almost ran over Colin Powell with my truck at almost the same location one nice afternoon shortly before he retired.

Good one Wiley, flying canvas = good times indeed!

Next time, hit the gas, not the brakes! And don't forget to say 'ooooops!'

I could see it now.........
"What are you in for?"
"Runnin' over a General with my truck, what are you in for?"
"Hiding donuts in my footlocker - got 5 years."............

This is good sht. As a tanker I've seen a lot of "muzzle condom's" go down range at gunnery. I even got to see a tank that had been fired with the muzzle boresight device in the muzzle. BIG OOOPs that wasn't to pretty.

Hahaha flying muzzle condom.

Bet that boresighter one was EXPENSIVE.

I just remember being glad I was not the detail leader as it wasn't me who got the ripping from the CSM. I had my fair share of those once I became a Sgt. I remember one time I was the safety on a jump, in the "Airborne" world, the safety is supposed to remain on the plane and retrieve the D-bags and essentially help the load master and Air Force crew clean up the plane, oh, and in case the jump master becomes incopacitated or falls out of the plane prematurely, you would take over his door. Well, we were flying nap of the earth (essentially hovering not far off of tree top level and paralleling the contours) - and of course one trooper had to start puking, this in turn caused somewhat of a chain reaction and the back of that plane was a mess - yeah, remember when I said safety's stay on the plane to help clean up? So the other safety on the opposing door and I looked at each other without saying a word - we knew we did not plan on staying on the plane, as soon as the jumpmasters left the plane - we decided to jump out right after them, I remember having the AF load master looking at me in a panic as he knew our plan - and I don't think we was on-board with our thoughts, infact, I think he downright disagreed with it - we jumped. Got on the ground and our Brigade CSM drove up and began to chew off about 3 pounds - he took us back to the Brigade Commander's office (Full bird Colonel) where they tag teamed us with the butt chewing to end all butt chewings - essentially the flight commender over at the AF base called our post commander, which in turn had the inevitable ball of crud rolling down hill to our commander and we were to go over there and clean that plane up immediately if not sooner. As soon as we left the colonel's office we heard him and the CSM laughing hysterically and I heard the CSM say he would have done the same thing as he had been on that plane and it was quite foul - we got over there and the plane was already hosed out to our relief - the load master stood on the ramp with his arms crossed trying his best to stare us down and intimidate us - it probably did not help that we were both smiling at him with big toothy grins. We always waited for the other shoe to drop and suspected that at a minimum we would lose our stripes and several months worth of pay - never happened - but I never had the inclination to follow the jumpmaster out the door ever again, I stayed with the bird. Besides, the CSM made sure that every jump he was assigned as a jumpmaster while I was with the unit, that I was his safety, kind of took me under his boot if you will.