Boys will be boys.
A friend of mine got a bug to build a scale model civil war bronze cannon. He figured out that 1/3 scale was 1.75" bore, and just right for a golf ball. He spent a lot of time driving around and inspecting and sketching surviving examples of the cannon. He enlisted a couple of his students and they made a pattern and cores and set about to casting the cannon. He found out that the allow was critical, and that was a trade and state secret. So he had to figure out an allow "close enough" to allow casting and also shooting. After many unsuccessful attempts, (expensive, Have you priced the components of bronze lately?) they hit on a successful formula, so the blank proceeded to the machining stage.
Then there was a carriage to be built. Then each of the students was allowed to make a copy for themselves. When it was done, my friend took it to the local (outside) gun range. After one shot, the manager came running and told him to get out and never come back. As he calmed down and my friend told him the history, the effort and reason for making the model, the manager calmed down and listened.
It resulted in my friend being invited to come out to the club and give demos and lectures for the members. That resulted in him being invited to other places for demos and lectures. I hope his widow still has the cannon. I've lost track of all his students
When I was in college, the boys of Bennett house (not where I lived) entertained themselves by making lighter fluid cannons and shooting each other and unsuspecting visitors who came through the doorway, with tennis balls.
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