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Hello, great build!
I used my generic "large gun" tubes for this and an older style carriage as this was so early war. Actual scale dimensions between a 32 pounded, 100 pound rifle, 7 inch rifle, and 9 inch shell gun (common on many Confederate gun boats, all differ, but are hard to duplicate at 1/250 scale. For 1/150 scale and 1/72 scale I have some rather detailed and accurate guns but with these little guys I kind of just go generic.
As for deck placement, my guess is that when the ship was quickly overhauled fittings were put on the the bulwarks for block and tackle, and possibly iron rings may have been countersunk into the deck for excepting a hook from a block and tackle as well. The gun would have simply been manhandled around from port to starboard, and so on as needed, removing the guns tackle and re-hooking the tackle at another firing position. With a full gun crew this could actually be done rather rapidly. I do not think that reinforcing rails of any kind were put into the deck as on ships like the USS Couer de Leon and the USS Thomas Freeborn. I also do not know where or how any type of anchor may have been used, the one put with the kit is there if you want. It seems to me that more then one heavy gun could have been mounted up front, but I think the use of a single heavy cannon was due more to the lack of available guns at the time then to space on the ship. The CSS George Page, another early war convert, also has a single gun mounted front and aft, according to drawings. The guns on the George Page were 32 pounders with addition iron banded around the breach, and it looks like she could have carried at least a pair aft if not three aft and one front.
I hope this helps!
CT
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