gsp7
.30 Stingray
Posts: 421
|
Post by gsp7 on Mar 28, 2020 11:11:58 GMT -5
good stuff
|
|
|
Post by bryanaustin on Mar 28, 2020 14:04:02 GMT -5
bryanaustin.... thank you for the history. Have you any dope on Semi-Smokeless? I had a can years ago, guessing from early 1900’s. Don’t remember the brand, thinking DuPont. Do remember label did not say Lesmoke. I used Semi-Smokeless in a mortar, with a good pinch of Black Powder as a booster. Lit by safety fuse----underwater dynamite fuse----the Semi-Smokeless probably didn’t need a booster. And the mortar didn’t need Semi-Smokeless, either, as it blew the 4-inch seamless steel tube to pieces, crushing grill, radiator, and windshield on a nearby Ford station wagon. Intuition told me to order people nearby to hit the dirt, and no one was hurt. Without doubt, the Semi-Smokeless had much more energy than black powder. The Semi-Smokeless was in a 1-pound can with a small screw cap, same as other reloading p[ropellants of the time. David Bradshaw Was that King's Smoekeless?
|
|
|
Post by rleprechaun on Mar 28, 2020 17:14:35 GMT -5
I fired some black powder loads in my 45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk. 38 gr.FFF in solid head cases 250gr. commercial cast bullets LPM primers, 950fps. Totally gummed up the gun. Had to completely disassemble and clean gun.
|
|
|
Post by rleprechaun on Mar 28, 2020 17:15:43 GMT -5
Phil Sharps 1937 Cartridge reloading is very interesting reading.
|
|
|
Post by bryanaustin on Mar 28, 2020 23:03:27 GMT -5
I fired some black powder loads in my 45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk. 38 gr.FFF in solid head cases 250gr. commercial cast bullets LPM primers, 950fps. Totally gummed up the gun. Had to completely disassemble and clean gun. You need lead bullets with black powder lube. For cowboy action shooting were one needs to shoot 100 rounds, 50 revolver (25 each) and 50 rifle, one needs lead bullets with a large lube groove. This keeps the fouling soft. www.whyteleatherworks.com/BigLube.html
|
|
davet
.30 Stingray
Posts: 112
|
Post by davet on Mar 31, 2020 14:32:47 GMT -5
Someone should probably write a book about the black powder loadings of the 45 Colt. The original 40g FFg load pushed a 255g RNFP at 910 fps from the 7.5" SAA issued by Ordnance. I've read that some of the earliest, cast iron cylinders let go with this charge. I'm not convinced the cylinders were actually "cast iron" but they certainly were soft steel. More believable to me is that the troops complained about the recoil. I've fired exact duplicates of the original in NOS balloon head cases. The recoil, roar, flame, and smoke is all violent to the uninitiated.
Ordnance dropped the powder charge to 30g as stated above pushing a 250g bullet. That lasted until the whole Schofield experiment started. The S&W, taking a shorter cartridge would not chamber the issue 45 Colt ammo. S4 (supply) being what it always was and will be, units armed with the S&W got the longer ammo and units with the Colt got the shorter stuff. Instead of dropping the Schofield idea, which they eventually did, bureaucratic minds decided the standard issue should be a new, shorter round that would work in both. The 45 Schofield round loaded a 230g bullet over 28g of black powder. The new round eventually ended up being the same thing, pushing the 230g RNFP at about 800-850 fps, the forerunner of the specification for 230 Ball 45 ACP.
The civilian history of the black powder 45 Colt is even longer. My arthritic fingers are tired of typing and this is a little off topic anyway.
Dave
|
|
|
Post by bryanaustin on Apr 5, 2020 19:29:29 GMT -5
Someone should probably write a book about the black powder loadings of the 45 Colt. The original 40g FFg load pushed a 255g RNFP at 910 fps from the 7.5" SAA issued by Ordnance. I've read that some of the earliest, cast iron cylinders let go with this charge. I'm not convinced the cylinders were actually "cast iron" but they certainly were soft steel. More believable to me is that the troops complained about the recoil. I've fired exact duplicates of the original in NOS balloon head cases. The recoil, roar, flame, and smoke is all violent to the uninitiated. Ordnance dropped the powder charge to 30g as stated above pushing a 250g bullet. That lasted until the whole Schofield experiment started. The S&W, taking a shorter cartridge would not chamber the issue 45 Colt ammo. S4 (supply) being what it always was and will be, units armed with the S&W got the longer ammo and units with the Colt got the shorter stuff. Instead of dropping the Schofield idea, which they eventually did, bureaucratic minds decided the standard issue should be a new, shorter round that would work in both. The 45 Schofield round loaded a 230g bullet over 28g of black powder. The new round eventually ended up being the same thing, pushing the 230g RNFP at about 800-850 fps, the forerunner of the specification for 230 Ball 45 ACP. The civilian history of the black powder 45 Colt is even longer. My arthritic fingers are tired of typing and this is a little off topic anyway. Dave Great information!!! Yeap, the charge was dropped to 30gr in less than a year when it was introduced. I have seen little early 45 Colt civilian history. I just never got around to it. I would like to read what you have to say.....!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by bradshaw on Apr 5, 2020 20:22:33 GMT -5
David Bradshaw: The Semi-Smokeless was in a 1-pound can with a small screw cap, same as other reloading p[ropellants of the time.
Bryan Austin: Was that King's Smoekeless?
*****
Label on can said Semi-Smokeless. Believe DuPont. Certainly didn’t say King’s. And certainly developed more pressure than black powder. David Bradshaw
|
|