stubbicatt
New member
So I have a 1911 clone and a S&W revolver in 45 ACP. Usually I load right at 5 grains under a 200 grain H&G #68 SWC.
For grins I used a starting load of 4.4 grains under the same bullet. Lower recoil for more pleasant shooting, and for introducing others to the hobby.
What is odd is that in the revolver there were quite a few unburned kernels of powder left behind in the empties, which I did not notice in the 1911. I reckon I'll up the charge to 4.6 grains to see if I can alleviate this issue. But that's not what has me pickled.
What has me pickled is why, in the revolver there would be unburnt powder, but in the auto pistol there isn't? I supposed at first that perhaps it all gets blown out the barrel of the auto, or perhaps tossed out of the gyrating cases upon ejection. But then I got to thinking perhaps it is a pressure question. Perhaps the working pressures in the revolver are less as the bullets leave the cases, traverse the relatively long, smooth, chambers, before hitting the constriction of the forcing cone, whereas in the auto pistol the bullet immediately engages the constriction of the rifled bore? The net effect being that the revolver's design affects the round's ability to build pressures sufficient to successfully burn all the propellant, at these comparatively low, starting pressure, charge weights.
What say ye?
For grins I used a starting load of 4.4 grains under the same bullet. Lower recoil for more pleasant shooting, and for introducing others to the hobby.
What is odd is that in the revolver there were quite a few unburned kernels of powder left behind in the empties, which I did not notice in the 1911. I reckon I'll up the charge to 4.6 grains to see if I can alleviate this issue. But that's not what has me pickled.
What has me pickled is why, in the revolver there would be unburnt powder, but in the auto pistol there isn't? I supposed at first that perhaps it all gets blown out the barrel of the auto, or perhaps tossed out of the gyrating cases upon ejection. But then I got to thinking perhaps it is a pressure question. Perhaps the working pressures in the revolver are less as the bullets leave the cases, traverse the relatively long, smooth, chambers, before hitting the constriction of the forcing cone, whereas in the auto pistol the bullet immediately engages the constriction of the rifled bore? The net effect being that the revolver's design affects the round's ability to build pressures sufficient to successfully burn all the propellant, at these comparatively low, starting pressure, charge weights.
What say ye?
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