A trip to the NRA Museum in Springfield, MO

D

duelist1954

New member
Recently I had the opportunity to visit the new satellite location of the NRA’s National Firearms Museum. It is located in Bass Pro’s headquarters store in Springfield, Missouri. The museum has an outstanding collection of military, sporting and personal defense firearms spanning history from the late Middle Ages to the present. This video has just a small sample of the collection on display.

I mostly filmed nineteenth century revolvers, both cap & ball and cartridge guns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKtJBzmeYCE
 
I can't believe Colt didn't think the .40 caliber Navy was worth it. I would love to have one.

Hornady makes .40 caliber (.395) round balls, and molds are available too. How difficult could it be for Uberti or Pietta to bore some of their Navies out to .395 or thereabouts instead of .375?
 
I can't believe Colt didn't think the .40 caliber Navy was worth it. I would love to have one.
Click to expand...

I would too, but I have to agree with Colt's decision. Just no real advantage over the 36 cal.
 
I would too, but I have to agree with Colt's decision. Just no real advantage over the 36 cal.
Click to expand...
A .375 diameter round ball weighs about 80 grains. A .395 round ball should weigh around 93 grains. That's a 16% increase in bullet mass, plus increased chamber powder capacity.
Not as big as the difference between .36 and .44, for sure, but noticeable.
Let's not forget in the 19th century they mostly used conicals. I don't know how much a .40 caliber conical would've weighed.
 
It's a bit heavier, but not practical vs. the .44 already available. Kind of like a 16 gauge shotgun. They are damn useful in that you can get almost 12 gauge performance from a gun not much more weight than a 20 gauge. But there's just not a big enough market for them. Just because it makes sense, it doesn't necessarily sell. That's probably what Colt was thinking.
 
Really nice video Mike - good photos (it's not easy through glass) and great narration. You know your stuff when it comes to old revolvers. Hope you don't mind if we link to it from the Museum's YouTube channel.

Thanks
Jim Supica
NRA Museums
 
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