Old Loads

N

Nightcrawler

New member
What kind of loads could be found for revolvers in, say, 1886? What kind of bullets, bullet weights, and muzzle velocities are we looking at?

.45 Colt
.32-20
.44-40
.45 S&W Schoefield (sp?)
.38 Long Colt (is that correct?)

I'm sure there's many I'm missing.

What kind of velocities would you get with, say, .44 Blackpowder? What bullet weights?
 
45 Colt

180-260g projectiles, driven at up to slightly over 1000fps.

Today, my 5.5" Redhawk (suitable for carry and competition) can deliver weights up to 405g, with velocity of 'serious' bullets exceeding 1400fps.

(this is worth reading twice)
 
Hi, Nightcrawler,

You overlooked the most common revolver cartridges of that general period:

.22 rimfire, long and short
.25-20
.30 rimfire
.32 rimfire, long and short
.32 S&W, long and short
.32 Colt, long and short
.38 S&W

There were also various proprietary cartridges (e.g., .38 M&H) which might or might not be the same as others with more common names.

And, even that late, there were a lot of percussion revolvers in daily use - they were cheap, cartridges were still on the market, and components were available anywhere; for five or six shots they were as good as anything else.

Jim
 
Not to mention the .44 American, the .44 Russian, the .38-40, the .44 Henry (Colt, Remington, and S&W chambered this in quite a few handguns), the .41 Remington, the .41 Short and Long Colt.
 
Not an expert but I believe 1,000 fps is a little optimistic for the ole BP rounds. I would say 600-750 fps would be more like it.

Tonight I will get out Cartridges of the World to see if my memory is still intact.
 
I was thinking the old .45 colt loads were around 800 feet per second. I mean, looking at a lot of 20s-30s cartridge load data, people often were content with some rather anemic loads. Ever see load data for .38 Smith & Wesson, for instance?

A quote from The Reload Bench:

"Like the less powerful .32 S&W, the .38 Smith & Wesson once enjoyed tremendous popularity in the private sector simply because of its availability in inexpensive pocket revolvers. It 145 grain and 200 grain loadings were rated at respective muzzle velocities of 730 and 620 fps, for the 173 and 176 foot pounds of energy."

The same website says that the original .45 Colt loading was a 255 grain bullet at 810 feet per second by 40 grains of black powder. THis is not a bad load, easily on par with military .45ACP FMJ loads.
 
Last edited:
Mike Venturino got velocities in the 900+ fps range for .45 Colt and .44-40. And that was with thick modern brass that does not hold 40 grains of powder.

Mighty few .25-20 sixguns out there, though.
 
Out of the longer barrels 1000 fps isn't out of reach for a blackpowder handgun.

I've seen a .38-40 with FFFg powder just break the 1,000 fps. mark across a chronograph.

The real question is what granulation of powder was used in the older handguns, and what barrel length?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top