Smith Carbine: Original Load Data?

Deerslayer, I agree.

Note I'm not bidding over there so y'all are welcome to snap up some of those deals. Just don't bid them into the 2k to 3k range!
 
I can already see a Pietta Smith Carbine in my stable. I think it would be an awesome Brush gun for getting that whitetail table fare. heck slinging that much lead it's probably THE brush gun!!
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If you want to kill brush and small trees get a 3 band Enfield or if you want a shorter barrel an Enfield Musketoon. :D If you shoot at inanimate objects you will be saying dayuum a lot when you see the destructive power of a .58 minie with 60 grains of powder.
 
The only way I'd buy an original Smith carbine as a shooter is if I could examine it in minute detail first.

The latch stud, latch spring, and spring screws were all known to wear and break over time, either rending the gun pretty much useless, or making it fly open when it was shot.
 
If you shoot at inanimate objects you will be saying dayuum a lot when you see the destructive power of a .58 minie with 60 grains of powder.
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Hawg, Your post got me to wondering (since I've never fired a .58 Minie ball) so I went to Youtube and checked out a few videos on Minie balls. GOOD GRIEF!!! :eek: They should have named it THE WRECKING BALL! Sure changes ones way of thinking about the carnage that must have went down back then.
 
I've been thinking hard on either an Enfield Musketoon or a 2 bander... want a .58 rifle musket, but not the full size ones. Too long for my needs. So many decisions...

Also have heard some horror stories lately of Pedersoli quality, mainly I've read really bad reports on the Enfields. Rough barrels and stuff like that.
 
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Then again.... the Smith is still more than enough for what you intend.
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The Smith cannot be loaded to the true, original specifications of Civil War era military loads. I've reached that conclusion, from looking at all the data available to me.

The rifled muskets don't have this problem.

...and would suggest full size.
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Why do you suggest full size? I am not a reenactor, I am a target shooter and a hunter. I have consistanly hear the 2-band and musketoon sized rifles shoot more accurately compared to the full size ones, do to the shorter and subsequently stiffer barrels among other reasons. Also, I'm an occasional hunter and swinging a 55" plus full size rifle musket around for the purpose doesn't seem very practical! :)
 
the 2-band and musketoon sized rifles shoot more accurately compared to the full size ones, do to the shorter and subsequently stiffer barrels among other reasons.
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I find that difficult to believe. My 3 band is accurate to minute of five gallon bucket at 300 yards.
 
I find that difficult to believe. My 3 band is accurate to minute of five gallon bucket at 300 yards.
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If you're so inclined (which you may not be, I don't care either way) you could read up on it.

Seems the boys during the war often preferred the 2-banders. They were issued typically to the sharpshooters. Even the reproductions are widely reported to group better vs the longer 3-band rifles.
 
Uuuuhhh.... No. ;)

I own/shoot two full-up Springfields (1 original/1 Pedersoli); one 2-band Zouve;
and one Enfield Cavalry Musketoon.

The Springfields are perfectly balanced, incredibly light handling, and superbly
accurate much further than I can see (must less hold).

The other two -- somehow -- just feel like clubs in comparison.
 
Well I'm looking for something shorter. I'm not going to be out on the line shooting toilet paper wads at other overweight white-haired old dudes.

I'm going to be target shooting and hunting, so don't need such a large weapon. But I also don't want to be limited to an unoriginal (reduced) powder load with the Smith carbine.

I don't expect you guys to understand, but thanks for the help!
 
I don't expect you guys to understand
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I know exactly where you're coming from. You want originality and nothing less will do. I think it's kind of ironic tho that you want originality in your single shot pistols and long guns but you were endorsing brass frame revolvers awhile back that never existed. I haven't shot a paper target with my three band since 79 or 80. I like shooting inanimate objects with .58 minies to watch them fly or blow apart and I like seeing the damage they do. I have taken it hunting a few times but never saw anything to shoot with it. It is kind of unwieldy in a tree stand or shooting house and in thick brush forget about it.
 
I know exactly where you're coming from. You want originality and nothing less will do. I think it's kind of ironic tho that you want originality in your single shot pistols and long guns but you were endorsing brass frame revolvers awhile back that never existed. I haven't shot a paper target with my three band since 79 or 80. I like shooting inanimate objects with .58 minies to watch them fly or blow apart and I like seeing the damage they do. I have taken it hunting a few times but never saw anything to shoot with it. It is kind of unwieldy in a tree stand or shooting house and in thick brush forget about it.
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I was endorsing the brass framed revolvers in regards to beginners, most of who don't know and/or don't care about historical accuracy. Pietta sells a ton of them because they are cheap, and in my experience (I've owned a couple) they make good shooters, and the investment in money is small for the novice.

I know a little bit more about these old guns than most beginning shooters, and I appreciate the attention to detail in authentic reproductions and original (you could even say reproduction) ammunition and loads as well.
 
Is there some reason a paper cartridge couldn't be used in the Smith Carbine?

How about boring out the rubber, plastic, or brass cartridge cases? I have a cheap Harbor Freight bench top drill press - seems like it would be really easy to bore out the rubber, plastic, or brass case. Have to wonder how much gain in volume I'd get?

Model12 - is that extra 50 to 100fps gained by 10 more grains of powder really going make a difference anywhere? Will a deer know the difference between 900fps and 1000fps?
 
"Is there some reason a paper cartridge couldn't be used in the Smith Carbine?"

Well, since many of the original Civil War cartridges were heavy paper tubes (NOT nitrated paper designed to burn away during firing)....

No. Absolutely not. Would cause vapurizingh nookulhur 'splosions. Bad ju ju. Many dead, many wounded.


"How about boring out the rubber, plastic, or brass cartridge cases? I have a cheap Harbor Freight bench top drill press - seems like it would be really easy to bore out the rubber, plastic, or brass case. Have to wonder how much gain in volume I'd get?"

Yeah, we've been talking about exactly that through most of this thread.

Have you read the entire thread?
 
It'd be interesting so if this could be done with the plastic cases, and would also be interesting to see what the case life would be compared to non-bored plastic cases.

Alas, for me personally buying a drill press and all that wouldn't pan out just for one experiment. Maybe someone, somewhere at some point in time might come across this thread in the coming ages and be inspired to do this?

Perhaps.
 
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