My day with my Chronograph.

[Raider2000]

I've had my Competition Electronics, ProChrono for a cupple of years, mostly using it for reloads & archery related excercises but today I decided to see what my Stone Mountain Arms repro. 1851 Navy .44 would be capable of doing, sortof a test of how powerful these loads were for the persons using such weapons during the Cap & Ball era.

My findings were quite interesting.

28gr. FFFg & then Pyrodex P
142gr. .454 swaged ball
CCI #11 percussion caps

Now mind you this is stuff I've had in my inventory for going on 12-14 years.

Standing 5 feet from the chronograph.

Velocity:
845 FPS average
Muzzle energy:
221.8 Ft. Lbs.

WOW, that is a little better than an orriginal 158gr. LRN load from a .38 special!!

How about this!
24gr. Pyrodex P
200gr. .452 semi wad cutter
CCI #11 percussion caps

Velocity:
739 FPS average
Muzzle energy:
242.5 Ft.Lbs.

That's a pretty decent thump from a weapon & caliber that was obsolete more than 100 years ago...

What do any of you think?

[w_houle]

I wonder how much of a diff it would make if you were using goex

[Joe Martin]

Those results are real close to the Lyman test that were done for the, 'Lyman Black Powder Handbook' where they used 28 grains of 3fg and
4fg, G&O & C&H black powder along with a .451 RB, and .450 bullet (450229)...

Contrary to what many may think in todays world of magnum loads, those using the old cap & ball revolvers were not under gunned by any means. Add these ballistic tests you did into the equation that they were also (just as today) able to load a fresh cylinder (the equivalent to a fresh magazine for them back in the C&B days) and those who relied on the reliability of the C&B Revolvers and knew how to use them were quite a force to be reckon'd with.

Thanks for the test info!:)

[Raider2000]

Ya know if I was in the hey day of either before or slightly after the Civil War, I deffinitly wouldn't feel under gunned with one of these fine weapons next to me.
I would imagine that a Dragoon being capable of handling a charge of 40 grains safely would produce approximatly 920 FPS - 263 Ft. Lbs. or more using just a Ball & the Walker being capable of loading 55 grains would approach .357 magnum velocities!!!!

[marcseatac]

The more things change, the more they stay the same, is what I was thinking when I first shot my 47 Walker.