The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - A pressure question I have been wanting to ask for a long time.

Bart B. · February 8, 2013, 11:18 PM

Palmetto-Pride, with the right chemistry, any powder could do anything. We just ain't there yet. But some folks are working on it; probably.

The problem with small cases is they don't hold enough powder to keep pressure up high enough for longer barrels to benefit from. At least with the smokeless propellants available today. It's all 'cause of the expansion ratio of the powders used. You can't get enough powder in a 30 Luger (7.65×21mm Parabellum) case to push its 93 grain bullet out of a 24 inch barrel at 3400 fps like a .30-06 can. It's tiny powder charge doesn't expand enough as a gas to do it safely. Maybe in 27 years there'll be a powder to do that.

February 8, 2013, 11:18 PM	#8
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Palmetto-Pride, with the right chemistry, any powder could do anything. We just ain't there yet. But some folks are working on it; probably. The problem with small cases is they don't hold enough powder to keep pressure up high enough for longer barrels to benefit from. At least with the smokeless propellants available today. It's all 'cause of the expansion ratio of the powders used. You can't get enough powder in a 30 Luger (7.65×21mm Parabellum) case to push its 93 grain bullet out of a 24 inch barrel at 3400 fps like a .30-06 can. It's tiny powder charge doesn't expand enough as a gas to do it safely. Maybe in 27 years there'll be a powder to do that.