Muzzle Velocities of Civil war Weapons and Ballistic Gell

[Old Josey]

Hello: I am a graduate student at the University of North Texas doing some research on Civil War weapons.
Can anyone answer for me with chonograph data what the muzzle velocity of the Civil War era smoothbores might be compared to the Enfiled and Springfield rifle muskets?
Also, what about the terminal ballistics of the round ball fired from a smooth bore vs a minie ball? Has anyone ever seen or have a link or information on a comparison with ballistic gellatin?
And, does anyone have any ballistic data on how the flight paths might compare? For instance, what is the "point blank" range of each weapon, the point at which to shoot further, you must angle the boreline up or the shot falls below the target. And what does the flight arc look like for each weapon?
Thanks in advance. :)

[Old Josey]

I found this link with some good data.
http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com/long_ ... oading.htm (http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com/long_range_muzzleloading.htm)

[Jim_Burgess_2078V]

The muzzle velocity of a .58 caliber rifle-musket firing a minie bullet with the standard service charge of 60 grains of musket powder was approximately 950 fps. The Enfields and early M1855 rifle-muskets had long range sights that allowed aimed fire out to 900 yards so it is clear those minies could go that distance and still have killing power if they hit. As you might imagine the trajectory would be a rather high arc. The muzzle velocity of a .69 caliber smoothbore musket using ball ammunition (.650 musket ball) with the standard service charge of 110 grains of musket powder was in excess of 1000 fps but those musket balls lost velocity very quickly and would not carry half the distance of a rifle-musket. Effective range was generally under 100 yards and only if the regiment's firepower could be concentrated in mass. We in the N-SSA normally don't shoot smoothbores with such heavy charges or expect to keep all our shots on paper beyond 50 yards with them but that may have been considered point blank range for these weapons at one time.
Jim Burgess, 15th Conn. Vol. Inf.

[Old Josey]

Thank you for the information. I also found this information with some wound comparisons between the rifle musket and the smoothbore. Both had similar effects in soft tissue, but the Minie ball appears to cause an "explosion" when it hits bone.
http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/pub ... e/ch03.pdf (http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/conventional_warfare/ch03.pdf)

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Perhaps you already have this reference:

T. Longmore (1895) Gunshot Injuries: their history, characteristic features, complications, and general treatment, with statistics concerning them as they have been met with in warfare. You may find Chapter Five of special interest, and there likewise appears to have been an earlier edition (1878) perhaps permitting you to compare data.

http://books.google.com/books?id=xhwLAA ... &q&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=xhwLAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=gunshot+injuries+their+history&source=bl&ots=LDAf1esffr&sig=2VljvuJj3nyN2tmAbQeoHlkapkM&hl=en&ei=YK7TS5ycAYHG8wS7vvTEDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false)

http://books.google.com/books?id=DWJIAA ... ry&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=DWJIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA734&lpg=PA734&dq=gunshot+injuries+their+history&source=bl&ots=soIUI9bDRJ&sig=fSqvLurr6DgL44gLPE5zvruZuao&hl=en&ei=T7DTS4edB4-M8wS7n72uDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBcQ6AEwBTgU#v=onepage&q=gunshot%20injuries%20their%20history&f=false)

As you are also interested in how ballistic trajectories are calculated, perhaps the following may be of interest as well:

http://books.google.com/books?id=7f46AA ... ie&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=7f46AAAAcAAJ&lpg=RA1-PR10&ots=t6Hc5UaNC_&dq=Sch%C3%BCtzengewehr%201858&pg=PP22#v=onepage&q=Theorie&f=false)

Essentially, all a master's thesis comprises is a summary of the literature... unless you hope to read for PhD at which point the summary of the literature forms your introductory chapter. But that's also why PhD is called "permanent head damage" -- as afterwards, you'll never look at books quite the same way as you do now.

[Old Josey]

Thank you.
Very helpful indeed.

[gofight]

Thank you for the information. I also found this information with some wound comparisons between the rifle musket and the smoothbore. Both had similar effects in soft tissue, but the Minie ball appears to cause an "explosion" when it hits bone.
http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/pub ... e/ch03.pdf (http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/conventional_warfare/ch03.pdf)


Thanks for the information too... I've learned a lot hear especially about weapons..

[Joe 3rd N C Art 2440V]

Congrats. You have used the term " point blank range " correctly. It's too bad that the media and the actors have no idea what it means.