Internal Pressures 58 caliber musket

[Charlie Hahn]

I was wondering if anyone has pressure readings for a 58 caliber musket. 500 grain mini with 50 grains of 3f. Other combinations are welcome.

Thanks for any help

Charlie Hahn
410-208-4736

[Southron Sr.]

I recall reading somewhere that a .58 rifle-musket when fired with a 60 grain charge of black power and a 500 grain Minie Ball runs around 10,000 PSI.

For more reliable data, I would suggest you contact the H.P. White Labs because I am sure that they have probably investigated the issue in relation to some lawsuit or other.

[Space Cowboy]

In Lyman's Blackpowder Handbook you can find a beautiful database about gas pressures in .58 cal barrels. It's only limitation is that they used only short barrels for the testing, with faster twist rates. (faster twist rate generates more pressure).

Sample data (32" barrel, 1:48 twist):

510 gr Lyman 575213 .577 Minié + 60 gr Pyrodex RS = 4000 psi
510 gr Lyman 575213 .577 Minié + 60 gr Pyrodex Select = 4700 psi
510 gr Lyman 575213 .577 Minié + 60 gr Goex 2Fg = 6000 psi
510 gr Lyman 575213 .577 Minié + 60 gr Elephant 2Fg = 3200 psi
cheers,
SC

[Charlie Hahn]

Thanks for the replies.

I am sending a barrel out to a lab for testing.

Regards

Charlie Hahn

[Eggman]

A little sidebar here, the truly astronomical pressures I've seen were generated not by excessive powder charges, but by bullet/balls not pushed all the way down the bore to the powder. In other words, the projectile acted as a bore obstruction. These were generally failure/destruction tests. One of the most critical lessons we can teach our newcomers is ALWAYS make sure the bullet is seated firmly on the powder, even if you have to beat it down there. Back in the day John Baird published a number of these failures in the "Buckskin Report."

[Southron Sr.]

Not seating a projectile fully down on the powder charge in a muzzleloader will "ring" the barrel at least and at worst, cause a catastrophic failure!

Then there was a "Georgia Redneck" Incident:

There was a case here in Georgia a couple of years ago where a man loaded a muzzleloader with "black" powder. The rifle blew up injuring him severely and killing an onlooker who was hit in the head with a piece of shrapnel from the barrel!

What went wrong?

The barrel of the muzzleloader was marked "Black Powder Only" so the clueless Redneck sorted thru several cans of smokeless powders at a local gunshop until he found a can that actually had smokeless powder in it that was the color "black!"

He purchased the canister of that powder and that is what he used in his muzzleloader for that first and only "shot."

Need I say more?

[Space Cowboy]

Great... "black" powder instead of blackpowder... clever guy...


Not seating a projectile fully down on the powder charge in a muzzleloader will "ring" the barrel at least and at worst, cause a catastrophic failure!

Then there was a "Georgia Redneck" Incident:

There was a case here in Georgia a couple of years ago where a man loaded a muzzleloader with "black" powder. The rifle blew up injuring him severely and killing an onlooker who was hit in the head with a piece of shrapnel from the barrel!

What went wrong?

The barrel of the muzzleloader was marked "Black Powder Only" so the clueless Redneck sorted thru several cans of smokeless powders at a local gunshop until he found a can that actually had smokeless powder in it that was the color "black!"

He purchased the canister of that powder and that is what he used in his muzzleloader for that first and only "shot."

Need I say more?

[Blair]

Space Cowboy,

It is unfortunate that many people believe the term "Black Powder" is a description of how to identify the type of powder by or through its appearance.
I have known persons that have cut open shot shells for the powder within. Only to be very surprised that the "Black Powder Only" designated arm blew up on them. But, they swore up and down that the powder they used in the firearm was indeed "black" in color, therefore must have been "Black Powder"!
One can, nor should one ever underestimate the "Idote Factor" (when the human equation is involved) when people and firearms are brought together!
Blair

[Space Cowboy]

Shotgun powder is also an excellent idea for homicide. I saw myself percussion revolvers' blown cylinder because of smokeless shotgun powder. The half of the cylinder exploded backward and hit the shooter's head. He was lucky, as he lost only one eye due to this incident...