A Burnside Question

[Keith Williams]

Upon reading a recent thread about Burnside rounds...Have any of you noticed random-excessive barks when shooting this carbine? Has your teammates on either side mentioned this? My commander shoots one, the two of us standing on both sides have brought this up several times before. A couple of times its bark was atrocious leaving my ear ringing through the plug...I stand on his right, and I thought he was stepping or inching back from the line...but he wasn't. He does not know what is causing this, neither do we.

Bring it on, any and all guesses and information will help!

Keith A. Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav

P.S. I believe he did say...he did not feel a rougher kick when it happens.

[Carolina Reb]

Have not experienced this. My first breechloader was a Burnside that I shot for years. My backup now is another Burnside, and a shooting buddy use to skirmish with one before he retired. This is a new one to me. What load is he shooting? Could he be double charging once in a while?

[Keith Williams]

Well Carolina Reb, you offered up a good point...I do not know what equipment or how old his hopper is or the condition it is in. However, is son also uses it for his Smith and I stand next to him and there has been no problem...

Ya know, I am starting to think he maybe using it to reload different rounds with different powders, and the previous (black?) powder might be left over inside?

Or, he may have a mixed container of powder...like I said it is random? ...no idea on what load or powder type and bullet style.

Thanks for the reply!

Take care.

Keith A. Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav

[Keith Williams]

I cut and paste Eggman thread response from 2018.

Mr. Horses,
Hopefully your experience with the Burnside will be a good one. The gun presents a unique problem -- on loading the cartridge is in one end of the gun, the breech, and the bullet or ball in the other -- the barrel. Betwixt the two is a gap. By design this gap is filled by a thin rim or flange on the front end of the cartridge. This gap filling rim or flange can only take so many shocks before it fails. Without this rim or flange there is a large port available for gas leakage. Leakage like this causes velocity variations, and ergo, erratic hits on the target.
So there is your challenge. Buying new cases over time will bankrupt you. Rounds for the Civil War guys were provided by the government which had its own printing presses for printing money. Not so for our Burnside shooters, many of whom are now homeless and living on the streets of San Francisco.

Well, my commander is aware of gas leakage as he wears a glove.

Now, could this be a cartridge issue? Knowing the cartridges are expensive, the bark maybe coming from new(er) shells added into the system? I would guess, the majority of the casing have worn out over the years from a good load development and the rotation of new casings in...are making it bark due to tighter sealing around the gap? AND, if he applied powder correction for velocity within those worn shells, then it makes sense that it barks loudly with newer ones. If this is correct, then there should be 2 different load developments between old and new casings.

Does this sound right?...keep sending me feedback.

Thanks.

Keith A. Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav

[bobanderson]

I don't see there being enough excess capacity to allow for a noticeable overcharge, let alone a double charge.
That makes me suspect the use of different components, most likely powder and/or caps in the same shot string.

Years ago, I compared the different powders, the hottest being Swiss and least powerful Elephant brand or currently available Schuetzen brand, over a chronograph.
The same volume of different powders should make a discernable difference in the "crack".

I also proved there was a difference in the sound of Schuetzen caps vs RWS. Contrary to accepted opinion they are milder, but noticeably louder than the German caps.

I'm stumped. I think you made this up, Keith.

[Carolina Reb]

Double charges of target loads. I shoot 32 gr. of Swiss 3F and the Accurate 56-390A, which runs about 900 fps. There is a lot more room in the case. Filled up with Swiss 3f would get you well over supersonic, which could (maybe?...) explain the bark.

[Keith Williams]

Thanks Bob, I use to write response answers for Kamala!

I guess this will be a dilemma that Paul and I will think upon, by asking about loading questions? As I stated, my commander doesn't feel a difference as well not hearing the random bark. I know he bought a lot of RWS caps sometime ago, I do not know what brand(s) of powder he and his son use within all their weapons, they could be using 2f and 3f...alongside different brands?

Thanks to all, maybe the issue is within loading or casings?...At least we have a starting point now.

Keith A. Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav

"Destiny is that which we are drawn towards and Fate is that which we run into." - Mr. Wyatt Earp

[Keith Williams]

Carolina Reb, thanks again for a response.

Maybe he is not loading all of his (Burnside) rounds once, and his son uses it...or they both load rounds for other weapons (carbine, musket, smoothbore, and others?) at different times.

Swapping out powders maybe the cause, I don't know their situation...

I believe, I need to ask him more questions the next time this happens...hopefully, not in my ear!

I thought I would ask about this annoyance, as the other thread brought up questions on the Burnside...and Eggman had a great reply.

I appreciate all questions and replies...

Take care.

Keith A, Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav

[B-Davis]

Just an odd thought. I shot a Burnside years ago. The smaller rear block, the floating block which compensated for the length of the cartridge. Could it at times be ?sticking?, due to fouling. When the cartridge is then being compressed, and the black is not fully coming backward, it leaves a small gap. When the cartridge is ignited, could it be blowing the small block backward and that force be causing the loud crack you are hearing?

[Keith Williams]

Hey Bryan, I do not know since I stand with my back towards him during an event. I have not watched his line routine. However, I am compiling notes from everyone so I can bombard him when we are bored sitting under our tent picking on each other...you know, the same old routine!

Thinking back...it seems he does clean that section a lot and messes with it frequently...I have not watched him closely as I am doing something else. I know he is aware it is a problematic area though.

Like I said, I'll add your entry into my notes and relay them between events this summer.

Thanks, take care!

Keith A. Williams
15th. Reg VA Vol Cav