Thanks for your very professional presentation. The information presented is valuable and important to the activity. To me, just as important as the information is, the presentation is equally as important as the information provided. Your delivery, in my mind, was exceptional. Thank you for your effort in providing this data in a clear and easy to understand format.
Interesting to hear your facts on weighing rather than measuring via volume for Black Powder, there are many people out there that insist it should be volume measured, this is due, I feel, to the fact that volume was the method used back in the 1800s, but of course they did not have any means of weighing accurately by weight, or not in the field, but Black Powder delvers energy relative to its weight, so if we measure by volume alone we get different velocities with different makes of powder, easy to see when using Swiss ,which is heavy per volume, against Goex, if you weigh the velocity is similar, but if measured by volume the Swiss gives much higher velocity, the way I use is to weigh, then measure that charge in volume , I can then re charge easily by volume, but in Fact by weight, an excellent video which should be compulsory viewing for Black Powder shooters!
Indeed, there is much debate on how to measure black powder. Grains is a unit of weight. There are 7000 grains in a pound (which is also a measure of weight). Thus, one grain is 1/7000th of a pound. They did, in fact, have precision scales in the 1800s (see Apothecary and Analytical Scales). Then, as now, volume was often used as an expediency to dispense black powder. This is plenty of precision for military cartridges. There was no need to precisely measure the charge of each cartridge - a volumetric approximation is fine. Even today, black powder can be dispensed fairly accurately by volume. The key is repeatable mechanical action to ensure the same amount of powder is in each mechanical throw of the measure. A precision scale is a slower, but more precise, way to determine the actual weight of the charge being thrown.
Great video, been looking for percussion sharp's, (pedersoli), 59 carbine and .45 cal. sporter, the .45 sharps has no sharps bullets other than the ringtail style. any plans for a mold in .45 in this style in the works?
Great info. Just got my Sharps 1859 and this will be very helpful. Question: Do you do anything between shots? How do you ensure the last five cartridges you shoot have as fair a chance as the first five? I'm lucky if I can get 8 shots off in my flintlock (patched ball with mink oil) before it needs a thorough cleaning. And that's swabbing it with an alcohol swab between shots.
Do you clean between shots? Between charges? Not worry about cleaning during a range session? I am interested in your actual.range procedure during load work up.
Charlie Hahn, who sells cardboard tubes to use to make cartridges for the Sharps, says there is no benefit to filler with a Sharps. www.hahnmachineworks.com/html/PaperCartridge.html I have not tried using filler myself. I don't worry about an air gap in the Sharps because it is impossible not to have an air gap in the Sharps even if your cartridge is 100% filled with powder - the Sharps breech block has a recessed cavity in it and so there will always be an air gap in the chamber of a percussion Sharps.
I wondered how you kept your noses clean. :) Thanks for a very thorough explanation.
Thanks for your very professional presentation. The information presented is valuable and important to the activity. To me, just as important as the information is, the presentation is equally as important as the information provided. Your delivery, in my mind, was exceptional. Thank you for your effort in providing this data in a clear and easy to understand format.
I'm glad you liked it, thanks!
just re-watched this and thanks. I have a carbine like that that has the Hahn conversion which will be my spring project.
Interesting to hear your facts on weighing rather than measuring via volume for Black Powder, there are many people out there that insist it should be volume measured, this is due, I feel, to the fact that volume was the method used back in the 1800s, but of course they did not have any means of weighing accurately by weight, or not in the field, but Black Powder delvers energy relative to its weight, so if we measure by volume alone we get different velocities with different makes of powder, easy to see when using Swiss ,which is heavy per volume, against Goex, if you weigh the velocity is similar, but if measured by volume the Swiss gives much higher velocity, the way I use is to weigh, then measure that charge in volume , I can then re charge easily by volume, but in Fact by weight, an excellent video which should be compulsory viewing for Black Powder shooters!
Indeed, there is much debate on how to measure black powder. Grains is a unit of weight. There are 7000 grains in a pound (which is also a measure of weight). Thus, one grain is 1/7000th of a pound. They did, in fact, have precision scales in the 1800s (see Apothecary and Analytical Scales). Then, as now, volume was often used as an expediency to dispense black powder. This is plenty of precision for military cartridges. There was no need to precisely measure the charge of each cartridge - a volumetric approximation is fine. Even today, black powder can be dispensed fairly accurately by volume. The key is repeatable mechanical action to ensure the same amount of powder is in each mechanical throw of the measure. A precision scale is a slower, but more precise, way to determine the actual weight of the charge being thrown.
Thanks for your time and the info.
Great video, been looking for percussion sharp's, (pedersoli), 59 carbine and .45 cal. sporter, the .45 sharps has no sharps bullets other than the ringtail style. any plans for a mold in .45 in this style in the works?
I am curious what grain weight is the Eras Gone .54 cal. bullet?
Great info. Just got my Sharps 1859 and this will be very helpful.
Question: Do you do anything between shots? How do you ensure the last five cartridges you shoot have as fair a chance as the first five? I'm lucky if I can get 8 shots off in my flintlock (patched ball with mink oil) before it needs a thorough cleaning. And that's swabbing it with an alcohol swab between shots.
Typically I clean between each charge group, so that each charge group starts out with the same clean bore.
Do you clean between shots? Between charges? Not worry about cleaning during a range session? I am interested in your actual.range procedure during load work up.
I usually clean between charge groups. With the Sharps, I only brush.
Why don't you use filler to hold the over powder wad in place and avoid the air gap?
Charlie Hahn, who sells cardboard tubes to use to make cartridges for the Sharps, says there is no benefit to filler with a Sharps.
www.hahnmachineworks.com/html/PaperCartridge.html
I have not tried using filler myself. I don't worry about an air gap in the Sharps because it is impossible not to have an air gap in the Sharps even if your cartridge is 100% filled with powder - the Sharps breech block has a recessed cavity in it and so there will always be an air gap in the chamber of a percussion Sharps.