[Dave McCracken]

Got asked off line about this, so for others who may be confused about the stuff printed on their ammo boxes.....

Dr Eq is a method of quantifying speed using a volume measuring system. Yup, that's right.

Here's how this evolved, or more likely, just happened.

Back in days of yore, shotgunners stoked their scatterguns with black powder, and used the same measure as they did whisky. A dram is about an oz of alcohol, and a certain quantity of FF black.

Shotgun ballistics are quite arcane, and included some wishful thinking before modern chronographs. The standard was that 3 drams of FF gave 1 1/8 oz of shot about 1225 FPS.

When more modern smokeless and semi smokeless powders became available, they were classified and sold to the masses as X amount of those powders producing as much velocity as so many drams of FF.

Since cases and wads have changed so much over the years, and primers having higher brisance are now standard, the system is as helpful as a parachute on a submarine.

It can show relative speed, meaning 2 3/4 dr eq is a bit slower than 3 dram which is slower than 3 1/4, but it's not all that helpful. All else equal,3 dr eq kicks harder than 2 3/4, that mean ol' Isaac Newton and his silly rules again.

My best advice,ignore it. The ammo makers should just print the velocity, and maybe the pressure, of the load from a 28" test barrel of standard bore. Too much like right, probably.

HTH, sing out if there's anything unclear....

[Duke of Lawnchair]

I've always wanted to know what "dram" meant in terms of scatterguns/shotshells. Now that I do, I'm not sure if I'm a better person for it! j/k

Thanks Dave, and keep the information a'comin'! I agree with you on the velocity & pressure labeling as it seems that dram eq. is moot.

[JohnBT]

brisance??? Now cut that out. You're going to ruin the reputation of gun owners as bib-overall-wearing, tobacco-chewing, roadsign-shooting dropouts with a collection of dogeared comic books in the outhouse.

"The rapidity with which an explosive develops its maximum pressure is a measure of the quality known as brisance."

John

[Dave McCracken]

You're very welcome, Duke. Glad to help, if I did.

John, perpetuating stereotypes is hardly my passion.I'm a high tech redneck whose had a decent education pounded into my thick peasant skull.

Never dipped snuff, my parents weren't siblings or even cousins, and Casa McC isn't a double wide.

I like shotguns,pickups,country music(Though not the Dippy Twits at the moment),Post Impressionist painters and Shakespeare.

Back to brisance and drams....

Black powder is an explosive, so is the material in primers. Modern powders are propellants, and when ignited but not enclosed burn rather than explode. Modern powders are versatile, and one can tailor a load for a particular barrel,load and target.

Many modern shotshells work at pressures near 13,000 PSI, especially waterfowl and turkey loads. Black powder oft was used in loads under 8000 PSI, sometimes MUCH lower.and the shotguns of the time were built to suit.

IOW, an ancient shotgun, even one in good condition, isn't optimum for modern loads and pressures. Even something like the Winchester Super Lites runs more pressure than these were designed to handle, and with different pressure curves the barrels do not have all the metal in the right places.

Before firing ANY old shotgun, it should be checked out by a good smith and then used ONLY with very light loads. Don't volunteer for a Darwin Award....

[Navy joe]

Deflagrate is a good word to describe modern smokeless.

As far as dram, I was forever clueless until Dave explained it somewhere on TFL. Now I ignore it as advised unless it is for serious use slugs and buck, then I look for my favorite word "max". Also useful stuff to hand your buddies to shoot if they are recoil shy. My only exception is my gun and I prefer Federal's reduced recoil #4 tacticool buck. Stuff kicks like a plinking load.

[Dave McCracken]

"Deflagrate"? Sounds like something that falls under "Crimes against Nature",heh,heh...

More seriously, the current use of shorter barrels on sporting shotguns is directly a result of ammo capable of being tweaked to optimum performance in a given barrel. Older shotguns, like Pa Long Rifles(Misnamed Kentucky rifles) and military muskets, NEEDED those 30" tubes to get decent velocity out of the powders of the time.

I'm no Ballistician, but I'd wager a Flagon of Mead the powder used in most modern "Serious" loads is chosen for low flash in shorter barrels and decent velocity at safe pressures.

[Kharn]

Back in days of yore, shotgunners stoked their scatterguns with black powder, and used the same measure as they did whisky. A dram is about an oz of alcohol, and a certain quantity of FF black.

I hope they measured (and used) their black powder before they measured their alcohol...

Kharn

[Jim Watson]

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Back in days of yore, shotgunners stoked their scatterguns with black powder, and used the same measure as they did whisky. A dram is about an oz of alcohol, and a certain quantity of FF black.
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Don't use your shot glasses to measure your powder, boys.

A fluid dram is 1/8 of a fluid ounce, and a "wee dram" of whisky is just slang having nothing to do with actual measurement.

But an Avoirdupois (weight) dram is 1/16 of an Avoirdupois (weight) ounce, or 27.5 grains. And powder is standardized by WEIGHT. It is normally measured by volume, but it is specified by weight. Or has since 1910, according to W.W. Greener, which is the oldest reference I have; and that was a revision and update of books going back to 1866.

[Dave McCracken]

Kharn, they hadn't invented the Darwin Awards back then, the ones who measured their whisky first didn't propagate as much as those who behaved.

Thanks for the illumination, Jim. 3 drams would go about 80 gr of FF then. A stiffish load....

[Jim Watson]

They did things differently in those days when smokeless was new. A nitro powder would be referred to as a "30 grain powder", a "32 grain powder", a "33 grain powder", etc. based on how much smokeless it took to equal a 3 dram load of black.

Later it was turned around to the dram equivalent system.

There were literally thousands of different loads, you could specify not only the shot size and load and dram equivalent-velocity rating, but the specific powder, hull, and wad used. There were a number of small independent powder companies pushing their stuff; like Robin Hood Powder. After WW I and again after WW II, things were drastically simplified.

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks again, Jim. I recall an article stating that there were 2000 separate loadings prior to WWII, including oddities like strung buck and 8 gauge steel mill slugs.

Lots of old timers rolled their own. The high volume shooters like market gunners especially, and those who just plain liked to tinker.

[priv8ter]

I'm glad I didn't have to ask this!