1860 ARMY & Conical Bullets?

[Jim K]

In the general era of the Civil War, pistols were not loaded with loose powder and ball, but with cartridges. And almost all cartridges were loaded with conical bullets often called "picket balls."

I have been able to find little on the origin of that word. For sure, it has nothing to do with the CS general.

It may come from a French word meaning sharp or pointed, or from the sharp "picket" pin used to tether horses.

Jim

 

[mec]

dixie copy of bullets from boxed set moulds

dixie bullets shot one handed from 30yards.

buffalo revolver bullets

 

[Bayou Runner]

Been pretty busy the past few days and couldn't get back to this like I wanted to so I guess it's better late than never. Anywho, this thread sure wets the whistle and it really makes you want to go bust some caps. Lookin over Mec's results it's easy to see why the Colt Walker and Dragoons had the top spot till 35 when the 357 showed up. Those numbers are impressive to say the least. The Dragoon, pushin close to 500lbs. of energy...that's a hoss. Mec, do you have any numbers on the 60 and what were you pushin the Dixie boolits with? Is that Dixie as in Dixie Gun Works? Mykeal, I'll go you one better..it becomes a round ball that's been rammed down the chamber! Got cha! What's this I read about the South loosin the War? I always heard it was and still is a Southern Draw! We ain't slow, we just take our time, and yours too if we've a mind to.

 

[mec]

Its a dixie scizzor mould. they have cherries for various balls and bullets.These bullet resemble those that come from the Moulds that Colt included with the cased revolvers-though some of them differed in various degrees. The moulds, of course threw one round ball and one bullet and were in play before the boxed paper cartridges were in wide distribution. The long shanked dragoon bulllets above were probably made with paper cartridges in mind. At least the long shank would provide a much better anchor for the paper envelop.

The tedious aspect of the Dixie bullet is that you hve to clip and file a long sprue. Pyrodex P gives performance very close to Swiss FFFg black powder
60 Army (Uberti)
180 Grain Bullet Dixie Mould velocity/extreme spread
28 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P 821 50
28Gr/Vol Goex FFFg 649 81
200 Grain Lee Conical
28 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P 967 46
35 Grains Goex FFFg 753 46

.454-.457 ball:
28 Grains Goex FFFg Second Generation Colt 822 55
28 Grains Goex FFFg Uberti 871 104
35 Grains Goex FFFg Second Generation Colt 855 37
35 Grains Swiss Uberti 1031 48
Same Load Different Day 1020 34
40 Grains Goex FFFg 992 34
40 grains Goex FFFg with Wonder Wad 942 30
40 Grains Swiss FFFg 1042 49
40 Grains Swiss FFFg with Wonder Wad 1055 80
The values are from volume measures calibrated for weight with Goex fffg. The actual weight with the denser swiss powder is several grains heavier. Grain per grain though, the swiss is still more energetic than the goex.

Also, a 40 grain charge is very hard on the loading lever and is a bit too much of a good thing.

Pyrodex P
22 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P .457" 725 25
22 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P .454" 712 27
28 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P 841 54
*30 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P .457 931 (lubed 1/8" wad) 21
30 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P .457 904 (lubed double wad) 47
*30 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P .457
Uberti Army made in 1980 899 77 Identical revolvers made
in 1980 and 2004
35Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P 1047 116
35 Gr/Vol Pyrodex P with Wonder Wad 1055 69
35 Gr/Vol. Pyrodex P different Day 1046 77

 

[Bayou Runner]

Mec, thanks for the info on the mould, but more for the ballistics. And you're right about 40grs. under a ball in a 60. I did it once recently with all 6 chambers. Like I said on an earlier post, I had to push a tad harder to seat the ball low enough to be able to rotate the cylinder. It is however, as you say, "a bit too much of a good thing" as I shot my front sight off and had to make a new one. This one is a little taller but havn't tried it yet. It's been raining around here everday which translates to ...I'll have to cut the grass before I go shootin.