36 vs. 44 Caliber Cap and Ball

[Voodoochile]

The fact that the debate goes back to cap & ball days should tell us sommething...

BTW, although everyone here knows this already, for the record, 9mm is ~.36 caliber (.355, to be exact, vs. .357).

9mm is .355 yes.
.36 is .375 not .357 in the time of these weapons & prior the caliber was measured by the lands diameter "Bore diameter" not by the grove diameter like todays standards.

A .44 caliber C&B revolver would nominally have a lands diameter of .440 but a grove diameter of approximatly .450 like a .36 caliber would nomially have a lands diameter of .360ish & a grove diameter in the .370's

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Technically it's 9mmKurtz vs 9mm vs .380auto vs 38spl vs .357mag vs 44spl vs 44mag vs .45Auto vs ect...

SG

 

[kBob]

Smokin Gun,

9mm Kurz is .380ACP and is 9mm Curto and is 9x17mm.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Noooo ... Really? HeeHee!

Don't stop there keep goin'..... here try these if you get tired of modern, this is a BP forum right?

.31 to .32, to .36c&b to .38 Colt, to .44c&b to .44 Colt to .44 Rem, to .45 Schofield to .45 Colt, to .46 Rem rimmed....

SG

 

[StrawHat]

I read some accounts of the Phillipines were the 45 LC was up to the task only about half the time. The Krags were about as good as the 38 LC, and the best was a 12 gauge.

Drug induced frenzy is tough to stop.

 

[RON in PA]

I'd like to go back to some statements made in the thread starter. An assumption is made that the bullets are propelled by an initial explosion of black powder and then carried down the bore by their momentum. While I don't think that the pressure curve of black powder is as long as smokeless, I don't think that the bullet is propelled by an explosion, but by pressure from initial ignition continuing throughout all or most of its travel down the barrel.

Second, the way the post is worded I get the impression that it was believed powder charges for the 36 and 44 calibers are equal. That is incorrect, the larger caliber was/is shot with a greater powder charge.

The story about the grizzly bear demonstrates the importance of penetration into critical body organs for putting down game animals or men. By the way, the Army pistols mentioned were the Colt Dragoons, more powerful than the 1860 Colt or Remingtons.

 

[mike6975]

Remington Pocket Beast!

i'll agree with tomahawk,last winter my son and i were hunting up in the mountains,a large black bear popped up out of nowhere and i went to fire my 45-70 marlin and it jammed,luckily i had my .31 pocket remmi on me,i fired it at the bear breakin my wrist insatanly!,the bullet went straight through the bears left eye instantly killing him and droppin him to the ground.my son and i embraced as we were saved by that lil beast,and than i proceded to walk across water and heal the sick in the next town over!



Respectfully,


mike(the luckiest man alive)

 

[David A Teague]

Hello All,

While the 44 would have more stopping power, there were quite a few gun hands that used the 36 cal Navy in post Civil War America. It was for the guns quick pointibility & light weight.

Wild Bill Hickok quickly comes to mind for 2 reasons. First, his use of a brace of percussion Colt 1851s Navies (after cartridge conversions were available) until his death in 2nd August, 1876. Second, the fact that he'd shot and killed a number of men in fair and not so fair fights during his lifetime. If it was just about stopping power he would have used 44 or 45 cal handguns (However I've read the gun he shot David Tutt with on 21st July, 1865 was a 44 Cal Colt Dragoon... he even used both hands, sigh...).

Well, what it really came down to is the old proverb "whoever gets there firstest with the mostest" wins.

Cheers,

David Teague