Musket Tables

[mec]

In the "for what it's worth" department I just clocked some Musket loads including the 58 Minie bullet in a 63 springfield copy, 69 caliber round ball in a 42 Sprinfield rifled musket and >54 ball in a Mississippi rifle. Constructed this table:

 

[John C]

Mec;

What loads were you using? I'm interested to know since I inherited a repro Remington Zouave and have yet to fire it.

Also, does this portend another book? My wife's getting me a copy of your pistol book this Christmas.

-John

 

[mec]

Your wife is an exceptionally fine person.

the loads were fairly generic 60 grains of goex ffg for the 63. 80 grains for the 69 caliber and 70 for the Mississippi. Minie bullet, 450 grain ball, 230 grain ball. I went out today and checked the two Springfield rifled muskets with Pyrodex RS today. The minie balls were all over the map- velocities ranging from high eights to low 1000s. Not enough compression there to make it cook
The velocities with the 69 musket and patched ball were right in there with the same load of ffg.

The velocities recorded with the minie ball .58 loads were higher than usually listed with the 60 grain load. Twenty year old publications give it 750-900 fps. Different powder and components I suspect. A Zouave Rifle shot the same load as I recorded in the table at 970 fps. The 1863 springfield we used was tighter bored and is altogether a pretty fine rifle. I wil also say that my personal marksmanship with these long guns has been one-half ass compared to what I'm used to doing with percussion pistols and revolvers.

 

[John C]

Mec;

If you don't mind, may I ask what brand the 1863 is? I'm interested in picking one up, and have heard conflicting reports as to the quality of the various brands. I'm pleased to hear that yours shoots well.

-John

 

[mec]

I'ts a loaner from one of the distributors and is made by EuroArms. I don't know how the quality averages out- having handled only a few of these civil war guns but I am impressed by this one and the Mississippi rifle from the same company.

The 69 cal 42 rifled musket is by armi Sport -very good in the fit and finish department as is a Zouave ArmiSport that I shot recently. The lock components appear to be of high quality and good polish. There were some issues with the two Armi Sports- probably minor ones. The Zouave would fire from half cock when I started with it. After some shooting, it functioned properly.

The 69 cal stared out with a massive trigger pull. After some shooting the pull dropped to hair trigger weight and the hammer would not engage at half or full cock. I found that this was because the sear screw had somehow tightened up and was not allowing the sear spring to rock it upward into the tumbler. I loosened the screw and restored full function and the heavy trigger pull.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Neato table Mike. Thanks!

Do more testing. Pulleeze.

 

[mec]

I added a typical 308 load to it for comparison