rusty bubbles
Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2007
- Messages
- 92
Recently reading some comments by Lord Byron- a well known duellist
back in the 18th and 19th centuries-made me wonder about the powder loads
people of those times used in their hand guns.
for instance- he speaks of the load for a duelling pistol -quote-"Place the ball in the cupped palm of the hand, and just cover it with powder,this being sufficient to kill or maim, while keeping a minimum of recoil,thus ensuring a true aim"
We know from his verse* that the duelling range was only 12 yards-
So a seemingly small amount of powder was enough to despatch one's opponent- but what about the black powder revolvers of the civil war-did thoe soldiers use a measure for each cylinder-or is black powder so "forgiving"as to be practically foolproof?
*It has a strange,Quick jar upon the ear;
That cocking of a pistol when you know
A moment more will bring the sights to bear
Upon your person, twelve yards off or so.
rusty
back in the 18th and 19th centuries-made me wonder about the powder loads
people of those times used in their hand guns.
for instance- he speaks of the load for a duelling pistol -quote-"Place the ball in the cupped palm of the hand, and just cover it with powder,this being sufficient to kill or maim, while keeping a minimum of recoil,thus ensuring a true aim"
We know from his verse* that the duelling range was only 12 yards-
So a seemingly small amount of powder was enough to despatch one's opponent- but what about the black powder revolvers of the civil war-did thoe soldiers use a measure for each cylinder-or is black powder so "forgiving"as to be practically foolproof?
*It has a strange,Quick jar upon the ear;
That cocking of a pistol when you know
A moment more will bring the sights to bear
Upon your person, twelve yards off or so.
rusty