Pulp
Member
This comes up pretty often on the Mythbusters Military and Weapons forum. By double charge I mean a powder charge, a ball or bullet, another powder charge and another bullet. No air gap anywhere in the load. Let's just assume a 70 grain charge and a ..49 caliber patched round ball in a .50 caliber rifle.
Here's what I have pictured in my mind on what goes on internally.
I know (or at least I think I know) that some gas from the first charge will bleed by the first bullet and ignite the second charge. The first ball will also move forward, putting extra compression on the second powder charge. But the second bullet will also begin to move, relieving pressure. The ignition of the second charge would also tend to move the first bullet back, or at least slow it down, increasing pressure on the first charge. Some of this pressure would be relieved through the flash channel of the flint or percussion ignition system.
The question is first, am I even close on my thinking of what is going on inside the barrel; and second, is the gun going to blow up, or is the whole mess just gonna go out the end of the barrel?
I also think that if no gas bleeds by the first bullet to ignite the second charge, then you'd just have 500 grains of powder and bullets going out the end of the barrel.
Here's what I have pictured in my mind on what goes on internally.
I know (or at least I think I know) that some gas from the first charge will bleed by the first bullet and ignite the second charge. The first ball will also move forward, putting extra compression on the second powder charge. But the second bullet will also begin to move, relieving pressure. The ignition of the second charge would also tend to move the first bullet back, or at least slow it down, increasing pressure on the first charge. Some of this pressure would be relieved through the flash channel of the flint or percussion ignition system.
The question is first, am I even close on my thinking of what is going on inside the barrel; and second, is the gun going to blow up, or is the whole mess just gonna go out the end of the barrel?
I also think that if no gas bleeds by the first bullet to ignite the second charge, then you'd just have 500 grains of powder and bullets going out the end of the barrel.