:wink: 'Brought home a new "burn" barrel last week. 'Had to put some holes in the bottom, so it would breath and drain water. 'Always just shoot some holes in them; fast, easy, and a lot more fun than any other method. 'Figured the Uberti .44 WCF (200 gr./5.0 gr Bullseye) ought to do it. First shot went through; second shot something bounced off my belly an landed in my left hand. Yeah, there was a real good dent in the bottom of the barrel. 'Decided right off that I needed more gun for this job! Went and got the Blackhawk (old model) in .45 Colt (250 gr/6.0 gr Bullseye). First shot; nice hole; four more nice holes. The worst part was that I tracked oil sludge all over the carpet when I went back for a different gun! As they say, "use enough gun"! :roll:
Oil barrel test
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Reminds me of the time when my brother and I were out shooting his .36 cap and ball revolver. Set the target up on a fence pole. Took turns. As he was shooting his 3rd shoot something hit me in the chest. Turns out he had hit the fence wire and the ball had bounced back and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We move the target and kept going.
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Was this a ferel oil drum or had it escaped from captivity?? :wink:
Tough Drums
Shorty: the same darned thing happened to me three times. You would think I would have learned. Years ago I had an old S&W snubbie in 38 S&W. Managed to bounce one off a fence post right back to between my eyes. Thought I would have learned. Did the same thing with a 25 auto and a steel drum. That one just bounced back to my foot. Think I would have learned, huh?
The one that was a real learning situation was with another snubbie and a steel drum. First shot went through and through (158 gn factory roundnose). 2nd, 3rd and 4th shots rattled around inside. 5th one ricochetted off and the last one bounced off the reinforced rim and clocked me on the top of the head.
I wuz miffed. Now, this was 1966. I went home, checked my Lyman manual, found the heaviest powder charge I could locate for the heaviest bullet in the 38 Special, charged the cases with that powder charge and then stuffed a 125 grain 9mm jacketed softpoint in on top of it. Took a box of 50 back to that drum and let daylight shine through both body and soul. That drum died a fearful death at the hand of Mikey. And that was all before SuperVel was even a household word. Accuracy wasn't bad either.
Interesting thing about slow moving soft bullets - they don't do well on hard steel and formed ridges and reinforced rims are harder than most lead bullets. I guess that's why the NYPD told their Officers not to try to stop a moving vehicle with a 38.
Ya'll can laugh at me all you want, I don't mind. I'm just glad I didn't hurt anything other than my pride in the process - might help someone else avoid the same mistake. Except for the Cheyenne Ranger who should forever be on the hunt fer loose erl drums, especially the feral erl's, like the one that almost swallered up the Guest who got charged by a wounded one.
Hay Shorty: got a legit question for you though about this. Your 44 WCF (44-40???) with a 200 grain bullet and 5 grains of bull isn't much less than your 45 with a 250 and 6 grains of bullseye. I would have thought that either would have perforated the drum. Do you think the 44 would have performed better with, let's say, 35-38 grains of black powder or an equivalent smokeless load, the way the Guest's .36 caliber worked??? Just a question. I was thinking that if the 44 WCF is the 44/40, you could charge the cases with 30 grain Pyrodex pellets and get a decent load or go with the holy black itself for a more traditional load but the 44 caliber should have worked better than that for you. Just a question. This be Mikey.
Shorty: the same darned thing happened to me three times. You would think I would have learned. Years ago I had an old S&W snubbie in 38 S&W. Managed to bounce one off a fence post right back to between my eyes. Thought I would have learned. Did the same thing with a 25 auto and a steel drum. That one just bounced back to my foot. Think I would have learned, huh?
The one that was a real learning situation was with another snubbie and a steel drum. First shot went through and through (158 gn factory roundnose). 2nd, 3rd and 4th shots rattled around inside. 5th one ricochetted off and the last one bounced off the reinforced rim and clocked me on the top of the head.
I wuz miffed. Now, this was 1966. I went home, checked my Lyman manual, found the heaviest powder charge I could locate for the heaviest bullet in the 38 Special, charged the cases with that powder charge and then stuffed a 125 grain 9mm jacketed softpoint in on top of it. Took a box of 50 back to that drum and let daylight shine through both body and soul. That drum died a fearful death at the hand of Mikey. And that was all before SuperVel was even a household word. Accuracy wasn't bad either.
Interesting thing about slow moving soft bullets - they don't do well on hard steel and formed ridges and reinforced rims are harder than most lead bullets. I guess that's why the NYPD told their Officers not to try to stop a moving vehicle with a 38.
Ya'll can laugh at me all you want, I don't mind. I'm just glad I didn't hurt anything other than my pride in the process - might help someone else avoid the same mistake. Except for the Cheyenne Ranger who should forever be on the hunt fer loose erl drums, especially the feral erl's, like the one that almost swallered up the Guest who got charged by a wounded one.
Hay Shorty: got a legit question for you though about this. Your 44 WCF (44-40???) with a 200 grain bullet and 5 grains of bull isn't much less than your 45 with a 250 and 6 grains of bullseye. I would have thought that either would have perforated the drum. Do you think the 44 would have performed better with, let's say, 35-38 grains of black powder or an equivalent smokeless load, the way the Guest's .36 caliber worked??? Just a question. I was thinking that if the 44 WCF is the 44/40, you could charge the cases with 30 grain Pyrodex pellets and get a decent load or go with the holy black itself for a more traditional load but the 44 caliber should have worked better than that for you. Just a question. This be Mikey.
Mikey,
I do my blackpowder loading with a 1860 and a 1851. 'Never would have thought to use one of those on a barrel. As far as loading black in the .44-40 (WCF), or the .45C, well, I still haven't cleaned those guns. 'Couldn't slack off like that with blackpowder! :wink:
I do my blackpowder loading with a 1860 and a 1851. 'Never would have thought to use one of those on a barrel. As far as loading black in the .44-40 (WCF), or the .45C, well, I still haven't cleaned those guns. 'Couldn't slack off like that with blackpowder! :wink:
Barrel Killers
Shorty: Yep, there sure are advantages to smokeless, aren't there.
You know, the 44/40 and the 45 Colt (45/40) aren't much different. Same load of powder but a lighter bullet in the 44, which means the 45 should move a bit slower, but probably not by much.
I guess about the best you can stuff into one of those cases is about 35-38 grains of black powder. I would expect those loads, both of them, to perforate the barrel without a problem. If using smokeless, I know some fellas who prefer Unique or 2400 in their handguns but not stretching out the power factor to where it would damage the gun and I wouldn't have a problem with those loads helping you with your burning bin.
That's how I perforate mine. Works for me. Mikey.
Shorty: Yep, there sure are advantages to smokeless, aren't there.
You know, the 44/40 and the 45 Colt (45/40) aren't much different. Same load of powder but a lighter bullet in the 44, which means the 45 should move a bit slower, but probably not by much.
I guess about the best you can stuff into one of those cases is about 35-38 grains of black powder. I would expect those loads, both of them, to perforate the barrel without a problem. If using smokeless, I know some fellas who prefer Unique or 2400 in their handguns but not stretching out the power factor to where it would damage the gun and I wouldn't have a problem with those loads helping you with your burning bin.
That's how I perforate mine. Works for me. Mikey.
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