.36 Colt Navy that powerful??????

Rifleman1776 · Feb 29, 2024

Watched an episode of 'Hollywood Guns, Fact or Fiction' last night. One of their tests 'proved' a .36 cal. Colt Navy c&b revolver was a lot (a real lot) more powerful than I personally would have thought. They fired a lead round ball, with real bp, from a distance of about 30 feet at a ballistic gel torso, with bone structure, and another torso behind it. The round hit about one inch below the sternum bone, penetrated the torso completely and lodged about halfway into the backing torso. That is some powerful penetration. It is what happened on their TV test. But, personally, I would not depend on that little .36 cal. pill to be that effective from a pistol with it's small charge.

Eutycus · Feb 29, 2024

The Army thought it had to be a big chunk of lead like a .58 caliber to be a man stopper. Then it went down to .45. Then 30 caliber, now it's 22. Granted those were rifles, but I think a .36 would "do the job". I wouldn't care to try and stop one .

azmntman · Feb 29, 2024

I need comparisons. I have heard they are equal to a .38 special??

SDSmlf · Feb 29, 2024

Rifleman1776 said:
Watched an episode of 'Hollywood Guns, Fact or Fiction' last night. One of their tests 'proved' a .36 cal. Colt Navy c&b revolver was a lot (a real lot) more powerful than I personally would have thought. They fired a lead round ball, with real bp, from a distance of about 30 feet at a ballistic gel torso, with bone structure, and another torso behind it. The round hit about one inch below the sternum bone, penetrated the torso completely and lodged about halfway into the backing torso. That is some powerful penetration. It is what happened on their TV test. But, personally, I would not depend on that little .36 cal. pill to be that effective from a pistol with it's small charge.

80 grain lead roundball at 1000 FPS isn’t something to trifle with. Favorite of Hickok and others even after cartridge guns were available.

Phil Coffins · Feb 29, 2024

azmntman said:
I need comparisons. I have heard they are equal to a .38 special??

A 44 with round ball in a revolver is equivalent to a 38 special in bullet weight and velocity. Those are just numbers and I wonder if the larger diameter would be more effective. The 36 is enough but these days we are accustomed to much more powerful pistols. Not engaging in a lot of gun fights has been my policy!

jrweis1997 · Feb 29, 2024

Nobody who ever got shot with a .36 ever said "wow is that it?"

William P Sepessy · Feb 29, 2024

When the topic of 51 Navy effectiveness in combat comes up, I always refer back to Elmer Keith's comments. As a young boy, Keith received shooting instruction from two Civil War veterans, one from each side of the conflict. Both gentleman praised the round ball load and claimed it more effective on human targets than the then available 38 Special loads. Since both gentleman had extensive experience in the War, I will trust their judgement.

Eutycus · Feb 29, 2024

Small bullet placement is just about as good as a big bullet, I would say.

springfield art · Feb 29, 2024

azmntman said:
I need comparisons. I have heard they are equal to a .38 special??

More or less. Many guys have played around with them for fun. Like the 75 yard Wild Bill shot, which must have gone into the bad guy below the sternum? Do they even know? The forensics was pretty bad back then!

springfield art · Feb 29, 2024

springfield art said:
More or less. Many guys have played around with them for fun. Like the 75 yard Wild Bill shot, which must have gone into the bad guy below the sternum? Do they even know? The forensics was pretty bad back then!

Eutycus · Feb 29, 2024

Not a whole lot of difference between a .36 and a .38. (.357)

SDSmlf · Feb 29, 2024

Eutycus said:
Not a whole lot of difference between a .36 and a .38. (.357)

Actually typically use .375” and .380” diameter roundballs in my 36 caliber cap and ball guns.

Smokerr · Feb 29, 2024

The Army thought it had to be a big chunk of lead like a .58 caliber to be a man stopper. Then it went down to .45. Then 30 caliber, now it's 22. Granted those were rifles, but I think a .36 would "do the job". I wouldn't care to try and stop one .

I don't want to get hit with anything, a 2 x 4 can hurt a lot.

Currently the Army is working on a 6.8 mm (that is .270 I think) caliber new rifle. Its really a 308 case (7.62 NATO) necked down. Have to see how it all plays out. But they went to bullets that poke holes in things a long time ago. You can't get material penetration and a game like mushroom affect in the same bullet.

As one poster noted, its all about shot placement and what you are comfortable with (if anything). Diameter is meaningless, mushrooming as a factor but only if it occurs.

Rawhide67 · Mar 1, 2024

There was a thread not too long ago from a guy that killed a deer with a 36 revolver. Surprised me.

TrophyGuy · Mar 1, 2024

We all extoll the virtues of our favorite smoke pole, ignoring numbers. That's OK. We shoot for fun. Back in the days when Dirty Harry's "most powerful handgun in the world" was touted as adequate to dispatch anything, a realist observed that it was ballistically inferior to the humble thirty-thirty that grandpa used. I heard the same sort of comparison to the .36 C&B as being ballistically inferior to a .380 ACP shot from a tiny plastic mouse gun concealable in the palm of your hand. Wouldn't want anything that goes bang to hit me, but there is a measure of reality in all this fun shooting that supersedes nostalgia and legend. All that said, my Navy six looks more elegant in my hand than the plastic fantastic ten shot EDC I conceal.

Griff093 · Mar 1, 2024

The .36 caliber with round ball or conical killed, wounded and/or maimed quite few during the Civil War... Even with only 13/15 grains of powder I use in cowboy action matches, I've had no volunteers to act as targets amongst those that have poo-pooed my revolver choice.

Eutycus · Mar 1, 2024

TrophyGuy said:
We all extoll the virtues of our favorite smoke pole, ignoring numbers. That's OK. We shoot for fun. Back in the days when Dirty Harry's "most powerful handgun in the world" was touted as adequate to dispatch anything, a realist observed that it was ballistically inferior to the humble thirty-thirty that grandpa used. I heard the same sort of comparison to the .36 C&B as being ballistically inferior to a .380 ACP shot from a tiny plastic mouse gun concealable in the palm of your hand. Wouldn't want anything that goes bang to hit me, but there is a measure of reality in all this fun shooting that supersedes nostalgia and legend. All that said, my Navy six looks more elegant in my hand than the plastic fantastic ten shot EDC I conceal.

I agree on the Navy , it does look elegant but who's to say a small EDC can't look sharp as well? Except for plastic,in my opinion. There just isn't much elegance in "plastic guns". You just can't put "plastic" and "elegant" in the same sentence.

Bad Karma · Mar 1, 2024

At close range I would expect a sudden stop if the shot was placed right. I don’t want to be on either end of that deal…

Whitworth · Mar 1, 2024

springfield art said:
More or less. Many guys have played around with them for fun. Like the 75 yard Wild Bill shot, which must have gone into the bad guy below the sternum? Do they even know? The forensics was pretty bad back then!

To keep it short, Tutt was hit between the 5th and 6th rib if memory serves me correctly and was drilled thru the heart, took a few steps onto a hotel porch and shouted he was killed and then died. I have my own 75 yard Davis Tutt challenge on my range and can smack it fairly regularly with my Navy. It will give my 8 inch barrel .38 S&W Target Masterpiece a run for it's money accuracy wise. YMMV

BeardedGunsmith · Mar 1, 2024

E will always equal mc squared, regardless of what platform the projectile exits from or what propellant pushes it.

.36 Colt Navy that powerful??????

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