6-Shooter Velocities Drop?

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N.Y. Yankee

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Do the velocities normally drop in a C&B revolver from shot 1-6 due to fouling? Does greasing the chambers fix that?
 
Any variations in chamber to chamber velocity fluctuations I can always attribute to variations in my loading consistency. (I generally load on the gun in a stand), but my powder drop may vary a little, and bullet tension may also vary. I load with lubed wads, Quit greasing the chambers when I got rid of the 1858, nearly 40 years ago. (1858 felt like a "D" handled shovel in my hand, vs. a canoe oar... physical labor vs. comfortable familiarity)!
 
Do the velocities normally drop in a C&B revolver from shot 1-6 due to fouling? Does greasing the chambers fix that?
You could confirm with a chronograph and a controlled test. Imagine six shots out of a clean cylinder repeated five times would give you the data you are looking for, or at least enough data to start a debate.
 
There are so many variables to not only to velocity, but also shot to shot consistency. In GENERAL TERMS, I will make these observations, based on many thousands of founds fired over chronos.

Goex Powder is the weakest of all commonly available powders. Goex 3f and Pyro RS are equivalent in every gun, long rifle or handgun, that I have ever shot.

Pyro P and Swiss 3f are nearly identical, with Pyro P a tiny smidge hotter than Swiss, but within shot to shot variation.

Hodgdon 777 is clearly superior, ballistically, to every black powder (not including Uncle Joe's home brew) or sub.

Max loads, which i really do not like, are more consistent shot to shot.

Larger balls give more velocity (.380 vs. .375, .454 or .457 vs. .451) with equal powder charges in revolvers.

The pressure applied to the projectile during loading is very critical for shot to shot consistency in revolver. The more force applied, the higher the velocity, again with equal charges. I seat my projectiles with a good amount of compression, but not so much that I break the lever.

I have never noted a significant velocity change when using caps from different manufacturers.

These are general things I have observed, there are more variables, and certain guns do unique things. For example, my Pietta .36 Navy gets 340 fps (not a typo) with 15 grains of Pyro P, but nearly 1100 fps with just 5 more grains of powder. The plunger does not seat the ball deep enough for compression using the 15 grain load. There are other oddities, this is but one example.
 
Probably, but not enough to even notice. I'm thinking You have a near unmeasureable velocity drop. The Department of Commerce states a 1/2 inch piece of steel rebar will bend if a fly lands on it.I've always wondered how they measured that.
 
Do the velocities normally drop in a C&B revolver from shot 1-6 due to fouling? Does greasing the chambers fix that?
Not in m experience. I’ve chrono’d a lot of rounds from cap and ball revolvers and never seen velocities increase or decrease in a manner to suggest a relationship between fouling and velocity. Shot to shot there are far to many other variables.
 
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