amount of powder burned in a given barrel

[paulvallandigham]

Blizzard. In answer to your question about a source for the formula for determining the maximum amount of black powder a given caliber and barrel length will bur, Peter tells me he got that information from Phil Quaglino, a retired barrel maker from Florida, who lived and worked in New Hampshire years ago. He in turns say he got that information from the man who taught him to make barrels, a Nathan Merrill. The formula is old, and Peter cannot find out where Nathan Merrill got it. So, I am sorry I can't give you a book to read to find this. From my testing of guns long before I heard of the formula last year, and from testing that Peter has done as he has built and shot two new guns in the past year, the formula seems to be a good one. It works for ROUND BALL loads, only, and then patched round balls at that. The formula is 11.5 grains per cubic inch of barrel.

NOw, for the benfit of other readers, that doesn't mean that you can't put more powder in your barrel, or that you won't burn more powder in the barrel shooting conical bullets, or using two PRB or buck and ball loads. The formula is a maximum amount of powder burned in a given barrel using a Patched Round Ball. When you exceed the maximum, you start sending unburned powder out the muzzle where it may burn in the air, from the muzzle flash, but if you exceed it beyond a certain point, all you get is unburned powder on the ground in front of the muzzle.

PHil Quaglino is a Filed Representative for NMLRA for Florida, and live in Havana, Florida. He holds several national Championship titles, and at one time held 5 different match records with both pistol and rifle. He thinks three of his records have either been equalled or exceed now, and that only two of them remain. He still is getting requiests for barrels because he made such fine barrels when he was in the business. His health will not allow him to do that kind of work any mroe, but he is still builing guns. He had graciously taken my brother under his wing to teach him about underhammers, and barrels. They are in the process of making a second gun for Peter, this time a traditional Side action rifle iin .40 caliber. Peter completed his first underhammer rifle a couple of months ago, also in .40 caliber. Phil also keeps up with his archery shooting, and still enters local matches for bow and arrow. He holds many trophies, medals, and ribbons for his archery prowess over the years.

 

[paulvallandigham]

When I do work as an expert witness for other lawyers, I do charge them, which they then bill to their clients. When I get a call from another lawyer for consulting advice, I generally do not charge them. Instead, they " owe me " a favor, and I consult them when I need to know something that is in a area of law they practice in alot, at no charge. It works so that clients get the very best advice. In fact, that is one question that the public should ask a lawyer when they are interviewing the lawyer to see if they want to hire him/her to represent them: do you have other lawyers that you consult about cases when it gets into an area of law that you are not familiar with?

I do the same about guns. Like asking questions on this forum, I have several friends I have made over the years who are experts on one kind of gun or another. Some are gunsmiths. Some work only on their own guns and those of family or friends, but don't do any commercial work at all. I know their phone mumbers, and what they work on, and when they need advice or help from a lawyer I help them at no charge, or at a reduced rate.