I have several brass framed C&B pistols and shoot light loads in them. I do this not just because someone somewhere once said that brass is not the strongest stuff around, but because of some numbers.
Being an Engineering Nurd, I like to look at specifications. Now, I'll be the first to say, I don't have any idea about which alloy these reproductions are cast out of, but as they are made by folks who are in the business of making money, I figure they aren't going to use some high priced alloy to cast the frames from.
Looking at the strengths of two casting brasses, I see where one has a Tensile Strength of 34,000 PSI and another grade of material is 37,000 PSI.
A low carbon castable steel has a Tensile Strength of 63,000 PSI while another is 75,000 PSI.
Now, Tensile Strength is where the material breaks, but in the case of these pistol frames, Yield Strength is more of an issue.
Yield Strength is where the material has been put under load, and it has failed to return to its original dimensions (or shape).
For the castable steels mentioned above, the Yield Strengths are 35,000 PSI and 42,000 PSI respectively.
The two brasses mentioned above have a Yield Strength of 13,000 PSI and 17,000 PSI.
Any way I look at it, the brass is less than 1/2 as strong as cast steel.
Does this make the pistols unsafe? I would say no, they are quite safe.
Does it mean I shouldn't load them up to the same powder loads I would use in a steel framed gun. In my opinion, that's exactly what it means.
The normal powder load for a .44 C&B pistol is about 28-30 grains of FFFg. I would think that Dixie Gunworks recommendation of 22 grains of FFFg for the brass framed .44 that they sell would give you the bang your looking for without overstressing the frame.
zonie
