CAP AND BALL SLOW MOTION VIDEO

[Henry Miles]

Everybody seems to have their own belief about how a chain fire occurs. I'm posting this video to show where all the fire and hot gas actually occur during firing. Watch it for yourself and see. This is just a video in slow motion. I hope your caps fit tightly and don't fall off!

 

[B P Arn]

That should settle the chain fire argument once and for all (but it won't).

Notice that the recoil does not begin until after the bullet has left the barrel, not at the moment of ignition, as is commonly believed.

 

[tenngun]

Didn’t some Brit named Ike something figure that out in the seventeenth century?

 

[kje54]

That should settle the chain fire argument once and for all (but it won't).

Notice that the recoil does not begin until after the bullet has left the barrel; not at the moment of ignition, as is common;y believed.

No it won't...........

 

[ZUG]

Yea -- some people are just stubborn and will not accept the idea of the chain fire starting at the nipple end of the cylinder ☹

 

[snuffy19608]

I didn't used to, but that just changed my mind. Thank you so much, I need to show my son for when he shoots with me.

 

[TFoley]

Slow down the slowed down section for the REAL effect!!! It's an eye-opener for sure!

 

[CAndersen]

Very interesting!

 

[M. De Land]

That should settle the chain fire argument once and for all (but it won't).

Notice that the recoil does not begin until after the bullet has left the barrel, not at the moment of ignition, as is commonly believed.

Well, the ball hitting the forcing cone partially counter acts the recoil along with the ball mass friction moving up bore. When it clears the muzzle than only the recoil inertia/energy is left and at work with nothing to counter it. Also you will find some gas escapement ahead of the ball along with bore lube being vaporized at the muzzle before the ball actually clears the muzzle. This is powder gas escaping around and ahead of the ball, compressed bore air and vaporized lube.

 

[Dashing Leper]

If it's slo-mo video of 1860 Army revolvers you want, then that's what you get:



Advance to the 6:40 mark if you want to see the guns firing. Every ignition spark is flying straight up, not out. As if the cutouts around the nipple have some role in deflecting the flash away from the other chambers.

 

[Zonie]

...

Advance to the 6:40 mark if you want to see the guns firing. Every ignition spark is flying straight up, not out. As if the cutouts around the nipple have some role in deflecting the flash away from the other chambers.

That is exactly what the cutouts are for.
On the original Colt Paterson pistol, there was a metal shield around the outside of the cylinder. Chain firing was often encountered, just like the Pepperboxes of the day with the same sort of shielding.
Colt removed the metal shield and although chain fires were fewer, they still often occurred.
To keep this from happening, colt machined the cutouts in the cylinder for the nipples and this seemed to make chain firings a rare thing.
Colt, being the shrewd man that he was, Patented the idea of having a "dam" between the nipples on revolving guns to prevent chain firing, in this case, the cutout forming the "dam".

Over the years that followed this, several different gun companies tried using cutouts for the nipples and raised metal tabs between the nipples to reduce chain firing. Colt sued each of them for violating his Patent, and won.

 

[russellshaffer]

There is a factor called "barrel time". A heavy recoiling rifle will shoot higher with lower velocity loads because the muzzle will rise slightly with the bullet still in the bore. A pistol that has some appreciable recoil shoots to different points depending on the shooter's grip. If it didn't recoil until the bullet had left the barrel it wouldn't matter if you used a loose or tight grip. So I have to respectfully disagree with M. De Land. Just disagree, not arguing. After all, maybe he is right and I am wrong. Besides, he can probably out shoot me. I agree that the video doesn't show any noticeable recoil before the bullet leaves, but it takes only a very tiny movement to make a big difference in the impact point. That's one reason I'm not a very good shot. I forgot to say that this is a great video.

 

[Blitz]

Everybody seems to have their own belief about how a chain fire occurs. I'm posting this video to show where all the fire and hot gas actually occur during firing. Watch it for yourself and see. This is just a video in slow motion. I hope your caps fit tightly and don't fall off!

There is a factor called "barrel time". A heavy recoiling rifle will shoot higher with lower velocity loads because the muzzle will rise slightly with the bullet still in the bore. A pistol that has some appreciable recoil shoots to different points depending on the shooter's grip. If it didn't recoil until the bullet had left the barrel it wouldn't matter if you used a loose or tight grip. So I have to respectfully disagree with M. De Land. Just disagree, not arguing. After all, maybe he is right and I am wrong. Besides, he can probably out shoot me. I agree that the video doesn't show any noticeable recoil before the bullet leaves, but it takes only a very tiny movement to make a big difference in the impact point. That's one reason I'm not a very good shot. I forgot to say that this is a great video.

That`s what Sam C0lt said, must have had slo mo vision.
Buzz

 

[Dashing Leper]

You have recoil, and then you have blowback. You get recoil soon as the ball gets rolling. You get blowback when the ball leaves the bore and the barrel pressure all escapes out the muzzle.

 

[Blitz]

You have recoil, and then you have blowback. You get recoil soon as the ball gets rolling. You get blowback when the ball leaves the bore and the barrel pressure all escapes out the muzzle.

 

[Blitz]

Yeah! And the point is? Has that something to do with the video showing cap flash from ignition?
My take from video is cap flash showing what Sam Colt was alluding to when he mentions chainfires originating at the back of the cylinder not the front as so many are wont to believe.
Buzz

 

[M. De Land]

There is a factor called "barrel time". A heavy recoiling rifle will shoot higher with lower velocity loads because the muzzle will rise slightly with the bullet still in the bore. A pistol that has some appreciable recoil shoots to different points depending on the shooter's grip. If it didn't recoil until the bullet had left the barrel it wouldn't matter if you used a loose or tight grip. So I have to respectfully disagree with M. De Land. Just disagree, not arguing. After all, maybe he is right and I am wrong. Besides, he can probably out shoot me. I agree that the video doesn't show any noticeable recoil before the bullet leaves, but it takes only a very tiny movement to make a big difference in the impact point. That's one reason I'm not a very good shot. I forgot to say that this is a great video.

Well grip and point of impact register is more involved than just recoil response. In the fist place consistent grip has more to do with trigger release initially than wither the grip is loose or firm. Consistency in grip and trigger manipulation is far more important to accuracy than when the recoil response occurs. Grip the gun and release the trigger the same each time on target and you will have accuracy, given a descent load.

 

[russellshaffer]

Excellent point about consistency. I see that most of the flash from the cap end seems to go straight up. So, does an 1858 with a top strap put even more of that flash down and around the back of the cylinder? Does an 1858 chain fire more often than a Colt? That top strap should be deflecting more flash downward from both ends of the cylinder no matter which end starts the chain fire. I sure see why you want your hand behind the cylinder on a revolving rifle.

 

[Dashing Leper]

Yeah! And the point is? Has that something to do with the video showing cap flash from ignition?
My take from video is cap flash showing what Sam Colt was alluding to when he mentions chainfires originating at the back of the cylinder not the front as so many are wont to believe.
Buzz

When you quote someone talking about barrel rise under recoil and then someone replies about barrel rise under recoil+blowback, you do not have the ground to get all indignant about how there'e no mention of chain fire going on.

 

[Henry Miles]

As the original poster, I intended to show how much more fire is circulating around the rear of the cylinder than the front. Nothing about recoil or how many guns can you tie to a tree (WTH?)