Smoke Rings

[Kapow]

I have been getting to the local range a fair bit lately and to my pleasant surprise there are always a few other black powder fiends there.

The guy next to me was shooting a .58 Zouave rifle with 60gn FFg behind minis. On one of his shots the most perfect 12 inch smoke ring was formed and continued travelling for about 30 odd feet. It would have been a great thing to capture on video.

It was a cool but perfectly still sunny morning about 15 degrees C. Just wondering if this is a common occurrence and any mad scientist theories behind the cause? It was the first time I have seen or heard of it and it was quite mesmerising.

 

[Cleburne]

I can't explain why, but it's not been uncommon to get an occassional smoke ring when firing my .44 cal Remington New Army. Brings "oouu's" and "ahhhh's" at cowboy matches.

I've seen 'em too at Civil War re-enactments from artillery pieces. Very special.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Smoke Rings happen when all the BP gods are in agreement, that it will be a good day at the range.
All things will go well!
No dry balls, no klatches, flints will last forever, ram rods will not get stuck or broke and caps won't be wet. :slap:
And that's what I know!
Fred

 

[hawkeye2]

They are fairly common and I believe the temperature and primarily the humidity contribute to them. The USS Missouri could produce some that were truly impressive.

 

[Treestalker]

Some years ago at Vinita Ok. I was with the First Arkansas Light Artillery at a reenactment. we were in the middle of a large cut over corn field. One of our 6-pounders blew out a magnificent 6 foot wide smoke ring that lasted and lasted. Everybody was impressed. The air was cool, almost chilly October, I think. We were told it was a combination of temperature, humidity and a perfect shot, that is the blast leaving the muzzle just so. I don't know, but I've seen it several times, always in Oklahoma. I think an old medicine man put a spell on the guns just for fun. Who knows? Tree.

 

[necchi]

,,the temperature and primarily the humidity contribute to them.

Bingo!
It's neat when it happens, cherish the moment.
Of course it won't happen if you have a camera handy, :wink:

 

[Wes/Tex]

It was a phenomenon explained to me once as a result of a shot fired in still air where the outer edges are slowed by still air and the center of the smoke can create the ring effect. True, who knows but it sounds good! :thumbsup:

 

[pargent]

Common to see it once or twice in a two day competition :thumbsup:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwKzPegNVYE

Cool ain't it :grin:

 

[RedFeather]

Reminded me of a re-enactment at Ft Stevens in Alexandria, VA years ago. Ft Stevens was one of the many forts guarding the heights around Washington. The old battery was still there and they fired a few blanks from the field pieces. Big smoke rings and the concussion would flatten your shirt front at maybe sixty/seventy feet away on the sidelines.

 

[Bear Rider]

Just an idle thought. Was the ring spinning? If so, could you tell which direction -- clockwise or counter clockwise?


Just wondering if the Coriolis effect was in play. :grin:

 

[Kapow]

That is not such a silly question but I think the Coriolis effect would only concern it if horizontal. It was spinning but not around a centre point but rather churning from the inside outwards in a forward direction if that makes sense? It was very cool, I think I will remember it for a long time.

 

[Pete G]

A blunderbuss will just about always blow a ring.

 

[M. De Land]

I am rather sure that smoke rings are mostly generated by certain atmospheric conditions of humidity and temperature. I also think the loading of the arm is involved in the rings presence.
The reason I think so is I once saw a video of hundreds of folks at some kind of an event in Europe all firing there muzzle loaders in a progressive sequence one following the other.
It was a calm, sunny fall morning and virtually all of the discharges made a prominent smoke ring.
It would have been impossible for all of them shooting many variants of powder types, calibers and gun makes to be shooting the same load.
I suppose these could have been blank charges and probably were with the participants formed in some what of a very long meandering line.
But smoke rings occur as well with projectiles from time to time. Mike D.

 

[nhmoose]

our golf ball size cannon makes one every shot with blank loads starts small and when it gets to the tree line 100yrds across the garden it is 15-20 around. Very cool IMHO

 

[Melnic]

I am rather sure that smoke rings are mostly generated by certain atmospheric conditions of humidity and temperature. I also think the loading of the arm is involved in the rings presence.
The reason I think so is I once saw a video of hundreds of folks at some kind of an event in Europe all firing there muzzle loaders in a progressive sequence one following the other.
It was a calm, sunny fall morning and virtually all of the discharges made a prominent smoke ring.
It would have been impossible for all of them shooting many variants of powder types, calibers and gun makes to be shooting the same load.
I suppose these could have been blank charges and probably were with the participants formed in some what of a very long meandering line.
But smoke rings occur as well with projectiles from time to time. Mike D.

hmm, if shot in a rifled barrel comes out in a ring, why not smoke? I wonder if the right amount of powder would do it shooting blanks in a rifled barrel? Maybe a blank with a wad?

 

[Billnpatti]

The smoke ring is formed when the atmospheric conditions are right. Those being a calm almost windless day. When a smoke ring is formed, it is most likely to happen to a larger caliber gun because of the muzzle forming a larger oriface from which a smoke ring can more easily be formed. As the burned products including smoke exit the muzzle, the pressure forces the smoke forward and outward. The smoke that is blown sideways slows considerably while the gasses in the center continue at a greater velocity. This forms the smoke ring that you see. Since these perfect conditions do not always exist, you usually see simply a large cloud of smoke that is carried away by any wind.

It is not terribly uncommon to see smoke rings formed by large caliber modern military guns such as howitzers.