Penetration Test by Capandball on Youtube

[Jake C]

Cool video I thought you fine folks might enjoy.

[mehavey]

The `61 Springfield and the later 45-70 trapdoor are two very scary
"old & decrepit" weapons in terms of massive damage they inflict.

[Jake C]

The `61 Springfield and the later 45-70 trapdoor are two very scary
"old & decrepit" weapons in terms of massive damage they inflict.

Yes they are. I'm paying off an original Trapdoor rifle now. I'll have to try a similar test.

[Bruce W Sims]

I'm thinking that other folks here must have done similar comparison tests. I'm
wondering how folks feel about the methodology and the conclusions.
For instance, would better results have been produced by using half-inch pine
with a half-inch interval? Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Coffinmaker]

This guy does some really good and entertaining videos.  Really fun to watch.  Loved it when the rifle knocked the whole darn target array over.    Also interesting the way the rifle ball deflected on it's way thru the wood boards.  Maybe hit a knot.

The basic question was which was more effective as a weapon.  The penetration test thru boards of common resistance was a pretty good demonstration of relative power.  The result was definitive.

The only other relative test might have been firing thru dead pigs (very messy) or ballistic gelatin.  It's pretty obvious from his results, all may be considered quite lethal.  Whether you are able to kill em a little, or kill em a lot becomes moot for whom ever is on the receiving end 

Coffinmaker

[Bishop Creek]

Great video! Thanks for posting. Makes me want to take both my Walker and Colt Army .44s and test them myself. Very powerful weapons.

[Blackpowder Burn]

He does do some really entertaining videos.  That being said, the test between the Walker and the 1860 Army would have been more representative if he had used the same projectile in both.  Using a conical bullet in the 1860 versus a round ball in the Walker highly skewed the results in favor of the 1860.

[Coffinmaker]

but, But, But ...... The 1860 ....... Lost! ...... Didnit???

Coffinmaker

[Lefty Dude]

Yep, that the way I seen it !

[Blackpowder Burn]

There was little difference in the penetration. Both penetrated 4 boards and stuck in the 5th - unless my memory has failed me (always a possibility at my age).  With a 200+ grain conical (like the 1860) over 60 grains of BP, instead of an ~150 grain round ball, I'd place a substantial wager that penetration would have been significantly more.

To get a truly accurate comparison, you can't compare apples to kumquats! 

[Thumb Buster]

Two things I know for certain concerning the 1860: 1) I will keep my 1860 regardless and 2) I'd hate like all get-out to be shot by it  whether it's a round ball or conical.     Okay, okay!  I'd hate gettin' shot by any of them.  It was an interesting video.

[Coffinmaker]

I've always felt the Walkers and Dragoons should have a Gun carriage with trails, and ammunition Cason and a crew to serve em.  Them things there are some kind of heavy.  I do know a fella however, who oft pulls out a pair and shoots em Gunfighter.  The other extreme of myself, who shoots 1860's with 3 inch barrels   
Walkers are more like artillery.

Coffinmaker

PS:  Kind of interesting, the Walker and the 1860 penetrated the same number of boards.  The difference??  The 1860 projectile was on the surface of the next board. The walker was almost all the way through and broke the board in half.  Still, I don't want to be shot with either one

[Thumb Buster]

I will readily admit I really enjoy my 1860.  Have tried a walker and a 3rd model Dragoon and you're right about the caisson, mounting and trails.  Need to be Arnold to really shoot them effectively.  Guess I'm a girly-boy/old fart. 

[steve75]

Interesting video.  I think he should have maintained consistency in bullet selection.  This would allow for a much better comparison of the three pistols.

[Dick Dastardly]

Since I sell all three molds, I had to do a comparison with all three.  Round ball, EPP-UG and DD-ROA.  As expected, the RB and EPP-UG had similar penetration while the heavier DD-ROA did some better.  Accuracy was best with the EPP-UG and DD-ROA with the RB falling off at 50 yards.

All the above were shot with my 1860 open tops.

Then, I ran another set with my Kirst Konverters in the same gun.  Cowboy Special brass with 1.3cc FFFg (same charge as above) and the J/P 45-200 bullets.  I was surprised to see better accuracy than any of the previous bullets and penetration as good as the DD-ROA.  Then, I loaded up some C45Spl brass with the same powder charge and DD-ROA 210 grain bullets.  Same results as the J/P 45 200.

All in all, I really like the accuracy of the "conicals" over the RB.

DD-MDA