Pistol and Revolver Shooting

by A. L. A. Himmelwright

A flat or blunt pointed bullet of about 185 gr. and a ten per cent. heavier powder charge would improve the effectiveness and stopping power of this cartridge wonderfully without materially affecting the recoil or the accuracy.

Figure 57 is the service charge of the regulation magazine pistol (Webley & Scott) of the British Army. It is an accurate cartridge but it lacks sufficient power to fulfill the exacting requirements of present-day military service.

Light or gallery charges in magazine pistol shells are impracticable on account of not having sufficient recoil to operate the automatic mechanism. Slightly reduced loads with lead bullets may be used in some of the arms but seldom with satisfactory results. Reduced loads can be used in most of the weapons if the mechanisms are hand operated for each shot.

The following ballistical table gives the charges, muzzle velocities, etc., of the principal factory-loaded, smokeless pistol and revolver cartridges. The factories aim to keep the muzzle velocities uniform for each cartridge. To produce this result with the various brands of smokeless powder, all of which differ more or less in strength, the weight of the powder charge necessarily varies for the different brands of powder. Even when purchased in large quantities, different blends and packages of the same brand of powder occasionally vary somewhat in strength. For these reasons it is impossible to designate the exact weight or volume of any brand of powder which will in all cases produce the muzzle velocities in the table, and the charges given must therefore be considered as approximate only.

BALLISTICAL TABLE

Name of Cartridge		Weight in Grains and Brand of Powder (Approximate only)		BULLET			Length of bbl. in arm tested	Muzzle velocity (50 ft. from muzzle)	Energy—foot lbs.: Wv2÷2g	Penetration (inches in white pine)
				Exact diameter in inches	Weight in grains	Round or flat nosed
	Rim Fire:
.22	Short	1.6	Lesmok	.223	30	RN	6	789	41.5	3
.22	Long	2.1	"	.223	35	RN	6	770	46.2	3½
.22	L. Rifle	3.4	"	.223	40	RN	6	765	51.8	4
.22	W. R. F.	3.5	"	.2275	45	FN	6	811	65.8	4
	Central Fire:
.25	Auto Colt	1.1	Bullseye	.251	50	RN	2	733	59.7	3
7.63	m.m. Mauser	5.5	"	.3105	86	RN	5½	1397	373	11
7.65	m.m. Luger	4.1	"	.3095	93	RN	4⅝	1173.5	284.3	10
9	m.m. Luger	4.6	"	.3555	125	FN	4	1039.2	299.8	10
.32	W. C. F.	10.0	Sharpshooter	.3125	115	FN	5½	954	232.4	5
.32	Auto Colt	2.5	Bullseye	.3125	74	RN	3¾	938	144.8	5
.32	S. & W.	1.5	"	.315	85	RN	4	606.7	69.5	3
.32	S. & W.	1.5	"	.315	85	RN	10	902	159	4
.32	Lg. Colt	2.0	"	.313	90	RN	4	641.4	82.2	3½
.32	Sht. Colt	1.4	"	.315	80	RN	4	657.2	78.7	3½
.32	S. & W. Long	2.0	"	.315	98	RN	4	706.9	108.6	4
.32	Colt N. P.	2.5	"	.314	98	FN	4	706.3	108.6	4
.35	S. & W. Auto	1.9	"	.3195	76	RN	3½	809	110.5	4
.38	S. & W.	2.4	"	.359	145	RN	5	579.3	108.2	4½
.38	Auto Colt	4.6	"	.359	130	RN	6	1175	398.0	10
.38	Colt N. P.	2.4	"	.359	150	FN	4	579.6	111.7	4
.38	Sht. Colt	2.5	"	.375	130	RN	6	608	107	4
.38	Long Colt	3.0	"	.358	148	RN	6	786	203	4½
.38	Long D. A.	3.4	Gray Walsrode	.358	150	RN	6	771.6	198.3	6
.38	S. & W. Spl.	3.4	Bullseye	.358	158	RN	6	856.7	257.5	7
.38	Colt Spl.	3.4	"	.358	158	FN	6	857.6	258	7
.38	S. & W. Spl. Gal.	8.5	C.P.W.[9]	.358	70	RN	6	1300	263	5
.38	S. & W. Spl. Mid Range	2.1	Bullseye	.358	123	RN	6	655	99	3
.38	W. C. F.	15.	Sharpshooter	.400	180	FN	5	983	386.5	6
.380	Auto Colt	2.6	Bullseye	.357	95	RN	3¾	887	166	5½
.41	Sht. Colt	2.5	"	.406	160	RN	6	707	177	4
.41	Long Colt	3.3	"	.387	200	RN	6	705.6	221.2	5
.44	S. & W. Russ.	4.1	"	.431	246	RN	6	706	272	6½
.44	S. & W. Russ. Gall.	2.5	"	.431	115	RN	6	685	118	3
.44	S. & W. Spl.	5.1	"	.431	246	RN	5	755	311.5	7
.44	W. C. F.	16.5	Sharpshooter	.426	200	FN	7½	918.8	375	6
.45	Auto Colt	4.7	Bullseye	.4505	200	RN	5	910.2	368	8
.45	Auto Colt (Govt.)	4.7	"	.4505	230	RN	5	809	335	6
.45	Colt D. A.	5.0	"	.455	255	RN	5	770.6	336.3	5
.455	Colt	4.5	"	.458	265	RN	5	756.6	336.5	5
.455	Webley Auto	7.0	Cordite	.455	220	RN	5	750	280.6	4½
.455	British Service	5.5	"	.455	265	RN	7½	700	288	4¼

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