Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Mustang Gregg on March 17, 2005, 06:49:31 AM
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'Bout what year did BP quit bein' in assemblin' pistol ammo for the U.S. Military? re: .45 cal ??? ???
When the .38 (the early version) was the service revolver...Was it smokeless ammo? ???
MG
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The .38 Long Colt was loaded for the military with Black Powder. It contained 18 grains of FFFg under a 150 grain round nosed hollow based bullet.
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Thanks, SGT.
I found that .38 BP info on the net today, too.
It said it was loaded with a RN bullet (but my info said it was the modern ball wt of 158 gr). I recollect YOU are correct.
Was the .45 colt revolver ammo still loaded with BP after 1900?
MG
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The .38 Special was invented as a product improved .38 Long Colt. The case was lengthened to accept 22 grains of FFFg and they took the hollow out of the base of the 150 grain bullet and that gave us the unrounded 158 grains.
The .45 Colt still was loaded by the factory with Black Powder until sometime in the 20's if memory serves me correctly.
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I know that the Army contracted with several companies to produce Smokeless .45 Colt loads in 1898. These were loaded with the standard 255 conical bullet over 6 grains of an early formulation of Bullseye. This loading was produced too late to see action in Cuba, but was shipped in quantity to the Phillipines. Though I am sure BP .45 Colt loadings remained in the supply system well into the 1920s, I doubt much if any was issued after 1898.
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Actually, The Navy still uses 45/70 blanks loaded with Black Powder as line throwing cartridges.
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Sergeant Smokepole,
The military never gets rid of anything, they just wharehouse it untill needed again. ;D
Old Top
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The last of the BP .45-70 line throwers was retired back in the 1950s I'm afraid. The current USN line thrower is an M-14 using blank smokeless cartridges.
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Frankfort Arsenal was loading the .45 Government Revolver round in 1909 with smokeless for use in the Phillipines.
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Howdy!
Black Powder is used still today as the priming charge in modern tank ammo and perhaps artillery, too, but I'm only sure 'bout the tank ammo. (I was a tanker, not an artilleryman.) A pound of BP is electrically fired and is used to set off the main propellant, which then launches a 21+ lb. projectile over 5,500 FPS!
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I've been told thatbBP is used for explosive bolts on our spacecraft because it is more stable under the conditions they are subjected to.
Can anyone confirm/deny that?
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The last of the BP .45-70 line throwers was retired back in the 1950s I'm afraid. The current USN line thrower is an M-14 using blank smokeless cartridges.
My ship, the USS Okinawa was using the .45-70 line throwers in the early to mid 1970s. I know this because I still have one of the empty cases somewhere in my Navy memorabilia. If memory serves me correct, I believe the line thrower was made by H&R.
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No doubt there were still a few around then, probably were scrapped with the ship. By 1985 for sure they were all gone.
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As I recollect the U.S. Military adopted "smokeless" powder in 1896, but it took a tick for it to reach all units under arms.