Howdah Pistol

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

... It was to prevent or at least postpone fouling. Has nothing to do with trajectory or bullet rotation ...

Is that (only) so ?

I know my english isn't the best, but i am certain that the writings i spotted when i browsed for straight rifling ( i knew quite well about 'normal' rifling), meant something otherwise; passages like:

The straight rifling keeps the wad from spinning which keeps the pattern consistent from shot to shot.

or:

... The imperfections cause a twisting or turning of the wad as it travels along the barrel and unequal pressure leads to an uneven dispersion of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.
One way which was proposed to overcome this problem was to provide a new barrel in which straight lands were provided to ensure that the wad travelled down the barrel without twisting. Such a method will prevent the turning of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.

or even a picture of a gun with one barrel smooth and the other straight rifled, would never make me think that the intention of such system was to prevent barrel fouling.

I guess straight rifling nowadays serves purposes different than those applied in antique weaponry.
Visibly i have been reading the wrong material .

Fernando

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by fernando

Is that (only) so ?

I know my english isn't the best, but i am certain that the writings i spotted when i browsed for straight rifling ( i knew quite well about 'normal' rifling), meant something otherwise; passages like:

The straight rifling keeps the wad from spinning which keeps the pattern consistent from shot to shot.

or:

... The imperfections cause a twisting or turning of the wad as it travels along the barrel and unequal pressure leads to an uneven dispersion of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.
One way which was proposed to overcome this problem was to provide a new barrel in which straight lands were provided to ensure that the wad travelled down the barrel without twisting. Such a method will prevent the turning of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.

or even a picture of a gun with one barrel smooth and the other straight rifled, would never make me think that the intention of such system was to prevent barrel fouling.

I guess straight rifling nowadays serves purposes different than those applied in antique weaponry.
Visibly i have been reading the wrong material .

Fernando

Ah, Fernando,

There can be more than one right answer to a question. Yours are as right as any others, maybe they ALL are right!.

I am curious as to why other manufacturers did not make more use of straight rifling?

Also maybe there is a way we can date weapons with this feature. When was it first done?

Keeping multiple projectiles more or less together is also a good idea. Note the "Ball and Buck" loads. One ball and three buckshot.

These guys knew how to hurt!

[Pukka Bundook]

Bill,

I'm not sure if it was the first time around, but straight rifling in shotguns,
(fowling pieces) was popular for a short time in the mid 18th century.
They did indeed throw shot in a very uniform manner, but it had to be of the correct size, that fit exactly in the rifling grooves. (round bottomed grooves.)

The fad did not last very long, as the barrels hed to be somewhat heavier then a normal fowler barrel.

What I said earlier about reduction of friction, is the same as reducing the effect of fouling.
The smaller the area that the ball/patch is in contact with, the less the resistance in loading. That might be the theory, but others will argue that a smooth bright bore is best!

Something has just come to mind; (mind,...what mind?!)

18th century German rifles, made for boar hunting also had straight rifled barrels.
I think in George Shumway's book "Jeager Rifles" he states that the rifling was cut in this manner to facilitate rapid reloading,...the ball could be shoved down the bore faster than through a bore with conventional rifling.
This would be a good idea when boar hunting with a single-shot gun!
Re. accuracy, not much difference out to 70 yds. and your pistol was designed to be fired within a few yards,...at something moving, so the rifling wouldn't make much difference.


All the best,

Richard.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by fernando

Is that (only) so ?

I know my english isn't the best, but i am certain that the writings i spotted when i browsed for straight rifling ( i knew quite well about 'normal' rifling), meant something otherwise; passages like:

The straight rifling keeps the wad from spinning which keeps the pattern consistent from shot to shot.

or:

... The imperfections cause a twisting or turning of the wad as it travels along the barrel and unequal pressure leads to an uneven dispersion of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.
One way which was proposed to overcome this problem was to provide a new barrel in which straight lands were provided to ensure that the wad travelled down the barrel without twisting. Such a method will prevent the turning of the shot as it leaves the barrel and consequently the mirrored pattern and uneven dispersion on the target.

or even a picture of a gun with one barrel smooth and the other straight rifled, would never make me think that the intention of such system was to prevent barrel fouling.

I guess straight rifling nowadays serves purposes different than those applied in antique weaponry.
Visibly i have been reading the wrong material .

Fernando

Hi Fernando,
Guns with one smooth and one rifled barrel, placed side by side were popularly known as "Capeguns" and are still called this in collectors circles. They saw use in the CAPE, and other parts of Africa where it was never certain what sort of game one would encounter. eg:4 legs or 2 plus wings,---or for that matter just 2 legs! Either way the correct projectile was available.
The Continentals went one better by mating a rifle barrel with 2 smoothbore barrels.
Straight rifling is a new one on me, and if it was used in place of the standard twist type, it could only have made muzzleloading easier. I personally have no idea what the benefits would be for a breechloader.
Regards Stuart