RE: RE: [DL] The Winchester'73 for the Union Army?

[Frempath2@netscape.net]

Pistol rounds were generally smaller caliber and of a lighter powder charge.  Take a rifle musket of the time, 65 grains of black powder pushing a .58 inch calibre projectile.  A larger revolver of the time would have 30 grains of powder propelling a .44 inch calibre projectile.  The pistol rounds were also of about 1/3 the weight of a rifle round.
For a rough comparison, the cap and ball .44 revolver had the same stopping power as a modern .357 magnum.


The most common round of the time was the .45 Colt.  This was the round of the Colt Peacemaker.  Winchester did make rifles in this calibre.  The advantage of this from the cowboy's view was that he had to only cary one cartridge type for his pistol and repeating rifle which, though a bit underpowered, would provide defense vs. men and food killing power for animals of a size of a deer and smaller.  

g'day
frempath


snip

>>
>for those of us that are ignorant, how do you know if a round is 
>"rifle-sized"?  Or do you just assume that if there is a corresponding 
>pistol, that it is pistol sized?
>
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