Re: [DL] Re: Colt Walker

["Daniel Gwyn" <dgwyn@colba.net>]

A quick bit of physics:
    The damage a bullet does depends on how much energy it dumps into the
body.  The energy a bullet has on *entering* the body is 1/2*mv^2.  However,
if bullet goes through the body, there is substantially less energy dumped
into the wound than if the body stopped the bullet.  Hence only
1/2*m(initial velocity)^2 - 1/2*m(exit velocity)^2.  Thus if the velocity is
too high (relatively rare in the Old West weapons) the damage may go down.
    The mass of the bullet depends roughly on the caliber of the gun, hence
a larger calibre bullet will dump more energy at a given velocity.
    However, for a given charge, a smaller caliber bullet will have more
energy, as the velocity-mass ratio is linear for the charge, but with
regards to energy, velocity's contribution is the square.  Hence, a bullet
that is half the mass of another, will travel at twice the speed (at least
in theory) and have *twice* the energy of the heavier bullet and therefore
do more damage.
    If the charge is increased, the velocity will increase, however so will
the recoil.  In addition, the gun must be stronger (and therefore heavier)
to take the strain.  Hence, the larger the caliber, the heavier the gun.
    Velocity can also be increased by making the barrel longer, which in
essence gives the bullet more time to accelerate, and therefore a higher
muzzle velocity.  Again this makes for a heavier, more cumbersome weapon.
    With their longer barrels, rifles do more damage than pistols, even when
using the ammunition (e.g. Winchesters).  However they are more cumbersome.
(I would suggest that some consideration be given to the fact that longer
barreled "phallic symbol" guns will do more damage than sawed-off "belly
guns.")
    A further point to consider regarding Old West guns, is that they were
designed to fire "black powder" as opposed to modern guns which use a much
more powerful explosive.  In the A&E documentary "The Story of the Gun" they
demonstrated this quite effectively by shooting through a series of pine
boards using black powder and modern cartridges.  One pierced 4 boards, the
other 9.  Hence, a Colt Walker, while roughly the same caliber as a "Dirty
Harry" .44 Magnum, did a lot less damage.
    Finally, there is the old adage "It's not the size that counts, but what
you do with it."  Guns with higher recoils are harder to aim than those with
lesser recoils.  If you can place a small bullet in the guy's eye when you
would only graze his arm with a bigger one, why not go for the smaller one?
One account I've read suggested that Wild Bill Hickock, actually reduced the
powder load in his Colt Navy's in order to get more accuracy (at least when
he was showing off.)  Sometimes accuracy is more imporant the sheer damage.
            Daniel Gwyn
"No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!"
From "The Mary Ellen Carter" by Stan Rogers (1949-1983)