For you scientists or sciency guys out there...

[Full.lead.taco]

I was wondering if
1. it is possible to shoot 2 x bullet loads (not round balls) in a revolver safely
and
2. if not, why? (like the science behind it)

Part of me wants to shoot these loads in my BFR revolver chambered in 45-70.

I'm not really interested in comments about how these rounds are ineffective, how there are other loads/rounds that are better, or why these loads would have no practical purpose. I just want to know if they would work safely and why or why not (with explanations). I know that people shoot/have shot multi-ball (round ball) loads in revolvers just fine, but I haven't really seen people shoot say, 2 x mini wad cutters or something of the sorts. My concern is with the bullets seated base to base, that something weird might happen in the area of the barrel to cylinder gap, or that the bullet going backwards may have issues going into the forcing cone with a bullet in front of it.

As a side note, I have already shot over a hundred of those duplex collar button loads in my Encore SBR and Handi Rifle.

 

[quicksylver]

Interesting ..all I know is that there were and still might be two piece bullets..they had a hard base and soft nose that fit together..

 

[Rick]

It has been done, H&G #333 was designed for multiple bullets loaded in the 38 and 357. See Glen Fryxell's book pages 84 & 85.

From Ingot To Target

 

[Brad]

I have fired 3 .457 round ball in a single 45-70 load.
I know Khornet had a little 77gr, I think, .357 full WC mould that does well with 2 in a 38 special

 

[Ian]

Shouldn't be a problem. I've shot three-piece wadcutters in my .38 before with no issues.

 

[Full.lead.taco]

Thanks for the info and references--I may have to try them out next weekend if I can get out and shoot.

 

[RBHarter]

I shot some 4 ball , 00B scientifically flattened to . 454 dia in a BlackHawk and Rossi 92" in 45 Colts , about 600 fps . Not really good for much at that level but fun for the first 4-5 shots on a post cutting contest . Kind of a hoot to see 4 holes on a 15 yd target every time the hammer falls .

 

[358156 hp]

At one time I experimented with inserting two .32 cal. JHP bullets in 38 cal. Speer shot capsules without the cap on, and loaded them in 357 magnum cases. They fired perfectly, and the capsule broke up after leaving the muzzle, and the two .32 cal bullets would hit a target about 30 ft away about 1 inch apart. When doing this sort of thing it's important to take into account the total weight of your projectile in addition to the extra space taken up in the case by the extra long projectile. In other words, start light, and develop your load from there. And the bullets must remain in contact with each other during firing. If there's an air space between them it will be possible to "ring" the chamber if the air space between the bullets becomes compressed. The best prevention is to have the two bullets touching each other firmly throughout the loading and firing.

 

[Brad]

The little 358 WC I tried were sized at the same time so a little lube held them together. They were loads as a unit.
When I did the RB in the 45-70 I got one just below flush then added another so the balls were in contact with one another in the case.
Accuracy wasn't great but it is neat to see 3 holes on target after a single shot.

 

[Pistolero]

A friend used to shoot three buckshot, like triple ought, I think, in a .38 Spl case years ago.

He called it his "Hock Shop Load" (three balls). Worked fine, no issues.

Bill

 

[KHornet]

Have loaded and shot a lot of multi round ball and 77 gr. 357 wad cutters, in
38S & 357. Slow to load, fun to shoot, close range, a 3 ball, or 2 ea. 77 gr
WC's in a 357 would make a dandy defense load, followed up with a Kieth
SWC Hp, at max vol. John Goines (Beagle) did a very nice article on multi's,
and it would pay to google it.

Paul

 

[Hawk]

Wasn't there a commercial loaded round of this type?
My memory fails me, but I seem to remember this being done commercially with a .38 Spl with three projectiles.

 

[Gary]

I load .410 shotgun shells that way, but only bird shot in 38's.

 

[RicinYakima]

Hawk, you are correct. An independent company loaded three 75 grain WC's with a piece of wax paper between bullets after Col. Charles Atkins wrote about loading them in the early 1960's. It was said that one of the problems was that the bullets would not separate. The second generation of these had slanted bases that fit together, so that spin would separate them. All of this died when HP's that actually expanded were made for the 38 special.

 

[Brad]

It can be amazing how close the multi projectile loads print together. My 45-70 RB loads put 3 RB in a 6" spread at 25 yards. Not real practical in many ways but interesting.

 

[KHornet]

Loading 3 RB's in 45-70 and 444, usually averages at about
6" at 25 yds. I recall an article in a gun mag some years back
about a guy who loaded 3 in a 45-70 for chicken stealing fox
and coyote. Think that would work pretty well for that
purpose.

Paul

 

[Pistolero]

There are or at least were in the last year or two, .410 loads for the Judge class of pistols
which loaded, I believe three, Pb or Cu disks as projectiles. Cylinders shorter than their diameters, so
difficult to call them a bullet or WC, really.

That geometry would be particularly poor for penetration, which is controlled by sectional density,
and a disk is going to have a super poor sectional density. An arrow, with extremely good
sectional density, will entirely penetrate a large animal at 300 or so fps. I always wondered
how deep these disks would go. Not that I want to get shot with it (or anything!), but I wonder
if they go deeper than an inch or two with .45 diam and 0.125 thickness or something similar to
that. Three holes is better than one.....maybe. But three very shallow holes vs one really deep
hole?? Harder to be certain, but I think a single bullet would be better.

Bill

 

[RBHarter]

4 OOB mashed to 454 at 600 fps at 45 ft make nice round holes through 1/2" 5 ply plywood those must have been around 60 gr . OOOOB MAYBE . The payload was 240 gr +- , it's been a long time .

 

[Creeker]

It hard for me to keep one bullet at a time on target let alone 3.