? : bullet penetration in the Old West

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Our present day Youtube has buku videos showing modern bullet ballistics and performance

on denim, clay, etc........

 

Of course, we are talking .45 colt and 44-40 type ammo from the 1800's.

In the Old West,  just how much would a regular LEAD bullet penetrate a leather vest and normal shirt?

 

How about a winter buffalo coat, leather vest and shirt?

 

Watching Gunsmoke and Matt gets shot in the back, but apparently the bullet didn't go deep enough

to mess up his spine to much.

 

..........Widder

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Not BP rounds but interesting

 

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Stopping power of BP vs. Modern Cartridges
 

44-40 Original Ballistics

 

BTW Slow day 

[Utah Bob #35998]

The 44wcf and 45 Colt rounds even with the nasty black powdah have sufficient velocity and mass to penetrate any period western clothing, including leather vests and heavy coats. The pocket and belly guns in .22–.38 are less efficient.

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

57 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

 

 

 

If he'd elevated the muzzle to 12 0'clock and twitched his wrist upon cocking in that position he'd wouldn't have had near the hungup caps.

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

2 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Our present day Youtube has buku videos showing modern bullet ballistics and performance

on denim, clay, etc........

 

Of course, we are talking .45 colt and 44-40 type ammo from the 1800's.

In the Old West,  just how much would a regular LEAD bullet penetrate a leather vest and normal shirt?

 

How about a winter buffalo coat, leather vest and shirt?

 

Watching Gunsmoke and Matt gets shot in the back, but apparently the bullet didn't go deep enough

to mess up his spine to much.

 

..........Widder

 

Remember, it's the REEL West.

[Texas John Ringo, SASS #10138]

You do know the Colt Walker .44 cap & ball revolver was the most powerful Hand gun available until the .44 magnum came out. 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

I don’t have the source in front of me, so please forgive if a small detail is slightly off.
 

The 38-40 round uses a 40 caliber bullet that weighs near identical to standard hardball ammo in 40 S&W. Over a full case of BP, the velocities are almost the same too. 
 

So except for lead vs jacketed bullet design, shooters in the Old West had the ballistic equivalent of a modern police duty weapon. 

[Kid Rich]

A Walker loaded with 55 gs of 2f BP and a 457 rb will chronograph at over 1000 fps.

kR

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

a ricochet might not penetrate as well with pure lead bullets, but mostly it is just hollyweird

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Not having any in front of me is no biggie .... but most of the "period" accounts I have seen/read relate the 44 Round Ball mostly went through and through.  Of course dragging whatever filthy clothing there was along with the Ball.

[Kid Rich]

I have had a 53 cal RB from a Hawken penetrate 14" of muscle and bone in a mature buffalo bull and retain its total weight.

kR

[Ace_of_Hearts]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:07 AM, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Our present day Youtube has buku videos showing modern bullet ballistics and performance

on denim, clay, etc........

 

Of course, we are talking .45 colt and 44-40 type ammo from the 1800's.

In the Old West,  just how much would a regular LEAD bullet penetrate a leather vest and normal shirt?

 

How about a winter buffalo coat, leather vest and shirt?

 

Watching Gunsmoke and Matt gets shot in the back, but apparently the bullet didn't go deep enough

to mess up his spine to much.

 

..........Widder

 

Seems to me there was a lot of dead people during the Civil War (The war of northern aggression)

 

[Tennessee williams]

2 hours ago, Ace_of_Hearts said:

Seems to me there was a lot of dead people during the Civil War (The war of northern aggression)

 

But most of those folks died from the craps, not bullet wounds.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

2 hours ago, Ace_of_Hearts said:

Seems to me there was a lot of dead people during the Civil War (The war of northern aggression)

 

 

1 minute ago, Tennessee williams said:

But most of those folks died from the craps, not bullet wounds.

 

I think if you look at death statistics for the War of Northern Aggression, for every 3 soldiers that died

of 'lead poisoning',  5 more died of disease, such as dysentery and diarrhea.  

(ref:  William Fox & Thomas Livermore,  1889 study 'Battlefield.org'.

 

..........Widder

 

[sassnetguy50]

On 4/1/2020 at 1:07 PM, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Our present day Youtube has buku videos showing modern bullet ballistics and performance

on denim, clay, etc........

 

Of course, we are talking .45 colt and 44-40 type ammo from the 1800's.

In the Old West,  just how much would a regular LEAD bullet penetrate a leather vest and normal shirt?

 

How about a winter buffalo coat, leather vest and shirt?

 

Watching Gunsmoke and Matt gets shot in the back, but apparently the bullet didn't go deep enough

to mess up his spine to much.

 

..........Widder

 

They can’t kill off the star of the series.    

 

I believe it is possible.  How good was the quality control on the powder manufacturing, ammunition manufacturing (charge and crimp), ammunition storage by the outlaw? 

[Cumberland Mtn John SASS#40593]

I have seen several old autopsy photos from the old west showing where people were shot many times before they expired and the bodies  showed many bullets just under the skin. They evidently were shot a lot and still had fight left in them before the fatal shot.

 

CMJ