GDG- Weapon Trajectory

[Batrinque at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/17/2007 4:06:15 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
hfregan at sbcglobal.net writes:

Once  again my pursuit of ACW & Gettysburg lore has me puzzled (a chronic  
problem with this subject).  In reading "The Bloody Crucible of Courage",  the 
author (Brent Nosworthy) describes the evolution of the Enfield at al, and  
mentions that the earlier smooth-bores (Brown Bess etc ) had higher initial  
muzzle velocities ("IMV") than later rifled weapons, but did not say  why.  I 
would have thought that the windage of the smooth-bores would  result in less IMV 
and I'm puzzled why it was higher than the later  developments... Is this 
something I should just know, or did I miss  something?...


 
I suspect the main reason is the increased friction experienced by the  
bullet as it passes up the barrel, this being necessary for the rifling to spin  
the bullet.  This friction would partly offset the force from the exploding  
powder, resulting in a lower acceleration (and velocity).
 
 
Bruce  Trinque
Amston, CT



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