'42 Springfield Question

[Enfield1]

What is the heaviest charge of 2FG that can safely be shot in an Armisport '42 Springfield? I use Schuetzen powder and use a .680 round ball loaded from a handrolled paper cartridge using the paper as wadding to keep the ball from rolling out. I have been using 80 grains without a problem but wanted to bump it up to 90 for a little more down range power. I know that originally, the issued charge with roundshot was 100 grains and for buck and ball, 110 grains, but would this apply to the modern reproductions?

 

[paulvallandigham]

What down range power?? Any round ball has such a poor ballistics coefficient that it loses velocity fast, and with it, power. The Faster you send it out of the muzzle into air, the faster is slows down. If you study this issue, you will find that any increase in down range " power " relates to an increased WEIGHT of the ball or bullet, not MV. You are not going to appreciably FLATTEN mid-range trajectory by adding more powder. Maybe if you are shooting a high power SCOPE sight on the gun you could SEE the difference in how you hold the crosshairs on target, but with iron sights, you are kidding yourself.

No one can tell you the Most any-kind-of powder you can shoot in that gun or any gun. The age and condition of the gun, who made it( really- not who sold it) and other factors all affect how much pressure the barrel will take before it comes apart.

YOu are shooting a very large caliber, heavy RB in that gun, and you simply do not need to up the powder charge beyond the figures already mentioned. Your shoulder will tell you that even the high end charges mentioned will be a bit much, considering the shape of that stock, and its steel butt plate. Eurpean Made replicas may Not have the same quality barrel steel in them that you find being used here in the USA by private barrel makers. Keep that in mind, and enjoy shooting the gun with what you have. :thumbsup:

 

[Steve Blancard]

According to the Armisport manual page 19, they recommend 65-75gr of Swiss 2F.

Armisport Manual

 

[DanChamberlain]

It's doubtful you will realize a significant increase in "down range" power that would translate to an animal being suitably impressed with the fact that you'd loaded up! Smoothbores being what they are. When I read your query, I suppose I fell into the trap that Paul did as well. It appeared you were looking for power you didn't need.

Regards

Dan

 

[varsity07840]

Assuming you're looking for more"downrange power"
from a hunting perspective, I don't think you're going to gain that much out of the extra 10 grains
except for more recoil. Given the short effective range of a smoothbore, especially when shooting an unpatched ball, it's not going to make much difference. It would boil down to what shoots better. A 75 gr charge of Swiss 2F, velocity and pressure wise would be roughly equal to 90 gr of Goex, so I don't think you would have a safety issue. There is a gentleman from Austria, I believe, who has posted threads regarding the rifled version of the '42 which has essentially the same barrel. He shoots 75 gr of Swiss 3F behing a 700 gr. Minie!! I assume it hasn't given him any problems aside from a broken shoulder. I wouldn't want to shoot it. If you are indeed looking for more power for hunting, I'd try 75-80 gr of Goex 2F and a smaller, patched ball. I use that load in my original(relined) 1816.

Duane

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu asked what the Safest charge is in a particular brand of gun. No caliber given, no age, no barrel length, no details, or pictures.

I answered your question honestly.

Now, its apparently that What YOU REALLY wanted to know is what the Maximum Charge RECOMMENDED BY THE FACTORY is!!! Next time, ask your question properly and you will get the answer you seek.

In the mean time brush up on your manners. :cursing:

 

[badpenny]

mine is rifled,i shoot 90 grains of goex 2f and a 750 grain swaged minnie ball.recoil is serious but it handles it

 

[DanChamberlain]

They say the English language is the most difficult to discern nuance. I'm sure he didn't mean to insult you. He just doesn't understand the art of complimentary nuance.

Dan

 

[stretchman25]

Badpenny Where do you get swaged .69 minie balls? I have an Armisport 42 that has an oversized bore for the Lyman mold.

 

[jcornell]

The 1842 musket used a .65 diameter ball with 110 grains of 2f powder. Using a larger, heavier ball will actually require a smaller charge to attain the same initial velocity. Prior to 1844 the .69 cal percussion musket was using a .64 diameter ball with 120 grains. Increasing the ball .10 allowed the same velocity with a decrease of 10 grs of powder. I shoot both original and repro 42s with the .65 cal ball in a paper cartridge with 110 grs of fg or ffg, and both ends of the gun do fine. With your lager diameter ball, I think you are close to you want to at about 90 grs max. I assume you are patching in something other than a paper cartridge?

 

[jcornell]

Sorry, my response was to minieball, and I see you are shooting with no patch, just using the paper as wadding. The load is just fine at 90grs. I load with the ball rolled in the paper as a patch like they did originally. The charges I listed were the ones the army used post 1835 when the new powders were used that are the same strengtt as our modern goex.

 

[varsity07840]

Badpenny Where do you get swaged .69 minie balls? I have an Armisport 42 that has an oversized bore for the Lyman mold.

I've never heard about swaged minies, but you may want to try the N-SSA forum and look for a Rapine
semi wadcutter minie mould in .690, which may help in an oversize bore. My understanding is that alot of the Armi rifled '42s are oversized. Rapine is out of business, but alot of skirmishers
who shoot a "pumpkin slinger" use his mould as opposed to the much heavier Lyman. I use the .685
version in my relined original(.687 bore).

Duane

 

[badpenny]

dixie gunworks has them.they are beautifully made and pretty accurate.serious recoil with my load

 

[varsity07840]

dixie gunworks has them.they are beautifully made and pretty accurate.serious recoil with my load

Wow! I checked them out on Dixie's site. Says they're .694 diameter. Do you have to size them for your bore?

Duane

 

[poordevil]

I have the Lyman 69cal minnie ball mould. The Dixie bullets were a little large for my Armi sport. A simple something that works for me is, to place the open base of one bullet on the nose of another and press down, opening up the base somewhat. (This for those undersize bullets of course)

P

 

[badpenny]

nope a little bore butter in the base and they slip right down the barrel

 

[wittzo]

I've got a Euroarms '42 Springfield smoothbore, and it's undersized a tad. Euroarms recommends using a .678 ball with a .010" patch..The closest I could afford was an Indian made .680" mold which casts ovoid balls that are about 500 grains and can be tight if I don't drop them in just right. I use 90 grains of Triple Seven and I can hit what I aim at 50 yards away. I'm going to try to load less and see what happens, but I also load traditional style paper cartridges, but with less powder. I loaded up some buck and ball, but haven't shot them yet. The paper cartridge helps keep the ball from turning at an angle, making it hard to load.

 

[varsity07840]

There's some interesting posts here and on www.n-ssa.org on using foil wrapped balls dipped in lube. Alot Skirmishers shooting 1816s and 1842s use them.

Duane

 

[wittzo]

They were using Alox..I had good luck with my minie balls lubed with 2 parts paraffin, 2 parts lard, and 1 part beesswax by weight in the .55" Mississippi rifle. I never got around to tryng out ball and buck.