An Experimental Page

[pmulcahy11b]

http://www.pmulcahy.com/blackpowder/blackpowder_rifles.html

[Legbreaker]

Besides a bit of formatting, what's changed?
You'll have to excuse me if it's blindingly obvious - strong painkillers screwing up my brain at the moment.

[pmulcahy11b]

The blackpowder weapons.

[pmulcahy11b]

I'm especially interested in reaction to the rules set at the top of the page...

[Legbreaker]

If a magnum load is loaded into a non-magnum firearm (standard loads are designed to take a man down), increase damage by one point and go the next level of penetration, but the weapon is 2% likely (cumulative) to be damaged per shot.
I'd be inclined to up the percentage to about 5% cumulative - those old weapons weren't exactly made out of the best possible steel and certainly weren't designed for the higher pressure of a double load of powder. Chances are they're going to fail and fail quickly, not to mention spectacularly.

The rest, besides the weights as you've mentioned, looks good.

[weswood]

I'd be inclined to up the percentage to about 5% cumulative - those old weapons weren't exactly made out of the best possible steel and certainly weren't designed for the higher pressure of a double load of powder.

Those Paul has listed are reproduction weapons, made out of modern steel. I don't know how much pressure they'll take but my father built a couple bought as kits. When they were finished, we test fired them with a double load of powder and they worked fine. One was a Kentucky .45 (my 1st rifle, got it when I was 12), the other was a .50 Hawkens my sister & I bought for Pop for Christmas after our Mother died.

Having said that, I'm not sure of using a double load on a regular basis. Maybe 1 1/2 load? It's been years since I've shot my Kentucky rifle, but it seems to me we used 80 grams of powder with a round ball and 120 with a minie ball.

[Jason]

Added with thanks.

How about some stats for blunderbusses and pistols?

What about a gifted craftsmen that might begin making quality black-powder firearms in the post T2K timeline? Suppose that the craftsman had all the supplies he needed and some semi-skilled helpers, what kind of black-powder firearms could be made?

I know I have read about them before in the canon somewhere. I think these type of weapons might be used for hunting in some T2K communities. Our forefathers took hundreds of thousands of deer (skins were exported) in Colonial times, not to mention fowl and other game. Using BP firearms for hunting would allow conservation of modern ammo for defensive or raiding purposes.

What sort of stats would be used for a non-replica BP firearm, purpose built for hunting?

[Legbreaker]

Those Paul has listed are reproduction weapons, made out of modern steel.
Ok then, 4%. The materials may be modern, but the design certainly isn't.
I'm looking at it in a similar light to putting (or at least trying to) put a magnum shotgun shell into a 2 1/2 inch gun - sooner rather than latter it'll blow up in your face.

[pmulcahy11b]

Added with thanks.

How about some stats for blunderbusses and pistols?

What sort of stats would be used for a non-replica BP firearm, purpose built for hunting?

1) Eventually I'll work on it. I'm trying to sharpen up my rule set right now.
2) I'll have to work out special rules for inlines and modern-build BP weapons.

[Panther Al]

One minor quibble: It says that the reloading time for Rifles are increased: If you are using the old way of beating - and I do mean beating (The was a reason riflemen pre-minie days was issued a hammer)- the ball into the rifling, I agree. But with the expanding base designs, such as the Minie Ball, there shouldn't be an increase of loading time.

[pmulcahy11b]

One minor quibble: It says that the reloading time for Rifles are increased: If you are using the old way of beating - and I do mean beating (The was a reason riflemen pre-minie days was issued a hammer)- the ball into the rifling, I agree. But with the expanding base designs, such as the Minie Ball, there shouldn't be an increase of loading time.

That was probably a mis-wording by me. Though it also takes into account the pre-Minie days of having to beat the ball into the barrel, as you said; that's probably what I was thinking at the time.

[Cdnwolf]

Looks fantastic... you always do great work...

Now want to do my Economics Thesis for me?