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Question?

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18 June 2004, 20:52
Oddball
Question?
How many cartridges actually burn all of their available powder before the bullet leaves the barrel? What barrel length is required for any given cartridge to accomplish this?
19 June 2004, 01:11
DigitalDan
Oddball, muzzle flash is not an indication of unburned powder for the most part. I don't know if that helps or not. Your question is a bit broad for a concise answer, at least to me. What's bugging you, or put another way, what is your goal?

Some powders burn cleaner than others, and in my opinion the flake powders are most likely to leave unburned particles of powder littering your barrel and the general neighborhood. I think this is more of a reflection of pressure(or lack thereof) than barrel length.
19 June 2004, 01:55
<eldeguello>
Quote:

How many cartridges actually burn all of their available powder before the bullet leaves the barrel? What barrel length is required for any given cartridge to accomplish this?



Well, for example, the .22 LR HV load attains its max possible velocity in 18 inches, and is slowed down by barrel friction in barrels longer than this. And, the 6.5X50 Arisaka had little or no muzzle flash at all in a 31" tube, but this was also a phenomenon associated with the powder the Japanese had developed......
19 June 2004, 04:20
Kingfisher
Oddball, as Dan mentioned, your question is a little broad.

It doesn't depend so much on the "cartridge" per say, as it does on the barrel length and the powder and the cartridge as a unit. There is no correct answer to your question unless you actually specify a specific cartridge and give your barrel length, then we could probably find a powder that would burn efficiently in that length of barrel.
19 June 2004, 07:51
beemanbeme
Another chip in the pot is that a light load or reduced load relative to the case size will burn much slower and less efficiently than a load that more nearly fills the case.