116 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 10, 1894. 



THE POWDER TEST. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The report of the powder and primer tests conducted by 

 Mr. Armin Tenner, published in the December numbers, 

 makes very interesting reading, as it deals with subjects 

 of paramount importance to sportsmen who love the gun. 

 At the same time it is somewhat of a disappointment to 

 me, as I had been led to believe the tests would be carried 

 on in a thoroughly scientific manner, and the results col- 

 lated and discussed so carefully and concisely as to com- 

 mand the respect at least of all critics, if not to insure 

 unqualified acceptance, which is rather too much to ex- 

 pect. A close study of the paper impels me to say at this 

 late date that, whether the tests were well done or not, 

 the published results are incomplete in accompanying 

 detail which is necessary for a reader to have at hand to 

 correctly draw his own conclusions. To specify, I may 

 mention the following omissions which occur in some in- 

 stances: Weight of powder charge; whether all powders 

 were weighed or measured, or were some weighed and 

 others measured; details of loading; density, humidity and 

 temperature; and there are many errors in the tabulated 

 results, either of calculation or typography. 



The most remarkable point about the paper is the rating 

 given the various powders by an arbitrary system of points 

 of merit. There are fourteen qualities, with a possi- 

 ble rating of 200 points for each powder. Information is 

 given to determine only nine of these qualties of the four- 

 teen, the remaining five, or 36 per cent, of the qualities, 

 which are credited with a total of 44 points of merit, or 

 22 per cent, of the whole number possible, are very con- 

 siderately determined for us by Mr. Tenner. He has also 

 omitted a cold test, which is of greater importance, prac- 

 tically, than the beat test, which is given 15 points; for 

 while a sportsman in this latitude frequently uses ammu- 

 nition in winter at a temperature of 10° above zero, Fahr., 

 he rarely ever stores his shells in the kitchen range or 

 subjects them to a temperature of 205° before going 

 shooting. 



He also has an unpleasant way of making statements 

 at variance with his published results. I will specify 

 two cases. First, his statement on page 496, that in these 

 tests the patterns made with nitro were superior to those 

 of black powder. From Table "C," comparing the aver- 

 age results of what he calls "service charges," we find 

 the average pattern of 3drs. of FFFg and 3|drs. of FFg 

 black powder is 221 pellets, or 60$ of pellets in the charge. 

 The average pattern of 3drs. of nitro loaded in shells 

 which he subsequently shows are the best — namely 

 "Smokeless" — except in case of Walsrode, which is taken 

 at 29grs. in special shells, is 179 pellets, or 49$ of charge. 

 Second, he states in his report, and subsequently sticks 

 to it when criticised by Mr. von Lengerke, that the differ- 

 ence in arrival of the" pellets of shot driven by coarse or 

 fine grained black powder, does not "practically cut any 

 figure" in shooting at quartering birds. Referring to 

 Table "A" we find the velocity of l^oz. of No. 7 shot pro- 

 pelled by 3drs. of FFFg powder is stated to be 890ft. per 

 second. To travel 40yds. at this rate would occupy -^jk 

 of a second, during which time a cross flying bird going 

 at the rate of 60 miles per hour, or 88ft. per second, 

 would fly 11.9ft. The velocity given to th« same charge 

 of shot by Sidrs. of FFg powder is stated at 812ft. and 

 788ft. per second, the average being 800ft. At this 

 velocity the shot would require -frfy of a second to travel 

 40yds., during which time a cross flying bird, at the 

 above mentioned speed, would fly 18.2ft. Therefore, it 

 would be necessary to lead a cross flying bird, at a dis- 

 tance of 40yds. , the difference between 13.2 and 11.9ft., 

 or about 16Ln., more when using coarse than when using 

 fine grained powder. If the powder charge were the 

 same in each case the difference would be still greater, as 

 it would probably be if there was a greater difference in 

 size of grain than one number. This does not take into 

 account the quicker ignition and combustion of the finer 

 grain, which would, no doubt, occupy less time in start- 

 ing the charge and sending it to the muzzle, from which 

 point Mr. Tenner's velocities are computed. Two-thirds 

 of this distance, or llin., would be the difference if the 

 bird were flying forty miles per hour, and not 2 or 3in. 

 as erroneously stated by Mr. Tenner. As to the speed 

 of birds I am convinced from watching their flight from 

 fast moving trains, the speed of which is known, that 

 sixty or more miles per hour is only an ordinary gait for 

 many game birds. 



His treatment of the results to determine nine of the 

 fourteen qualities of the various powders, is also, in some 

 cases, as open to question as the above-mentioned in- 

 stances. I cannot judge of the way in which he handled 

 the remaining five qualities, as he did not give the facts. 



If a man is scientific in his tests and accurate and con- 

 clusive in his judgments, I think no one can complain if 

 he does show that one powder is better than another, or 

 that a certain powder is poor trash. But if he does not 

 come up to this standard, it his tests and statements and 

 way of reasoning and conclusions are open to just criti- 

 cism, then I say publishing such a report inflicts an inex- 

 cusable injury to some manufacturers and furnishes false 

 capital to others. T. H. G-. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



After carefully perusing Mr. A. Tenner's reply to my 

 criticism upon his powder tests, and knowing that the 

 Bubject under discussion is of general interest to your 

 shooting readers, I beg leave to once more trespass upon 

 your columns and good nature. 



I am not fishing for compliments, but I wish to thank 

 my worthy antagonist for his gracious and complimentary 

 references to me personally. I certainly appreciate his 

 fairness and gladly acknowledge his superior scientific 

 knowledge of ballistics, although we differ widely as to 

 the ballistic merits and practical values of certain explo- 

 sives. 



Unlike some blackguards and nincompoops, who imag- 

 ine themselves experts on ballistics, although in reality 

 they know not the very beginning of the ABC of explo- 

 sives, Mr. Tenner confines himself to arguments and 

 alleged facts and figures and refrains from personal abuse. 



Nobody can appreciate more thoroughly than I what a 

 thankless task it is and how much labor is involved in 

 preparing, conducting and chronicling the results of am- 

 munition tests of such wide scope as those held at Chicago 

 and Carney's Point. It was therefore very reluctantly 

 that I took exceptions to Mr, Tenner's deductions, but as 

 he is endeavoring to establish an American testing institu- 

 tion for arms and ammunition, of which he is to be 

 Superintendent and naturally a person in authority whose 



opinion and word would carry a great deal of weight, for 

 or against certain articles, I must take exceptions to his 

 acting as judge, and jury at the same time and giving a 

 verdict upon disputable evidence, instead of letting others 

 draw such conclusions as the alleged results seemed to 

 warrant. Under the circumstances, his tests looked de- 

 cidedly like an attempt to make capital for one powder at 

 the expense of others. 



The reasons for my exceptions were stated in a general 

 way in my first letter. They were that the alleged results 

 obtained at the above tests lacked uniformity to such an 

 extent as to leave a well-founded doubt regarding the 

 accuracy and reliability of the instruments there used or 

 their manipulation. Secondly, I claimed that as the 

 Walsrode cartridges tested were furnished by very much 

 interested parties, and the E, C. and Schultze cartridges 

 tested were loaded on the ground during the trials by 

 parties who had no interest in their proper performances, 

 the comparative test could not be a fair one. Last but 

 not least, I objected to the manner of allotting and com- 

 piling the figures of merits. 



In his reply Mr. Tenner says that the variations, which 

 I called abnormal both as regards initial pressure as well 

 as velocity, were solely due to the behavior of the 

 powders or that the latter behaved as powders are likely 

 to behave. 



If this were true what would be the use and purpose of 

 a proof house and testing institution? It would be simply 

 impossible to establish unalterable facts and permanent 

 figures and principles as regards the actions of explo- 

 sives and the limit of safety of our shotguns if even our 

 old and generally accepted reliable black powders really 

 did vary thousands of pounds in bursting strain and hun- 

 dreds of feet in velocity under normal and favorable 

 conditions. 



As a practical trap-shooter and field sportsman of some 

 experience, I think better of our modern shotgun explo- 

 sives such as Schultze and E. C. When properly loaded 

 I know that when my aim is correct my ammunition in 

 a good gun will do the rest. Thousands of other practi- 

 cal men feel the same confidence in the above powders, 

 and the wonderful scores put up at the trap and in field 

 shooting all over the world show how reliable and even 

 the actions of our modern explosives are, even under 

 vastly different conditions as to load, temperature, hy- 

 groscopic and atmospheric conditions. Mr. Tenner him- 

 self must have only changed his mind about the above 

 since his tests, for he very emphatically expressed his 

 belief and conviction to me in one of several very 

 pleasant conversations, that any excessive variations in 

 results with the above powders were not the fault of the 

 powders per se, but were caused by other attending and 

 preventable disturbing conditions. 



Mr. Tenner misquotes me when he asserts that I said 

 "Dead Shot" was the most even and reliable black powder 

 in the world. I said one of the most even powders, etc. 

 Very few kinds and grades of sporting powders have been 

 manufactured in larger quantities than "Dead Shot," and 

 very few enjoy as good or better a reputation for relia- 

 bility and evenness. The largest ammunition manufac- 

 turers have adopted it and are willing to pit its evenness 

 against the world. 



According to the figures of the test, "Dead Shot" is 

 credited with by far the most even bursting pressure, 

 which emphasizes the fact that something was wrong 

 when debited with a variation in velocity of 136ft. in 

 only a five shot trial. The very next series of tests made 

 with "Orange Extra" FFG, a similarly excellent powder 

 and one which closely resembles "Dead Shot" in every 

 respect, shows only a variation of 13ft. in velocity. 



I have taken these black powders as examples because 

 authorities the world over know what they are, and that 

 they are more reliable than wmat the figures of the test 

 would indicate. Why and how the results of the tests, 

 especially as regards all other powders but Walsrode, 

 were made to differ so much from tests made by other 

 parties in equally or still more favorable position to be 

 exact, can of course only be conjectured now. 



We all agree that the results of loaded ammunition is 

 much influenced by the manner of loading, and this is 

 especially the case with nitro explosives. 



For this reason did I ask for, and I notice other parties 

 made the same request, the details of what kind, etc., of 

 wadding were used during the trials. 



I wish all those readers, who have kindly followed the 

 controversey, to take special note of this most important 

 point, as nothing influences desirable or undesirable re- 

 sults as much as the kind and combination of the wads 

 over powder in a shotgun cartridge. It is by means of 

 the skillful selection and use of various kinds of wads 

 that the loader can increase or decrease initial pressure, 

 increase or decrease velocity, vary the recoil, control his 

 pattern to a great extent, counteract the violent actions 

 of excessively strong primers or excessive loads, prevent 

 to an extent hang or slow fires with weaker primers, cause 

 or prevent balling of shot, etc. In short it is the superior 

 judgment of the loader in selecting and manipulating the 

 wadding, which is born of extensive practical experience 

 and knowledge of the scientific laws of ballistics, that 

 makes the best and loaded cartridges more valuable than 

 the sometimes excellent machine-loaded ammunition, 

 which latter I should prefer at any time to hand-loaded 

 ammunition of non-experienced and unskillful parties. 



My scientific antagonist kindly says that I command an 

 amount of general knowledge in the premises rarely 

 found by persons of my line of business and my calling. 



If this be so it has been my good fortune. For Mr. 

 Tenner's information, not in a spirit of brag, I will say 

 that my opportunities for learning have been very favor- 

 able, as there is probably no man in or outside of my line 

 of business in this country who has the same amount of 

 experience in the combined practical and scientific sttidy 

 of shotgun ballistics, coupled with hard, practical, com- 

 mercial experience, especially as applied to nitro powders 

 and nitro powder ammunition. 



But to resume. Mr. Tenner did say, not less than six- 

 teen times in his report, that "U. M. C. wads were used," 

 but as this company manufactures nearly all kinds of 

 wads, for which there is any demand, the simple state- 

 ment U. M. C. wads was of no value whatever to those 

 seeking enlightenment. However, the desired information 

 has now been added by Mr. Tenner, and he says that "a 

 trap wad, a first quality white felt and a black edge wad 

 were employed for all nitro powders" except Walsrode, 

 which cartridges were wadded with the special elastic, 

 thick Express wad most suitable to the powder's condensed 

 charge with its condensed pressures, 



Although distasteful to me, I am compelled to flatly 

 contradict Mr. Tenner's statement, and will here suggest 

 that if he is in error in this most important of all factors 

 for proper working of Schultze and E. C. powders, he 

 may be in error as regards other points that I have taken 

 exceptions to. 



The fact is that it is simply a physical and mechanical 

 impossibility to so wad most 12-gauge 2fin. shells with 

 3rlrs. of the above powders and l^oz. of shot and load and 

 crimp the shell properly. Moreover I am informed by 

 one of the eye witnesses 'that the cartridges were not all 

 so wadded. 



Should I in spite of the above assertion be wrong, and 

 Mr. Tenner's statement be correct, and the above loads 

 have actually been crimped and forced into such a shell, 

 then it would not be any use to continue this discussion, 

 as the mysteries of the unusual results of Mr. Tenner's 

 tests have been satisfactorily cleared away. A 12-bore 

 2fin. Nitro Club shell will only hold about |oz. of shot 

 with above-mentioned wadding and powder charge prop- 

 erly loaded, leaving from | to Jin. for crimp, which Mr. 

 Tenner himself admits is absolutely necessary. 



It is to be regretted that, after all the exhaustive and 

 thankless labor, the little extra trouble of stating in detail 

 the exact manner of wadding with each series of trials 

 was not gone to, as this, if we accept the results as correct, 

 would have been the most interesting and, for the general 

 shooter, most instructive feature of the whole trials. 



The best and most juet basis and methods for allotting 

 to the several desirable qualities of gunpowders certain 

 parts of the total figures of merit settles down to a ques- 

 tion of difference of opinion, as Mr. Tenner himself says, 

 Was it not, therefore, unwise and rather invidious of one 

 who is striving for the management and establishment Of 

 an institution of authority to arbitrarily force his own pri- 

 vate opinion on the American public beforehand? And* 

 although I personally think none the less of Mr. Tenner's 

 honesty and sterling integrity, is his course not likely to 

 discredit him in many quarters and thereby curtail the 

 amount of possible and visible good he might, and I dare 

 say will, do through the proposed Testing Institution? 



But let us go a little deeper into thp manipulation of 

 figures of merits, upon which is based Mr, Tenner's indi- 

 vidual personal opinion, which some people mistake and 

 advertise for solid rocks of facts, and see whether these 

 rocks won't melt like so much rock candy in a moisture 

 test. 



Throughout his tests Mr. Tenner seems very solicitous 

 about the safety of the powder tested. To make compari- 

 sons possible, it is necessary to form some basis to start 

 from. No better basis can be found than the action of a 

 good black powder, as every shooter is acquainted with 

 the nature of such powder and all of our guns and shells 

 are adapted to its use. 



It seems, therefore, desirable that a powder's bursting 

 pressure should not vary excessively within a difference 

 of a few grains in quantity used, even if the prescribed 

 normal load should vary some from that of black powder 

 because various grains and grades of black powder vary 

 very materially. 



This is certainly a point of importance. 



Very much varying results are often obtained with 

 powders, especially nitro powders. At the same time 

 they are generally caused by differences in attending 

 loading conditions, at least this holds good with such 

 powders as Schultze and E. C, which, if they did not, 

 would not have practically driven high-grade and high- 

 cost black powders out of the market. Such variations 

 are generally to be laid to either the manner of loading, 

 differences in quality of wads, primers, shells, etc. 



Shotguns are being used for widely different purposes. 

 Sora rail shooting is certainly very different work from 

 stopping ducks and geese in the bays or on the prairies. 

 Again, a man is not apt to load his gun for a live pigeon 

 match in mid-winter at 31yds. rise with a 21yds. bound- 

 ary as he would for summer woodcock shooting. It is 

 therefore desirable that a powder charge canbe effectively 

 varied according to its use as well as the gun or the shoot' 

 er's weight and strength. 



With black powders, as well as Schultze and E. C, this 

 can be safely done and often advantageously in loads 

 from 2 to 4 drams by measure for 12-gauge guns, and this 

 is not only desirable from a practical standpoint, but a 

 merit from a ballistic view. 



Now, let us see how Walsrode acts in this respect. The 

 smallest load advocated is 29grs, and the heaviest 31grs. 

 It is an indisputable fact that neither smaller nor heavier 

 loads than above, which represent about l^drs. by meas- 

 ure, can compare with the above-mentioned powders in 

 pattern and penetration. But to its safety about which 

 Mr. Tenner is so solicitous: 



Everybody is liable to make mistakes. We all do it. 

 Nor do we all see alike, and although the agents of 

 Schultze and E, C. recommend from 2| to 3^drs. by 

 measure as the best loads, a great many people use ±, i or 

 even a whole dram more through ignorance or contrari- 

 ness, and many point at the good results they get to back 

 up their action. 



What now would happen with Walsrode if a shooter 

 should get i or Jdr. more powder into his gun? We'll let 

 the learned linguist and the "expert of 30 years' standing" 

 of the Walsrode Co. answer this question. His circular 

 reads as follows: "The Walsrode powder has the peculiar- 

 ity to develop in increased charges a volume of gas out of 

 all proportion to the increased charge." I need no better 

 authority, and will simply add that an increase of i or 

 idr, by measure of a "winter load" used in summer will 

 most cestainly strain or wreck the gun, and certainly 

 endanger the shooter's safety. 



How much now does Mr. Tenner consider the superior 

 safety of E, C. and Schultze worth more than Walsrode? 

 Just one or two points out of the total of 200. 



The solicitude of Mr. Tenner for safety seems only to 

 run high in figures when he finds the bursting strain of 

 Schultze increased more than Walsrode after the cartridges 

 have been baked like Boston beans in an oven. 



It looks like another inconsistency when Mr. Tenner 

 allows 30 points out of the 200 for least bursting strain in 

 proportion to velocity, when he allows for actual velocity 

 only 20. Yet it is velocity combined with sufficient pat- 

 tern which does the work for which gunpowder is 

 intended — killing. Ninety per cent, of the practical 

 shooters look for this, first, last and all the time. 



Under the first named head, Mr. Tenner credits Ameri- 

 can wood powder with 29 points, whereas he allows 

 Schultze only 24. I have gone to the trouble of com- 

 piling and averaging the various series of velocity and 



