Ballistic testing (Geezer style): Super Companion

[Doc-in-AZ]

 

I guess this must be the place to post an actual test of an NAA revolver.  No other category/title seems even remotely close.

BACKGROUND AND METHOD:
I don't have a chronograph, never found any need for one.  The closest I can come to ballistic gelatin is some yellow Jello I found in the cupboard and I'm not sure how to make it up into little blocks and shoot into it without making it unpalatable (we old folks are on a fixed income, besides I rarely shoot anything I don't intend to eat).  Consequently I conducted my testing of the first five rounds fired from my Super Companion using the time-tested Alexander Graham Bell method.  I shot into a phone book.

TESTING PROCEDURES:
I loaded the revolver carefully and according to the manufacturer's instructions (also in accord with the very good advice I received from our colleagues here in/on the NAA Message Forum (or whatever other title is appropriate for this curious form of mass communication . . . "asylum" has been suggested by one among you).

MANIPULATION OF VARIABLES:
I put a level scoop (official scoop provided with the revolver) of Pyrodex P into each chamber.  Using the provided and putatively efficacious annoying little bullet seating tool I properly seated the 30 grain solid projectiles recommended and provided for this small-bore masterpiece.

TESTING:
I then fired all five rounds from a distance of about a meter and a half into the phone book (a standard Phoenix model for the year 2012).  As a matter of comparison (control group for those who are hung up on scientific stuff) I then fired two rounds at the phone book from a 50 to 60 year old Beretta .22 short pistol using high velocity solid ammunition.

MINOR MODIFICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:
The original experimental design called for only one round from the Beretta to be fired but a gust of very high wind coupled with an earth tremor and a bit of indigestion caused the first round to miss the phone book entirely.  ergo
a second round was called for.

RESULTS:
I'm a little concerned to report that two of the five shots from the revolver required a second hammer strike to fire.  I will henceforth be more judicious and positive about putting the caps in place.

Three of the NAA projectiles surprised me by being within an inch of each other.  This bunch seemed to act synergistically and rammed themselves through the book for about 350 pages (to about page 700).  However the other two bullets,acting on their own each came to rest about 125 pages into the test medium (about page 250).  It is prudent that we compare these two to the control bullet shot from the Beretta.  It also came to rest at about page 250--260, but left torn pages through the book all the way out to page 600+.  The Beretta bullet was much deformed and mushroomed while all of the NAA bullets exhibited only slightly deformed noses.

CONCLUSIONS (which I hope will be corrected, expanded upon, pummeled, and perhaps disproven entirely my fellow ballisticians among the readership):

Either the NAA bullets are much harder than the bullet in the Beretta cartridge or (more probable, I think) the smokeless powder load in the Beretta exhibits a higher velocity and therefore the Beretta bullet expended its energy mushrooming while penetrating no further than the lower velocity "black powder" projectiles.  I suspect that in a softer medium (yellow Jello comes to mind) the Smokeless powder round would penetrate further than the black powder rounds while not mushrooming.  I predict that the difference in penetration would be small.

FURTHER STUDY?:  About all I can think of that would further amuse me in this regard is to shoot a standard velocity .22 short out of the Beretta as a comparison to using a slightly more energetic propellant (Triple 7 is the only one I have in mind) in the NAA revolver.  Pyrodex was used in this test because it is called for in the instruction book and it is also the only black powder substitute I have handy at the moment.

I look forward to the clarification to be added by my colleagues of the asylu . . . . . (ahem) Message Board.

[Uncle_Lee]

Sorry Doc,
This is the area for test posting for those that don't know how to post.
BUT,,, on this forum, we don't want strict rules so post were you like.

[doc_stadig]

Great eval, Doc. You will find better ballistic phone book results if you can get a can of 4F, It's kind of hard in these days of "I just don't feel like cleaning my weapon." Check around with historical reenactors, or anyone that just plain loves shooting flintlocks, they will most likely have a can, and know where to get a pound, a pound will last forever, I haven't hardly put a dent in my can. I shoot several of my NAA wheelguns when I get the chance to go to the range, and you'll really like that little puff of smoke, and get to like the aroma of sulfur when you get to pop a cap, and make sure the cap is Remington, they seem to be the ones that best fit and least FTF. I bought a Forster Tap-O-Cap 7-8 years ago, if you can find one they will make your own percussion caps, from a soda can and kid's rolled caps like we used to shoot the enemies of our friends. This is the direction sheet,
http://www.forsterproducts.com/client_images/catalog19938/pages/files/Tap-O-Cap_TC1000-001.pdf
I've never had a failure from mine as long as I don't make any mistakes cutting the roll caps. I get the best result with 2 of the punched out dots from the roll caps.


Doc

[Doc-in-AZ]

Thanks again Doc.

I a using Remington #11 caps and will continue to do so.  I'm having some trouble finding true black powder but continue to search.  True indeed, a pound of any propellant will constitute a life-time supply for this little gun.  Do you feel that black powder will be better all around than Triple 7 (which I can find locally, 'most anywhere)?

I've been shootin real BP since I was a middle teen, am well familiar with its smell.  I first used it in a couple of 1830 - 40 Danish pistols in the 1950s.  A bit later I stumbled into an 1840 N. Lewis target gun and shot it for decades. 

By the way, I forgot to mention my thanks for your pointing out that #4 buck make good  balls for these little revolvers.  Makes sense, they run about .24, as I recall, and should shave of a decent bearing area while being loaded.  The trick is going to be finding them is something less than wholesale quantities.  For the nonce I have 600 of the std NAA projectiles.

I only learned of the percussion cap making device quite recently, and immediately decided I had to have one.  Then, of course, found that they have been out of production for some time.  As usual, "day late, dollar short."  I'd love to get my hands on one long enough to take it down to the metal (machine) shop we have here in this retirement settlement.  I spend a good deal of time there and if I coudn't create a clone of the device, I could surely con one of the engineers or machinists to do so I'll bet.  Your inclusion of the instruction sheet is appreciated.

Your continued interest and support is gratifying.

[ikoiko]

If your machinists like drawings

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=82768

[Doc-in-AZ]

Thanks.  I'll get a copy of those post haste.