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Thread: Polygonal

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    321

    Polygonal

    Ok guys.
    I shoot a WR so called Monkey tail,and it´s an octagonal offering in approx 45 cal.

    Just as it fabled cousin the Whitworth the Tail sports a 1:20 twist too. Just with an octagonal barrel as stated.

    Now. The actual MT was in rather poor shape as i got it why i had to adress the chamber. Doing so i opted to install a chamber insert out of modern tool room steel and thus made it into a 45-90 weapon.

    Point here is that i´ve shot the piece quite a bit and have now arrived on PP trials,which raises a few questions.

    As PP i just use a "volunteer" offering for it bullet wise. Approx 430 grains in weight.

    These rifles,as most original paper cartridge rifles from what it seems,show decent performance with true bore riders. Minimum cal dia for these rifles are normally .451" (across its flanks) and then a major diameter of somewhere around 0,480"+
    Most that claim decent results with paper cartridges seem to use a bore rider with a 468" rear driveband (or two).

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Right. So i grease the entire thing,sans the ogive. Then shove them through a 457-462 eye.
    What i´m giving thought to now tho is a way more shallow install of the boolit into the case and then run boolits that are sized 451 and has its rear part ONLY PP´d to a given diameter.
    However,i´m unsure as to how this would work IRL?

    Any advice on the subject greatly appreciated.

    How much PP would be needed for an effective seal in this case for instance?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    125
    If you are using black, use a .450 of the correct weight for the original cartridge (was it a #2 Musket?) and 16lb paper. 3/16" lube cookie.
    It will obturate. If you're using some other propellant, I can't help.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    321
    Thx.
    Well,i did try with "semi" paper patched boolits and those trials made me end up with...

    1/ It sure works. Boolits do print well,telling that we´ve got decent flight as well as obturation i guess
    2/ Polygonals obviously take a somewhat different approach vs cylindrical (or tapered for that matter)

    Lead used,either straight or a 1:20 mix. Both work albeit the soft does leave leading,mind you this is an old barrel with all that comes with that.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Posts
    125
    So, this rifle does have Metford rifling, doesn't it?
    I'm not sure what you're talking about with the octagonal/polygonal business.

    And, BTW, whatever rifling it does have will shoot with the 450 dia paper wrapped bullets if they are the correct weight.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Posts
    321
    Bullets in case are approx 450-500. Them in the pic at top are from a German Hensel mold that spits out sort of a volunteer style bullet at approx 450 grains.
    Barrel is semi short at 25,5",thus regarded as a short rifle..and no. Not Metford.
    When Whitworth,Brunell and Richards got together and came to spawn what in the end was the Whitworth,Richards opted to pull a detour of his own.
    You probably know that the Whitworth sports a hexagonal bore. Well,the Monkey tail works approx the same just with an octagonal bore instead and this in the form of a breech loader. A trap door gun even.
    To my knowledge at the time the only 451 rifle that did so.

    Fwiw these barrels were used for ML´s too,then for instance as Hughes brand rifles. Where the Whitworth and others were high end barrels the MT barrel was cast.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check