Min wall thickness at muzzle

[Dennis Daigger]

What is the safe minimum wall thickness at the muzzle for a .58 caliber pistol with a 10 1/2" barrel?
Dennis

[Bob Roller]

Look at a 58 caliber Civil War rifle like the 1858 Enfield.
Bob Roller

[smylee grouch]

I'm thinking with that short barrel and probably only half of what you would shoot for powder in a 58, you could go as thin as any 24 gauge smooth bore barrel.

[Goo]

Smooth bore can be very thin look at some originals, also check out Ken Netting`s smooth barrels rifled is a different story pressures go up with those and they should be heavier.

[Bob Roller]

I'm thinking with that short barrel and probably only half of what you would shoot for powder in a 58, you could go as thin as any 24 gauge smooth bore barrel.

Military service load was 65 grains in the American service rifles and the British was higher but I forget what it was.
Bob Roller

[Dennis Daigger]

Thanks for the responses but I don't have access to any of the guns you folks reference and not sure they are relevant to what I'm trying to figure out.

I know that .100" barrel wall thickness at the muzzle provides sufficient strength for even heavy loads. What I'm trying to determine is how far below this can I go for a .58 caliber pistol barrel with a margin of safety? Is .075" sufficient? What about .060"? This is a rifled barrel that I'm profiling but don't think that should matter.
Dennis

[smylee grouch]

Muzzleloader Builders Supply sold oct. to round barrels but dont know the specks on them and if any were available in 58 but his catalog might list the specks.

[Clark Badgett]

I'm thinking with that short barrel and probably only half of what you would shoot for powder in a 58, you could go as thin as any 24 gauge smooth bore barrel.

Military service load was 65 grains in the American service rifles and the British was higher but I forget what it was.
Bob Roller

The official English load for the Enfield rifle musket was 2 1/2 drachams or 68.36 grains.

[Jerry V Lape]

I would be careful about comparing the wall thickness of a long barrel service rifle to a short barrel on a pistol.  The rifle or smoothbore has a longer space in which to reduce the initial pressure of ignition.  I have had shotguns with wall thickness of .018 near the muzzle with no problem.  If that thickness had been in the first half of the barrel it would have failed without question.   

[Craig Wilcox]

Dennis, I have two .54 cal smoothbore pistols.  One has a metal thickness of .114, the other 0.99. 
hope that helps.

[Dennis Daigger]

Dennis, I have two .54 cal smoothbore pistols.  One has a metal thickness of .114, the other 0.99. 
hope that helps.

Thanks, Craig. That is exactly what I was looking for. I know a bit about smokeless powder pressure curve calculation at various points in a barrel's length but the black powder stuff is new to me. I will use .100" as a min.
Dennis