Gun Blast Article on F/A .500 Wyoming Express

[Camp Cook]

Here's a link to Jeff Quinn's Gun Blast article on the new F/A
.500 Wyoming Express article http://www.gunblast.com/Freedom_500WE.htm

"WOW" impressive is all I can say!

Pointed out on another forum was how can the .500 WE get 100fps to 200fps faster than the Linebaugh cartridge if it is the same basic size.

Must be something to do with pressures?

[Dustee Miller]

If there are anymore sightings of tyronosaurus rex in these parts I'm gonna get me one of them FA/WE guns and plug the suckers!

[Camp Cook]

Aren't you going to be ready for that next sighting by having the gun already on your hip? :idea3:

[Dustee Miller]

Well, the old 454 Casull will have to fill t he bill until a sighting is confirmed :grin:

[mbartel]

Camp Cook-

Powder capacity is only part of the ballistic equation. Chamber pressure is another big part.  The same way that the shorter .45 Gap can equal standard loadings of the longer .45 acp, the Gap operates at a higher chamber pressure...23,000 psi per SAAMI spec for the Gap.  21,000 psi max for the acp. Anyway....the Linebaugh case diameter is larger to accomadate the .510 dia. bullet. The Linebaugh case has more powder capacity than the .500 WE.  But the WE probably operates at a higher chamber pressure to equal or in most cases, exceed the Linebaugh.  Remember, the Linebaugh was originally chambered in revolvers that are weaker than the FA revolvers. Also the chamber walls in the Linebaugh are thinner (remember the larger diameter case) so the pressures have to be held back a bit for safety.  Both rounds are awesome in their respective platforms. It's just that the WE is a modern design developed to operate in one of the strongest single action revolvers ever made.

[TScottO]

A comparison between the chambers of a custom 500L and a FA chambered 475L shows the FA  has .001” less metal between the chambers than the 500L. Moving the FA up to a 50 will give us less metal between the cylinders in comparison.

Take Care,
Scott

[bpjon]

In most cases the outside wall of the cylinder is the weakest point.  What is the thickness of the outside wall of the chamber in the 500 Linebaugh compared to that of the 475 FA?

[TScottO]

The .001 stated earlier was difference at the face of the cylinder between openings. Without pulling the cylinders I could not measure the thickness between chambers. Below I measured both the face (cylinder face) and the chamber area (loading gate) to the outer wall. This is the as close as I could come with out pulling the cylinders but should be close enough for what we are doing.

500L @ loading gate   ~.073
500L @ cylinder face  ~.090

FA 475 @ loading gate  ~.104
FA 475 @ cylinder face ~.124

New 500L brass (unsized) at the mouth ~.541
New 500WE brass (unsized) at the mouth ~.515
Fired 475L brass (unresized) at case mouth ~.501

Maybe Mr. Bob read this and will give us the thickness between the outer walls and the thickness between the chambers on the 500WE.

It looks as though the WE will have greater thickness of the outer wall and lesser thickness between the chambers when compared to a 500L conversion.

Peace be with you,
Scott

[bpjon]

Thank you for taking the time to measure the cylinders.

[Bob Baker]

When measured at the cylinder face

Between chambers is .108
Cylinder to outside dia. is .105

Measurements are approximate.

[TScottO]

Thank you.