Colt Walker vs. .357 Magnum - Guns of the West

And down in the comment section I read the following: 

@63DW89A 3 months ago 

The Uberti Walker has quality steel construction, and is strong enough to push beyond charges that the original Walker Colt would likely be unsafe to shoot with. 

 During 1847 production, Whitney had mistakenly built a lot of earlier production Walker revolvers with iron or low carbon steel cylinders. This meant that original Walkers would often rupture cylinders when using black powders finer grained than "musket (2Fg)" grade. So to simulate that ballistics that an original Walker would be safely capable of, the Uberti Walker should be fired only with FFg "musket" black powder. 

With all Dragoon revolver production, Samuel Colt had total control of production and so all Dragoons were built with quality steel cylinders, and according to Colt loading instructions, "...were safe to fire with fine grain powder, whether the powder be strong or weak...". Pistol powder in the 19th Century was 4Fg granulation, and was never called "Flintlock priming powder" because such a thing was unheard of as it did not exist in the 19th Century. Flintlocks were primed with a bit of the main charge, as had always been done since flintlocks were available. [NOTE, in the 19th Century 2Fg is musket powder, 3Fg is rifle powder, 4Fg is pistol powder and 5Fg is Cartridge Powder for use in revolver combustible envelope cartridges. Hazard developed the "Cartridge Powder" in 1855 at the request of Samuel Colt, as Colt was beginning production of what would become revolver combustible cartridges. The only modern 5Fg available at present is Swiss Null B. Revolver combustibles typically used a charge of around 10% conical bullet weight, due to the higher velocities generated by the fast combustion of such extremely fine grain black powder]. 

So the Dragoon Colt revolvers, in the 19th Century were really the most powerful "revolving pistols" of that era. Hazard Powder Company's "Number One Pistol Powder" was a high performance black powder made from willow charcoal, and in the 4Fg granulation of "Pistol Powder", would have provided an extremely powerful load at the standard maximum Dragoon charge of 40 grains of powder under a 220 grain conical bullet. Propelled by such fine grain powder, Dragoon revolver Muzzle Velocities would exceed 1100 fps for the 220 grain conical bullet and deliver a striking force greater than the original 1935 load of the 357 Magnum rated from an 8.375 inch barrel of a 158 grain bullet at 1450 fps (738 ft lbs ME). At 1100 fps the 220 grain conical is rated in ME at 591 ft lbs. 

There is a common misunderstanding, perpetuated by ammunition companies, that ME is the striking force of the bullet. Bullet striking force(BSF) is obviously a derivative of ME, but BSF is not the same force as ME, and this can be quickly proven by firing at a Ballistic Pendulum. 

If the 357 Magnum 158 Gr at MV of 1450 fps, rated at 738 ft lbs ME is fired at a 100 pound Ballistic Pendulum, it will move the pendulum at 3.93 inches per second impact velocity. The Dragoon revolver charge of 40 grain 4Fg, 220 grain conical at MV of 1100 fps (591 ft lbs ME) will move the 100 pound Ballistic Pendulum at 4.15 inches per second impact velocity. I would argue the Dragoon Colt is the more powerful handgun over the 357 Magnum, as the BSF is greater. (NOTE the actual MV of the 40 grain 4Fg Dragoon load is higher than 1100 fps, but I'm using the lower MV to illustrate the point). 

What ME actually measures is the calculated theoretical "Horsepower" of the powder charge required to accelerate the given bullet weight to the stated muzzle velocity, against the resistance of aerodynamic and gravitational forces. The 738 ft lbs of the 357 Magnum is 1.34 HP generated by the powder charge to accelerate the 158 gr bullet to 1450 fps. The Colt Dragoon charge generates 1.07 HP to accelerate the 220 gr bullet to 1100 fps. This all comes into focus when you remember that to accelerate a 158 gr bullet from 1000 fps to 1500 fps, 50% greater velocity, requires 2.25 times (225%) MORE energy. (To accelerate a given bullet weight to twice the velocity requires FOUR times the energy from the propelling charge).