An Early Attempt at Tri-Load

[martyd]

I think it belongs in Reloading but not sure, please move if not.

I came across this photo while looking for something else.

It is from around 1975 or so.

A neighbor decided to try to do a Tri-Load in his 44 magnum, like the early Tri-Loads of the 454 Casull.

He was lucky and only ended up with some minor metal pieces hitting his face.

He did not remember the order in which he placed the 3 different powders and wasn't sure if it was a compressed load.

 

[TJm15.38]

This is what happens when people start experimenting with exotic loads and disregarding established reloading data. I've been reloading since 1981 and have always followed the reloading manuals. It's the only safe thing to do.

 

[Rule3]

Have no idea what a tri load is? The concept makes no sense at all and sounds like a hold my beer and watch this!

 

[stansdds]

Back in the pre-internet era, people tried all sorts of crazy things and took pictures of the aftermath. Today, people try all sorts of crazy things in order to create social media content. DIY blended powders and "tri-loads" are a recipe for disaster.

 

[Sevens]

I've heard of duplex loads but never heard of anyone using three powders in one cartridge.

Seems to me that if you are attempting even a duplex load, you MUST finish with a compressed load, even if it requires a buffer, otherwise you're doomed to epic failure regardless.

 

[Cdog]

I know a fellow that gets incredible velocities from his handguns.

He refers to any long gun as a "Crutch."

I've known this fellow since high school. He married into a family whose patriarch felt the same way about his firearms. If you ever got a handgun either of these guys owned you knew it had been "Proof Tested" for sure.

I've pleaded with them both to share their load data with me. To no avail with either. Neither would ever admit to duplex or triplex loads, but the velocities were far greater than any published data would ever achieve.

With any powder single I'm aware of to reach some of those numbers would have required a much larger case.

People do it and the handguns survive.

I have no interest in actually doing it, still I'm a curious fellow.

The pictured cylinder doesn't appear to be made from the strongest of metals. Kinda looks like a zinc pot metal, but I'm far from being knowledgeable on metals.

 

[Arkfarmer]

Good example of the Darwin principle, John

 

[SmithNut]

Let's see, was that one tea spoon of powder or two????

 

[sophie]

I have never understood why anyone that reloads for their firearms would be so irresponsible and careless. I've been reloading for 45 years and never heard the term tri-load or duplex load. If that means mixing two or three powders when working up loads for bullets, that's asking for trouble with a capital T. Published reloading data figures have been established for years with minimums and maximums listed with different powders. Most reloaders try to work up accurate loads for any given gun, depending on the type of shooting matches. We reload bullets as a good hobby. Usually it's less expensive to reload your own bullets. It's satisfying to come up with a load that shoots good and accurate in your pistols so why take unnecessary chances. There's nothing Macho about mixing gun powder.

 

[Rpg]

I believe that duplex loads originally were used when smokeless powder was originally introduced.

The huge British Express cartridges such as the 500BPE needed a boost to ignite the new cordite smokeless powder so a layer of quicker burning powder would be added to the bottom of the case, under the cordite. A wad or something like kapock was inserted tightly on top of the cordite to keep the powders from mixing and keep it up against the primer.

 

[Miracle Man]

I remember reading a reloading manual (wish I still had it) many years ago, early 80's. And it had a big chapter all about pressure, max loads, no-no's, substituting powder, all the danger signs, on and on.

Anyways there was a sentence in there, remember it well. Never, never, never mix powders. There was a reason the author put 3 or 4 nevers in one sentence, I'm sure.

Many years ago I was a 22-250 reloading freak. But accuracy was my thing, not extracting every last foot per second of velocity. I had a mild load of W760 and a 52 gr. Sierra HPBT that would shoot true one hole groups. Like 3,490 FPS. That to me is the pinnacle of reloading success.

It's much easier on the gun, much easier on your brass, uses less powder saving money. You can hit what you're aiming at. On and on.

Are they in a hurry to shoot the cylinder loose in their revolver as quickly as possible? Rant off

 

[Sevens]

I'm not pointing fingers but a lot of posts here seem to convey the idea that this, and perhaps everything, is strict one or the other, a 1 or a 0, a yes or a no and folks, almost nothing is this way, and certainly not interior ballistics.

We read the first post and it seems like we get a vision of a toothless Bubba missing fingers.

MOST of us just want to own, shoot, enjoy. I know that I do, so I don't get crazy or reckless. But experimentation exists and especially so for those who are diligent in what they're doing and why.

If Elmer Keith and Dick Casull were subjected to the whims of much of what's written in this discussion, we'd all be maxed out at 800fps.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

About 40 years ago. My neighbor figured I was a reloader and said he was too. He was doing duplex and triplex loads and his S&W Model 27 was junk.

 

[tennexplorer]

When the early experiments with the .454 Casull were going on, both duplex and triplex loads were assembled. Results were published, if you can believe that. One article was in P.O. Ackley's "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders."

Definitely compressed.

 

[bwxmas]

There is nothing wrong with Duplex, or Triplex loads
Usually reserved for Big Bore Rifles.
The qualifier is, and will always be, the guy that knows what he is doing vs the dumb guy that is guessing

 

[WR Moore]

I have no interest in actually doing it, still I'm a curious fellow.

The pictured cylinder doesn't appear to be made from the strongest of metals. Kinda looks like a zinc pot metal, but I'm far from being knowledgeable on metals.

The gun in question appears to be a Ruger Blackhawk (not Super Blackhawk). May/may not be. However, the appearance of the metal is pretty much what you get when you exceed the shear strength of steel in a very short time.

 

[DWalt]

There were earlier duplex and triplex loads for the .454 Casull published. But not for very long. I imagine many got bad results. The idea was to first load a layer of faster powder, with a layer of slower powder on top. Powders were not mixed together first. One would almost have to use a compressed load to keep powders from mixing in the case. Or to have some sort of physical barrier between powders like a wad of toilet paper. The idea of multiplex loads never held any appeal for me.

 

[Green Frog]

Something over century or so ago the use of duplex and triplex loads in rifles was popular as the change took place from black to smokeless. In fact, there were even special powder measures designed to drop charges sequentially. Let me emphasize, a duplex or triplex load is not mixed powder! The powders were/are layered, not mixed. If you haven't studied up on this technique thoroughly I have one word for you... DON'T!

Some people i heard about in the 1980s or early '90s were doing duplex loads in revolvers, but I never paid attention because the risk vs reward ratio didn't appeal to me.

Froggie

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Sounds like a good way to get yourself hurt or destroy your firearm. Many years ago I experimented with multiple lightweight projectiles in a 45colt cartridge whose weight added up to the single recommended projectile weight with the correct load of powder. A lot of work. They make a 410 loading like that nowadays.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Didn't Darwin state that you needed four powders, not just three with those
combination loads with smokeless powders, in a gun that you did not like ? !

I think HS-6 was one of those powders, but I'll have to check.

I would hate to give out some bad load information, don't you know.