The thing most tend not to consider, when comparing the maximum average chamber pressures (expressed in pounds per square inch) of two different cartridges, is the actual difference in interior surface square inches between them. The .357MAG cartridge case has considerably more available interior surface area, with each square inch experiencing 35,000 pounds of pressure, than does 9x19mm cartridge case. So, what’s that all mean, in this context? I haven’t a clue. Hey, I just ask the questions; I don’t have the actual answers. The ability to understand the practical details of that stuff is well above my pay grade.
Not very far above mine.
PSI is exactly that Pounds Per Square Inch. A rating over a given area. Increasing the area means you need to increase the volume of gas or liquid needed to achieve an identical pressure. In other word a 357 needs more gas to achieve that 35,000psi, but the amount of pressure on any given part or length of the chamber wall is exactly the same. A 357 can push a heavier bullet better only because of that increased volume. The effect of the pressure on a tube of the same diameter and wall thickness remains the same.
It just so happens that when I work part of my responsibility is being in charge of pressure tube inspection and testing. I no longer do the actual testing, I just supervise and deal with the people doing it. In fact this spring I dealt with the inspection and pressure testing 10s of 1000s of 1/2, 3/4 and 1" tubes from 4' to 20', with walls from .079 to .109. . I regularly deal with mechanical engineers and APIs. (Authorized pressure vessel inspectors) While the wall thickness, and diameter of the tube effect its pressure rating the length far and away less to do with its ability to contain a pressure. The radius means a lot. A 1/2 tube with the same wall thickness as a 1" tube will contain more pressure. The length however doesn't mean much. A 1/2 tube with say .093 walls 1' in length and one 20" in length will contain the same amount of pressure. before they rupture. Interestingly the size of a thin spot in the wall effects the its ability to hold pressure. A large spot being weaker than a small one..
A pressure vessel failure 15 years ago cost 7 of my coworkers their lives. But, that was the result of micro fracturing due to hydrogen embrittlement in the heat effected zone of a weld.
Hydrogen can begin to penetrate and weaken the grain boundaries in metals under certain circumstances.
Daniel J. Aldridge, age 50, Anacortes; Matthew C. Bowen, age 31, Arlington; and Darrin J. Hoines, age 43, Ferndale. The four burn victims were: Matt Gumbel, age 34, Oak Harbor; Lew Charles Janz, age 41, Anacortes; Kathryn Powell, age 29, Burlington; and Donna Van Dreumel, age 36, Oak Harbor. Both Kathryn Powell and Donna Van Dreumel, burned over more than 50 percent of their bodies, died at UW Burn Center on Friday. May They Rest in Peace.
On another note, those 9mm chambers on K frames are slightly thinner right at the cylinder stop notch than the 38 or 357 chambers