Heydenreich Model
Definition
A parameterised internal-ballistic model incorporating propellant specific force, burn-rate coefficients, and chamber volume. More physically grounded than Le Duc; the conceptual ancestor of the propellant burn-rate table systems used in modern loading data publications.
- Type
- Parameterised internal-ballistic model
- Inputs
- Propellant specific force, burn-rate coefficients, chamber volume
- Predecessor
- Le Duc model, which it improves on physically
- Legacy
- Conceptual ancestor of modern propellant burn-rate table systems
Common questions
How is the Heydenreich model more physically grounded than the Le Duc model?+
It builds the muzzle velocity prediction from actual propellant burn-rate behaviour and chamber geometry rather than from an empirical curve fit, which lets it generalise across loads and cartridges instead of only reproducing the specific data it was fitted to.
Is the Heydenreich model still used directly in modern ballistics work?+
Its direct form has largely been replaced by the burn-rate table and pressure-trace systems published in current reloading manuals, but those modern systems inherit its core logic of tying velocity to burn rate and chamber volume.
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