How To Make Paper Cartridges For A Smoothbore Muzzle-loader.

Discussion in 'Pre-1900s Guns and Ammo' started by Keith H., May 2, 2017.

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  1. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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  2. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    Thanks for that post.:D

    I have several b.p. firearms including revolvers.
    I've even hunted with them and taken a few squirrels.
    Up lose of course.
    A round ball from a revolver does little meat damage.
    Still these arms aren't a "survival" tool in my opinion.
    Not when modern weapons and ammo do a better job.
    I'll keep my black powder arms and my many pounds of Swiss powder just the same.
    Mu best whitetail shot was 80 paces on a fat doe looking at me.
    The boolet hit her in the brisket and she was dead right there.
    Found the expanded boolet in a rear ham.
    B.P. firearms do work!
     
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  3. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I had not realised that you had some experience with muzzle-loading arms, this is good. Perhaps in time you will come to trust them more as a long term wilderness living advantage.
    Keith.
     
  4. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    I like i carry speed loaders with mine have you used the pyrodex pellets yet they are fantastic to use one suggestion on powder end spray with glue and add a bit of 4f to make it burn quicker less hang as paper burns slow
     
  5. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I have never bothered with Pyrodex, I was told that it is no good as priming in a flintlock. I don't quite understand your comment on burning paper, the paper does not have to burn at all?
    Keith.
     
  6. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Back in the 1800s, folk would use "flash paper" a.k.a. "guncotton" to roll-up these sort of cartridges. This flash paper was made by exposing some form of cellulose to nitric acid (rather strong nitric acid, actually). I don't know the details of this procedure, but y'gotta know that you'd better watch out if you want to keep your skin, your eyes. The process was standardized and it became a factory product. They were referred to as "nitrated cartridges".

    The shooters would use this flash paper to do what Keith H. showed in his video, except that they'd shove the whole assembly down the barrel without tearing the paper to pour the powder. Again, the paper itself combusted. One could buy the assembly, the loaded paper and glued bullet, in a box of cartridges. These were used with muzzle-loading rifles, on into the breach-loading era, and I've read that they were very popular with percussion revolvers. For any percussion revolver, always make sure you put some grease/wax over the front of the ball and back around the percussion caps -- this so that the cylinder won't "chain-fire", one cylinder can set off adjacent chambers. Great way to tear off your fingers.
     
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  7. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    Pyro-poof.

    I hate that crap.
    If it ain't Holy Black it just ain't.:D

    I do understand that finding real Holy Black powder isn't so easy these days.
    I hooked up with fellow Holy Black worshipers years ago and we split a case of 25 pounds.
    I ponied up the money. MISTAKE!
    My "buddies" all backed out of the deal leaving with with 25 pounds.
    That was back when a case cost $6.00 a pound.
    HA! Jokes on them as I have enough Holy Black to last a couple lifetimes and they DON'T.

    Goex is now over $20.00 bucks a pound and Swiss over $31.00.

    I keep my Holy Black in a shed AWAY from the house.
    Lighting won't set it off so no worry there but even a small fire or stray ember
    could ruin my day.

    Empty CO2 cartridges filled with 4 fg and a cannon fuse.............................................

    Not that I've EVER done that, just read about it long ago.
    Just sayin'.
     
  8. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    If I recall correctly making flash paper is pretty easy but I've forgotten how.
    Nitrated paper?????? is that it???

    When us boys were young and stupid we made black powder.
    Or something we thought was black powder.
    We set a cornfield on fire.
    Boy did we get in trouble for that stunt!

    We did the same thing with homemade rockets and rocket fuel.
    Sugar and potassium nitrate............shwoooosh.
    Put a rocket right through someones roof.

    Whoooooooooooooo boy!
     
  9. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    I have a smooth bore T-C 12 gauge I sometime hunt small game with.
    Fun!
     
  10. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    I've always been interested in black-powder weapons, however I've never gone ahead and bought one. I've had several friends who've really gotten into such. I've never fired a flintlock, but have fired a whole bunch of other black powder weapons. Percussion cap and on. I most liked firing black powder cartridge rifles, specifically rolling block (.43 Spanish & .43 Egyptian). As I've written before, a .32 percussion cap rifle was all my mom's dad had when he was young (born just after the year 1900, Southern Appalachia, beyond poor, he was mostly Scottish & some Cherokee, turned into a bear when in the woods). Depending on that one shot will make a hunter out of a person. Pap ended up with a breech loading single-shot 12 ga., which to him was up-town. His dad had to carry a percussion cap revolver due to an ongoing feud with an in-law. Annie Oakley got to be way good due to her having to hunt for food, pelts, and game meat to retail food stores. Her dad died when she was way young.
    I just found a bio for her:
    http://www.nramuseum.com/guns/the-g...ice/annie-oakley's-remington-beals-rifle.aspx

    Maybe one day I'll buy a percussion revolver. A little .36 would be cute.
     
  11. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    If you don't mind a suggestion.
    A .44 cap 'n ball would be a better choice.
    I know a fella in W.Va. that ambushes deer from a tree stand with a .44 cap'n ball and does
    quite well.
    Think of the devastation in our Civil War caused with black power weapons.
     
  12. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    Keith:
    Do you lube your balls?
    I use Crisco to top off the loaded cylinders.
    LEAD balls for cryin' out loud!:confused:
     
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  13. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I am glad you qualified that question jeager! No mate I don't grease my balls. If I were using patch material the material would be greased. When I use leather patching I don't bother with grease.
    Keith.
     
  14. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    Thanks Keith.
    When using a patch I lube it with olive oil because it's traditional.
    Or so I've read.
    Olive oil was called sweet oil back in the day.
    Crisco works o.k.
    Cheap and plentiful.
    Crisco on the top of the cylinders of a b.p. revolver.
    Makes a greasy mess after a view shots.
     
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  15. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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  16. jeager

    jeager Master Survivalist
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    Thanks Keith, pretty cool information.
     
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  17. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    For the cap'n'ball revolvers, I've seen guys melt Crisco and bees wax together. Back when, it was bees wax and bear grease -- why bear and not hog renderings, I have absolutely no idea. I do know that when cooking bear meat, just expect all the dogs in your section of the county to start howling like mad.

    You'll need to wax the caps also -- this to prevent chain fire also. So its fore and aft on each chamber.
     
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