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Hazard Compressed Powder Cartridges

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I found this video very interesting and put it in the handgun section as it seemed to pertain. The first half of the video is the most interesting as that tells you how to make the cartridges which honestly looks like a lot of work. I have little interest in prepared cartridges for a revolver except for my unhistorical method of using plastic tubes for skirmishing. I hope some of you with more patience and time than I have will try some and report back here with your results.



https://www.printables.com/model/796565-hazard-solid-cartridge-molds

https://crossen-cartridge.company.site/
 
I've been making the Hazards for six months or so. It's kind of a relaxation thing for me...some people might do crossword puzzles, I take an hour-ish once or twice each week to make a half-dozen each of .44 cal and .36 cal, let them set up until I have time to finish the job. It's not difficult, and the only "specialized" equipment is something to briefly compress the cap into the mold. I use a small drill press, but the smallest and cheapest way to tackle it might be to buy a small C-clamp.

They work fine. I make them and then package them in paper packets or wood cartridge blocks, and stamp and apply labels so they look right. The packets aren't museum-quality reproductions, but an impression that isn't embarrassing (to me). (I wish I could find better information on the paper--if I could find anything to improve, I would...because.)

For efficiency in total time to turn black powder into holes in targets...well, it's not more efficient than just filling cylinders at the range. It allows for faster reloads, as long as your revolver's loading notch accommodates the combined rigid cartridge, but I've tracked that my actively involved time to prepare 12 cartridges is close to 2 hours, from preparing the molds, breaking out the kit and scale, mixing the powder and binder, filling and packing the molds, cleanup, then removing the charges, gluing them to the conicals, coating with nitrocellulose for waterproofing and durability, lubricating the conicals, and cleaning and reassembling the molds to be ready for the next use.

The consistency of the mass of the charges is less than when filling cylinders or paper cartridges. Although I am finicky about putting the same weight of mix into the molds, when they've dried there is a variation in charge weight of up to 1 grain from extreme high to low, which I presume is principally imperfectly distributed binder and water from charge to charge. (The standard deviation in my last batch was 0.3 grain.)

But it's something I can do at night and in the rain when I would not be at the range anyway, and without any travel time. Apart from just enjoying the activity, I like that I've been able to use these as a way to educate others (who make the mistake of coming close to me and not walking briskly away when I begin to mention this) that self-contained cartridges of different sorts existed and were the principal way pistol ammunition was issued during the Civil War. The compressed powder cartridges are, to me, more peculiar and more interesting than paper and seem to intrigue others more. I'm trying to build up a little stock so I can give packets away to friends with percussion revolvers. (As my mother-in-law says, "Christmas is coming!")

I wish they had molds for the .36 pocket and for the .31. I know the 3-D files exist (at the link in OP), but I haven't seen them for sale when I've checked the site.

Paper cartridges are faster to make, for sure. And if you just want to make up some quick cartridges for a demonstration, you can use round ball, which is cheaper than buying conicals.

Two years ago, I didn't know any of this. I'm grateful for the authors, YouTubers, and fabricators out there who are not only bringing the information to light but also making it pretty easy to learn about and gain a practical feel for this historical ammunition.
 
I watched the instructional video and it just seems like a lot of extra work as compared with paper cartridges.
Yeah, it’s interesting but I just don’t see why I’d go through all of that instead of rolling paper cartridges, although to be fair I have a manure ton of American Spirits papers.

I do find it rather interesting though. And had I not all of these papers I might be curious enough to try, even more so if they’re waterproof and I had a need for such ammo.

I get little paper shards in a couple of chambers each cylinder full, but I used the last 3 cylinders worth I had to see if it’d cause problems, which it didn’t. I’m not heading west anytime soon so I doubt I’d ever need to shoot so many except at the range where I can fix any issue in 5 mins.
 
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Hi people,
Since I found this book, I have frequently made some skin cartridges, those are interesting and funny, does anyone make that kind of cartridge?

Skin_cartridges.png
 

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