combustible paper cartridges for revolver?

[harris_304]

Anybody using paper cartridges in their revolver?

Do you approve or disaprove of using cartridges?

What, if any, benifits are there in using them?

Ron :hmm:

 

[jgray]

I've been thinking about giving them a try, I saw a website that advertised cartridge paper somewhere, but I can't remember where I saw it. It would have to be quicker to load with them than measuring each charge as you load it. I tried making cartridges from cigarette papers, but they don't hold very much powder. Maybe that would work for a .31 cal. revolver.

 

[Rat]

What I have been using, and works great for me is to make a paper cartridge out of good old post-it-note...just the right size so that a ball fits tight in it...then pour in the powder and fold over the end, and glue it down against the body of the cartridge or tube. Also fold, or "crimp" the end that the ball is in. You will make a few "lemons" at first, but then will "get your groove on" and find what works for you, and make some real nifty cartridges.

How it works in the field is that you just pop the folded end up, tear it off, pour in the powder, then just tear out the ball or squeeze it out, and ram her down. You don't put the paper in the gun, they aren't combustable of course, but you just stick the discarded paper in a back pocket so as not to litter...only takes an extra micro-second to do that.

It's a very fast system especially if you have an in-line capper. You can make them while watching the Outlaw Josey Wales or something on T.V....so there is really zero-time involved.

Oh yeah if you use wonder wads, you just poke one down on the ball, after you seat the ball in the bottom of the tube/cartridge paper, and before you pour in the powder.

It's fast and easy revolver loading, been using them for many years. Try it you'll like it.

Rat

 

[bezoar]

Cumbustible cartridges are extremely period. Types ranged from simple paper to metal foil made by colt. In period a paper cartridge was bought commercially, colt sold 1200 paper cartridges for around 10 dollars.

And cumbustible means just that, it cumbusts.[url] frontierspot.org[/url] used to have a very good way to make paper cartridges that were really miniature dixiecups with a ball and powder.
The folded ends of the above medthods can lead tomisfires as some caps may not have the power to burn thru multiple layers of paper at a time.
You can try cigarett paper,flash paper, or you can nitrate your paper.

 

[Rat]

My guess is that the old-timers tore the end off the combustable cartridges as they loaded them to be sure not to get miss-fires.

The main "trouble" with combustible cartridges is that they are a bit fragile. My "non-combustible" cartridges load just about as fast, and are very rugged.

Rat

 

[robinghewitt]

My guess is that the old-timers tore the end off the combustable cartridges as they loaded them to be sure not to get miss-fires.

Adam's revolver cartridges has a metal foil case and you had to pop the back end off to expose a layer of tissue paper.

Most every revolver shot fired in the American civil war was a paper cartridge :thumbsup:

 

[Don]

I tried cigarette papers loaded with 25 gr of powder. Put it in the cylinder then pressed ball on top. Used my nipple pick to put a hole in bottom of cartridge through the nipple, capped and fired. Seemed to work OK but making them was tedious.

Don

 

[Rat]

I've heard about sticking the pick through each nipple to puncture the cartridges...but that sounds as tedious as loading with loose powder...I mean what's the advantage if it takes longer to use the cartridges?? If you have to puncture the cartridges, or tear off the ends anyhow, I'd just as well use a non-combustible cartridge, and just stick the paper in my back pocket instead of down the chamber. I can only see a half-second difference between the two methods. Post-it-note paper is MUCH easier to work with than cigarette paper anyhow...and when you buy cigarette paper, everyone thinks you are a doper, or worse, a SMOKER!! (only a dope would smoke)

:crackup: :sorry: :relax:

If you make your cartridges while doing something else, such as watching a movie, the tedium is reduced for sure, and no time is lost. Oh, but don't smoke while making paper cartridges!

Rat

 

[harris_304]

Rat you are right. The hardest thing about paper cartridges
is going down to the store and buying the cigarette paper
without everyone thinking you are a doper.

Well I am going down to get the cigarette paper and i'll
stop at home depo for a 3/8 wooden dowel to form the cartridges for my trusty 1851 (.36 cal).

Let you know in a couple of days how they worked for me. I
am recovering from surgery so I have plenty of time to watch
a movie and made the cartridges.

 

[crockett]

Scrap together $5.00 and head down to your friendly neighborhood bookstore and pick up a 2005 Black Powder Annual by Dixie Gun Works. There is a detailed article about combustible cartridges. About their history and several ways to make them. You don't have to tear off the back of the cartridge or run a pick through the nipple. Just cram 'em in and bang away. You main worry should be any burning embers that may remain in the chamber.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Rat]

I bet a guy could just hang out in front of the store and wait for a doper to walk by, and get him/her to go in and get some for you...you could give them a pack as payment. Or maybe MUG a doper, and take his papers...?

:crackup: :youcrazy: :crackup:

Best movie to watch while making cartridges is the Outlaw Josey Wales of course.

:redthumb:

Paper cartridges aren't just for revolvers of course, I use a cartridge, with minnie ball contained for my 1861, and for my round ball rifle, or my smoothie when shooting ball I use a paper cartridge that just contains powder, as there's really no good way to contain a greasy ball and patch. Beats the heck out of a powder horn and measure, for me anyhow.

Oh yeah one more thing on the tedium...I don't use cartridges for shooting at the range...they are mainly for reloading "in the field" or when hunting. When they start getting old, I do shoot them up and make a new batch, but otherwise it WOULD be tedius to make up 100 cartridges just to take them out to the range and blow 'em off at targets. For my rifles/muskets/rifle-muskets I'll only make a dozen or so powder cartridges, and for a revolver I'll only make about 30 at most, or whatever amount I will actually carry with the pistol.

Rat