filler in revolvers?

[jimhallam]

A lot of early British M-L revolvers have tapered chambers. The M1851 Adams (NOT the later D-A Beaumont-Adams) were loaded with a ball or bullet had a spike on the base, and a "washer" of leather, felt, card was fixed ther, with the end of the "spike" being peened over. The revolvers had no rammer so the bullets were pressed home by the thumb --- and frequectly the jolting of a revolver when on a horse would cause the bullets to walk forward -- - embarassing when being chaed by a Cossack in the Crimean War! (Part of the reason why a lot of M1851s Adams were later fitted with a rammer to foorce oversize bullets in. For convenience people tended to use what are commonly called "dustbin cartridges" which are not the paper or skin cartridges used in CW revolvers. They are copper clinders (smaller than the chamber diameter) fixed behind the wad by the "spike" and this was filled with the powder charge, closed by touch paper. To protect the paper there was a LID on the cylinder -- often with a ring -- so it looked a bit like a trash can ("dustbin" in English).
Later English revolvers generally have near parallel charge holes in the cylinders as by then the use of flasks was more common.

 

[nkbj]

As a matter of the tooling used in manufacture, most have a little bit of taper. Was the intent to compress the lead for a better seal? Beats me but why not? So the further the ball goes down the hole then the smaller it gets; if the chambers are not each reamed to precisely the same depth the projectiles launched into the barrel are of varying diameters.

I have one Italian repro 1851 that you can visually discern the differences in depth from chamber to chamber just looking at it and the chambers have a pronounced taper. And then again, also a 40 year old 1861 repro with straight and not undersized chambers. Reckon you pays your money and takes your chances.

 

[hawkeye2]

Thanks for all the replies,guys. Looks like I'd better get some Cream of Wheat.

Jamie

Regular Cream of Wheat, not the instant. Cheap, a box will last forever and it doesn't absorb moisture in storage.

 

[8 BORE]

My revolvers use .451 balls. A 9mm case souldered to a 40 sw case. The 9 will hold 20 gr of 3f and the 40 holds 30 gr of 3f.
I put 20 GR OF 3F then use the 40 full of corn meal then seat the ball.
Almost at the end of the cylinder.
If you want a stouter load use the powder in the 40 and corn meal in the 9. Same volume . Works for me
.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I may already have read the reason for this and forgotten it, but why does it matter whether the ball is close to the end of the chamber? Why use a filler at all? Thanks.

Well one reason folks haven't mentioned is reduced loads, especially on brass framed revolvers. Now one is supposed to seat the ball upon the powder, which means no air gap between the ball and the powder. When there is an air-gap, pressures are supposed to spike a bit.. which is supposed to be bad in a rifle, and probably not good in a revolver with a low load...especially the less durable brass framed types, right??

So if the shooter used a 10 grain "light target" load, and pushed the balls into the chambers just below the face for good accuracy, would there be a "gap" between the ball and the powder? I found that 15 grains of 3Fg was very accurate in my Pietta brass .44's, and I simply put two felt .44 wads between the powder and the ball, and the ball seated tight, no air gaps, and no worries (nor chamber fires).

LD

 

[8 BORE]

Correct

 

[jime444]

In a accurate 44 remington copy or a Ruger, 18-25 gr of 3Fg, Swiss preferably followed by a consistent volume of COW so that there is moderate compression generated by the seated round ball. Add a little Crisco lube and your pistol should shoot 1.5-3 inch groups at 25 yards. The rest is up to you.

 

[aeatwood]

Best filler in my guns is 2F and a lubed felt wad under the ball. No extra hassel, and some guns it cuts group size by more than half. If nothing is wrong with the gun, it should do 2" or less at 25 yds. Some of mine will do half that when I'm having a good day.

I don't have as many good days as I once did.