Home made wads for .44

[stacks]

It's probably been discussed in length, but, what are some common items being used to punch out the wads? Where does a feller obtain the bulk wad material. Appreciate any feed back.

Getting tired of paying retail.......

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Durofelt.com has the felt you need. make or buy a punch and save a good bit over bought felts. I use mine dry and grease the slug. tightens groups noticeably.

 

[Jerry Coffee]

If you are using wads in a 44 revolver to prevent a chain fire you are wasting your time and reducing the load in the cylinder. Wonder Wads used on top of the powder or on top of the ball reduces the 3F powder load by 10 grains. If you have only 25 gr. 3F BP to begin with, that means you are using 15 gr. 3F BP behind a 44 cal ball. That is why a 45-50 gr. load in a 44 Walker Colt is effective at 100 yards. When using only 15 gr. 3F BP behind a .451" or .454" ball, it will make the ball have a trajectory like a rainbow and I doubt if the ball would penetrate a 1/2" pine board at 30 yards.

Chain fires occur because three following reasons:
1.) The projectile is a .451" ball that is mistakenly used in a cylinder fitted for a .454" ball. The Navy Arms and Pietta replicas of Colt and Remington revolvers use a .451" ball. Original revolvers and the other replica brands are fitted for a .454" ball.
2.) A cylinder being out of time with the bore. Sometimes found with brass frame revolvers, but I have never had that probem after at least 500 shots with a brass frame revolver. A steel frame revolver that is old and worn out like some originals could also be out of time or have a loose cylinder.
3.) The cylinder is too loose in the frame. Use a feeler guage and check the clearance between the cylinder and the barrel. With the hammer at full or half-cock, there should be no more than .002" clearance between the barrel and the cylinder.

Use the correct size ball and if the cylinder is out of time or is loose in the frame, the pistol is defective and should not be fired with or without wads.

 

[mykeal]

If you are using wads in a 44 revolver to prevent a chain fire you are wasting your time and reducing the load in the cylinder. Wonder Wads used on top of the powder or on top of the ball reduces the 3F powder load by 10 grains. If you have only 25 gr. 3F BP to begin with, that means you are using 15 gr. 3F BP behind a 44 cal ball. That is why a 45-50 gr. load in a 44 Walker Colt is effective at 100 yards. When using only 15 gr. 3F BP behind a .451" or .454" ball, it will make the ball have a trajectory like a rainbow and I doubt if the ball would penetrate a 1/2" pine board at 30 yards.

Chain fires occur because three following reasons:
1.) The projectile is a .451" ball that is mistakenly used in a cylinder fitted for a .454" ball. The Navy Arms and Pietta replicas of Colt and Remington revolvers use a .451" ball. Original revolvers and the other replica brands are fitted for a .454" ball.
2.) A cylinder being out of time with the bore. Sometimes found with brass frame revolvers, but I have never had that probem after at least 500 shots with a brass frame revolver. A steel frame revolver that is old and worn out like some originals could also be out of time or have a loose cylinder.
3.) The cylinder is too loose in the frame. Use a feeler guage and check the clearance between the cylinder and the barrel. With the hammer at full or half-cock, there should be no more than .002" clearance between the barrel and the cylinder.

Use the correct size ball and if the cylinder is out of time or is loose in the frame, the pistol is defective and should not be fired with or without wads.

Wow. Interesting theories, 1stTexas.

Yes, if using a lubed felt wad you have less room for powder. My wads certainly don't take up 10 grains of volume, however. And where do you get the 'starting point' of only 25 gr of chamber volume? Stacks didn't mention what revolver he was using, but you assumed it was a .44; I know of no .44 cal bp revolver that has a chamber volume that small, even assuming a .457 round ball is loaded (yes, I'm including the 1860 Colt Army). And I've never heard of anyone using a lubed wad on TOP of the ball. That makes no sense at all.

Moving on, ALL bullet trajectories are 'rainbows'. It's called a ballistic curve. The art of marksmanship is knowing the shape of that curve over the range you are shooting and how to aim for that range. Having said that, it is true that bp revolvers (and single shot pistols and rifles) shoot more accurately with certain loads than others. Finding the right load for your particular gun is one of the fun parts of our sport.

You used a Walker as an example of an 'effective' load and compared it's 45-50 gr load to a 15 gr load; did you mean to imply that someone was using only 15 gr in a Walker because of a felt overpowder wad?

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with your pine board statement, but perhaps you'd test it and show us the results as proof of your thesis rather than just stating doubts. It's easy enough to do.

Finally, chain fires.

Chain fires occur because there is an open path between powder and an ignition source. Black powder is ignited by heat. An open path can occur at either the front or rear of the chamber; from the front it's usually due to a poor fitting bullet, the cause of which could be shape (out of round) or size (too small). This condition is corrected by lubed felt overpowder wads, grease or shaved lead rings. In rare cases, nonconforming cylinder walls (not cylindrical) are also the culprits, and in that case grease over the ball is the most effective remedy.

Chain fires resulting from an open path at the rear are due to poor fitting caps in almost every case.

By the way, the "it's never happened to me so therefore it won't happen' theory is the famous post hoc ergo proctor hoc logical fallacy.

In a way I agree with your first cause - a poor fitting ball. However, your blanket statement about ball sizes is too broad. The discriminant is the shaved ring of lead; you'll get one if the ball is properly oversized, and (with the exception of a non-cylindrical chamber) in that case you can consider the chamber sealed. An undersized or out-of-round ball won't produce the lead ring, and that means the potential exists for an open path to the powder. Lubed wads and/or grease mitigate that condition.

Your second cause, the out-of-time cylinder, is not one I'm familiar with. How does the chamber being misaligned with the bore cause a chainfire? What is the open path from the ignition source to the powder?

Likewise the third cause, a 'loose' cylinder. Again, not one I've heard of before, and I can't see how excessive end play results in an open path from ignition source to powder. Can you be more specific?

 

[Rebel]

Man i'm glad you typed all of that so i didn't have to. :grin: But i was thinkin' it.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I don't use a wad atop my ball/slug. under it is the correct place. I use it for tighter groups. I make mine from 1/8" felt.
.002 clearance ain't much - fouling will bind that one up pretty quick. my end gap is .006.
works good after about 20 years.
I use a 7.62X39 case as a measure for 3F - near max charge. little room left.

 

[Leatherbark]

Well written Mykeal...........By the way, one of those "Experts" on Guns and Ammo TV made me puke a few weeks ago. He was showing how to load and shoot a percussion revolver. He was putting the wonder wads on top of the ball...... I can always tell someone who doesnt shoot a cap and ball regularly at the range as they are always fumble fingered trying to load the thing.........I've shot those buggers so long I can load one quicker than Kevin Costner can load a Colt Peacemaker because he cant seem to figure out that there is an ejector on the thing......He keeps trying to shake out the empties.........LOL..................Bob

 

[scrat]

Very well written. Durafelt is a good product to use if making your own felt wads. Harbor freight tools sell the punches for 6.00 for a set. I came close to purchasing all the stuff myself as the price of wonder wads is just over the roof. Until i came across fibre wads. I bought some off of Cabelas 16.00 for 1000. That price was well worth it. In fact i went out on saturday i tried to do a comparison on several of my guns some using wonder wads and some using the fibre wads. I can say im sticking to the fibre wads. In my walker i was only able to put in 50 grains with a wonder felt wad. With these fibre wads i can get 55 grains easy. They do seal the chamber pretty good and As far as clean up i could not see a difference between wonder wads and the fibre wads. Any how go to cabelas type in wads. you will see the fibre wads. i ordered the .030 for the 45 for my 44. They worked excellent. Im a beliver and am going to stick with them.