HomeMade Speed Loaders

[DanChamberlain]

I like to go light in the woods. Nothing plastic for me. At the same time, I don't want to have half a dozen implements to tussle with when I'm loading my double gun. So, I've started making some easy speed loaders that make dandy fire starters later.

You need a dowell for a mandrel, a box of sticky 3 inch computer labels and a roll of wax paper and some glue.

Cut your wax paper into sheets 3" by 2 3/4" and set aside.

Now, peel off a lable and set on the table sticky side up.

Place a piece of wax paper (waxy side to the sticky side of the label)on the label allowing a quarter inch of sticky lable exposed. The rest of the label should be covered by wax paper.

Start at the base with the mandrel and roll up into a tube finishing with the sticky part of the label. It's self-gluing. Close one end like a coin wrapper, gluing it shut.

Fill with premeasured powder. You can fill with premeasured shot as well. You won't confuse them in the field because of the different weights.

Fold it up like a coin wrapper and glue shut.

Now, in the field, you just tear off with your teeth - or fingers if you don't want to look manly, and pour your powder and shot. Crumple up the trash and put it in your pocket. It is light as...well a piece of paper.

Later, you can use the trash to start your fire.

Also, the wax paper liner makes them pretty water resistent. I've kept several powder loaded tubes in the basement for a couple years and they still work well. I also placed one in a dish of water for about 10 minutes and the powder remained dry enough to light.

It takes about an hour to make 25 shots, but considering they take the place of a powder flask, and as you shoot your load gets lighter and less bulky, I like using them.

Dan

 

[davy]

How about some images here! :hmm: :grin:

Davy

 

[DanChamberlain]

Davy, I haven't made any in over a year so I don't have any build-along photos. That's why I tried to be so descriptive in my decription...which is what describing is all about :grin:

I really like these, because I can put quite a few in my possibles bag and when I'm done, they burn up in my camp fire...or even help me start the camp fire.

Dan

 

[roundball]

I've started making some easy speed loaders that make dandy fire starters later.

Dan, I do something very similar without the wax paper...I store them in ziploc bags...here I'm making some shot carriers...next ones I'm going to use old newspaper so they won't look so modern
:wink:

 

[Sherlock]

I've done these too. I found common brown lunchbags to be a tough paper full of threads and that a child's glue stick, like a big chapsatick was very nice to use. Grocery bags were too heavy for my use but might bear investigation as a self contained shot charge for a smoothbore. Wonky