is it right?

[ian45662]

Is this atleast close to what you guys who roll your own stuff. I dipped the bottom in lube

Also I am wondering if it is safe to first pour the priming powder from the paper into the pan then load or shoult I load first then prime with a horn and once I have poured the powder into the barrel do I ram all the paper or should I rip it off where the string is and ram that down? If I do put all the paper in which end do I put in first?

 

[flashpanner]

Whew! thought you were doing drugs for a moment!!

 

[nchawkeye]

It is not safe to prime the pan, shut the frizzen and then pour powder down the barrel...In fact, flinters can go off without any prime at all...

 

[bingo1952]

Doesn't look too bad. Make your tail a little longer and it will be easier to tear. Your lube is fine. Modern convention says the prime should be last for safety's sake but the loading technique for the military was prime first with a little of the charge, pour the powder, insert the ball, paper and all and ram home. If I were going to prime first I would want a Doglock but better safe than sorry, Prime Last. Load your round nose down. If you wish you can tear the excess paper off at the muzzle or ram the whole shebang. It will most likely not survive the trip down the bore. Windage and blow-by of hot gas will destroy the paper.

 

[Many Klatch]

For safety it would be best to prime from a horn after you have loaded the gun, as always, make sure that you are standing on the firing line and have the barrel pointed downrange. If you are going to try rapid fire, I would practice the motions without loading a few times.

The military drill had them prime first, but then most of the troops were expendable.

Many Klatch

 

[paulvallandigham]

Please: There is absolutely NO reason today for anyone to be loading these guns per military drill procedures. Even the re-enactors skip the part about putting the ball down the barrel and just shove the paper down on top of the powder to create a better gas seal, and louder noise when they are firing blank charges. Safety for you, and those around you has to be PARMOUNT in all your considerations when dealing with MLers. There are enough ways for things to go bad that you don't have to feed the monster!

 

[ian45662]

I have a horn I will use to just prime after I have seated the ball

 

[J.D.]

Is this atleast close to what you guys who roll your own stuff. I dipped the bottom in lube
once I have poured the powder into the barrel do I ram all the paper or should I rip it off where the string is and ram that down? If I do put all the paper in which end do I put in first?

Here ya go. A cartridge laying on a pattern cut from a cereal box. The ball is loaded into the longer top of the cartridge.

The left, vertical, side is a little over 5".

The extra layers of paper take up some of the windage, and provide more strenth for rough handling. The fewer layers of paper in the tail make it easier to tear off the tail.

The paper can be loaded either way. The bulk of the paper inserted into the bore first will provide a sort of wadding, but some folks like to load the the cartridge inverted.

Try both and see which your gun likes.

 

[wulf]

THEY DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO USE A RAMROD..MAY
FORGET TO REMOVE IT...

 

[J.D.]

THEY DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO USE A RAMROD..MAY FORGET TO REMOVE IT...

:hmm: I think it would be a good idea to use a ramrod when loading live rounds.

Loading blanks at a reenactment is another story.