making paper cartridges for cap and ball revolvers?

[nilo52]

Crokett,

That was a very interesting bit of history. I have learned something new today.
Thank You ! :hatsoff:
nilo

 

[ronnie_kennedy]

Just bought my dowel rod tonight at wal-mart. Went to the gas station for the papers. Ladies there laughed at me, since i was asking them questions about the papers. I had never bought them before and wasn't sure about all the dimensions and what not. Anyways, gonna try my had at it tonight for my .44 Pietta Navy. Thanks again for the idea!

 

[Adui]

now I dont feel so bad, the guy at the smoke shop up the street didnt laugh at me. He asked what kind I said I dunno, but it wasnt for cigarettes. I told him what I was doing and he pointed to the $1 per pack ones.

 

[ronnie_kennedy]

Made a couple tonight. Still need some practice, as only 1 came out looking real nice and tight like the one in the pics above. Not sure if it as worth the time for me right now, but with a little practice, i can definitely see me making up a couple cylinders worth of loads before my next range trip just for the heck of it. I am going to try some more this week and try them out at the range this weekend. They do seem to fit nicely in the altoids tin i fixed up, using an idea from another section of the forum.

 

[Supercracker]

that's cool. I wonder if a larger version would work as well for a percussion rifle?

 

[ronnie_kennedy]

I'm sure it would....you would just have to figure out how to get the powder and ball into the paper since it is a bigger load and ball size.

 

[Silex]

Looking good - keep going! :thumbsup:
It takes a little while. The trick is to keep the top loose enough so the RB slides in with light taps. Of course I didn't post the pictures of the first ones... :wink:

Silex

 

[ronnie_kennedy]

Went out to the range saturday with my premade catridges and some premade powder charges. Although the cartridges did work, i did not like using them. First, it was cumbersome to get the cartridges under the loading arm. The paper kept getting in the way. When i went to spin the cylinder, paper sometimes got caught up in between the barrel and cylinder face, binding it up. The powder charges were alot easier and less agggravating, but i still didn't care for them. I had too many misfires with the cartridges and the powder charges than i would like. I am assuming because the spark from the cap didn't ignite the paper the first time or the paper didn't break open when i loading the chamber. Of course, this is just my opinion and others may have had better luck with them, but for me, i'll just stick to pouring powder and seating the ball manually.

 

[merdean]

I have been using cigarette papers for years. Long ago I owned a Sharps .54 carbine. My paper cartridges were just a little bigger than yours but saved a lot of time reloading. I used 60gr FFg and a hollow base mini. Good load. I also made cartridges for Colt 1860 .44. They were a little harder to do because I had a problem finding a good dowel. But they worked. :wink:

Merdean

 

[cynthialee]

I use a sharpy marker that is slightly tapered to form rolling papper cartriges. It is just big enough to drop a 454 ball (for a model 1851 .44 Pietta) into the widest end with just enough overlap to get a good fold over the bullet. Then I pour the measure of powder into the other end and twist it. Shooting time I rip off the twisted tag of paper on the powder end, and insert into the chamber and drive it home, rinse and repeat 5 more times, lube, cap and shoot.
The paper doesn't always burn up completely when you use rolling papers and as such they can be a fire hazard if you are in an area prone to catching fire so be careful. (If you are dead set on paper cartiges it might be better to get nitrated paper.)

I like to keep some on hand just in case the defication hits the rotary ossilator, but if I am target shooting I don't use paper cartiges and just go for a ground up load with loose components. (.454 on top of a felt wad on top of 20 grains of corn meal on top of 27 grains of 3f black powder, the combo makes a nice hole puncher that has served me well since I was told to try it out)

 

[cynthialee]

I said I used a sharpie to wrap my rolling paper cart's.
Oppss, wrong...
It is a Bic 'Mark It', fine point.
A large rolling paper rolled on it will make for a perfect 454 cartridge.

I would'a just edited my other post but I can't edit it seems.