More Brown Bess Questions

[Loyalist Dave]

The best readily available paper I have found for making cartridges is TRIMACO Easy Mask brown general purpose masking paper 6 in. X 180 ft. which is about $3.00 at Home Depot or Lowes.


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I just go to Dollar Tree near me (it's a dollar store, others are Dollar General, Everything's a Dollar, etc) and buy a $1.00 paperback book. Then I tear out several pages and cut them in half to the starting shape shown above.

Apparently one of the horrors of an army travelling through one's town in Europe and North America in the time of muzzleloading arms, was the damage to book collections as armies harvested books to fashion into cartridges. SOME of the reenactors with whom I participate, go to the trouble of photocopying text from an 18th century publication, and then use that paper to cut into cartridge paper....

LD

 

[starman]

Woodwright, do you twist or tie your paper cartridges? If you tie, what string do you use? Thanks!

 

[Woodwright]

Woodwright, do you twist or tie your paper cartridges? If you tie, what string do you use? Thanks!

I tie them with flax or hemp string which is available in many places. One of my cartridges made with blank newsprint.

An original 18th-century cartridge.

 

[starman]

Thanks, Woodwright.

 

[Artificer]

I just go to Dollar Tree near me (it's a dollar store, others are Dollar General, Everything's a Dollar, etc) and buy a $1.00 paperback book. Then I tear out several pages and cut them in half to the starting shape shown above.

LD

Is that what is meant by the term, common cents?

Gus

 

[shaman]

UPDATE: The .715" mold showed up from Tanner yesterday, and I was able to cast up a couple dozen balls. Additionally, I got word from Dixie Gun Works that they had taken back the .76" mold and given me a full refund.

.715" in my Pedersoli bore still inserts fairly easy when wrapped in a paper cartridge, but it is significantly tighter than .69"

I also had 10 lbs of #6 shot show up the other day, along with my Lee Adjustable Shot Dipper.

I'm rapidly closing in on being able to get my first ball and my first load of shot down the barrel-- just in time for the spring thaw.

The only part I'm waiting on is the sling swivels. They're on backorder.

 

[brotherlloyd]

As I wrote earlier, the .75 mold I got for the Bess didn't work out. Instead of throwing balls at .735, it throws them at .76.

That leaves me with a Lee .69 mold that is spot on. However. . .

I get the whole thing with paper cartridges, but is there a patch material you'd recommend for filling that large gap (.69 to .75). Cotton flannel maybe? I've got everything for making cartridges, but I'd also like to try patchin.

Second question:

Lee is still not accepting orders for custom molds and everywhere I look the larger molds are all on backorder/unavailable. Is there a source of .7-something molds out there suitable for the 'Bess?

www.callahanbagmolds.com

 

[HassoBoxhead]

I’ve been a rev war reenactor for 15 years and we clean our Besses by wiping the externals with a rag at the event and then once home, pull the lock, put a tooth pick in the touch hole and pour hot water down the barrel. Swish it over and under a few times, then pour it out. Keep doing it until the water comes out clean, then run a .75 patch with gun oil down the barrel. Soak the lock, frizzen and hammer in hot water, dry off and put a light coating of gun oil on them, reassemble. For the stock, liquid gold is the best. Clean and conditions the wood nicely.