Wondering if paper patching helps in shooting the 1858 Remington .44 cal. reproductions?
paper patching for the .44 Remington pistol
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Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
No.
Thanks for responding. Could you elaborate a little why it's a bad idea?
Tyler L
40 Cal
What problem are you trying to solve with the paper?
Have you had success with paper patching in other guns?
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
A paper patch must be smaller than the chamber to prevent the paper from being torn. The revolver needs the ball or bullet to be a press fit to the chamber.
The few that I do use, in either .44 or .36, the paper portion is about .08 to .10 smaller diameter than the ball. The top edge of the paper, that part that is wrapped around the ball, is sheared off along with the sliver of lead from the ball. But I hate making the danged things! They do shoot just as well as powder and ball.
I doubt that a paper patched smaller round ball will seal the chamber well enough against a chain fire.
I agree with not using undersized lead balls - all the ones I use are the same size as normal practice, slightly larger than the chamber and ball. Always look for the lead ring following loading, as noted above.
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"Helps" with what. The only help I could think of would be if you could convince all my fellow NMLRA competitors to paper patch their revolver balls I would hardly have to practice anymore...
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Reading this made me wonder why mfrs don't make the gun so that the rest of the chambers are sealed or nearly sealed to virtually eliminate chain fires. I know a lot of crud builds up when shooting these, but the sealing mechanism for the other chambers may greatly reduce the crud from building up, at least on the important moving parts. Maybe this would require cost or technically prohibitive machining or those seeking historically accurate guns wouldn't like it.
Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
They did, they’re call cartridge guns and use smokeless. But that’s not what this sport is about.
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After shooting revolvers since 95. Practiceing for matches and in matches over 10,000 rounds Colts, Remingtons, R&S and ROAs. Never had a double or chain fire. The only people I have seen who had a chain fire were two people I coached who did not yet fit their nipples to their caps. As they were shooting a cylinder a cap would fall off due to being to loose a fit. Apon examination this was a ongoing issue for both shooters. After tuning their nipples to caps type used this problem went away....c
Well, then they wouldn't be "period correct" and nobody who wants a repro of an original would buy one.
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They are sealed if you load them properly. Proper fitting cap to nipple and proper fitted ball equal no chainfire or doubles. This is about shooter errors not makers error. Makers can`t help you if you are dry balling either. Many seem to try to join our sport thinking Its old so it must be easy and safe as compared to many modern things. I have yet to own one BP gun that did not need some tuning to work to my liking and never have not had to tune nipple to cap fit on a revolver before I would shoot it. If you just shoot them right out of the box with no tuning you may be dissapointed ...
Amen! You gotta get things set up proper, then it's like a ballet, all working in harmony.
Well, looks like a poor idea putting the paper in the cylinder, just use the cartridge for transport...
The answer is paper patching serves no purpose in the smooth chamber of a reovler Revolver.
For a muzzle loading rifle it holds the ball in place and a rifled one engages the rifling. Trying to pound a ball down a barrel smooth or rifled is an excersize in futility. Your barrel is your chamber. There is no feasible way to provide a leverage arm to do that.
A revolver chamber is separate and you can put a rammer under the barrel and drive it home.
The consequence of not sealing the chamber is a chain fire (and with all due respect a rear induced chain fire may not be impossible but it sure is extremly difficult to do and I have seen tests to confirm that with deliver open patch.
You need to seal the chamber and a ball is squeezed down providing a band that seals to the chamber walls.
Treated wads can be insurance for an oval chamber, but the primary method was a lead sealing band on the ball.
For a muzzle loading rifle it holds the ball in place and a rifled one engages the rifling. Trying to pound a ball down a barrel smooth or rifled is an excersize in futility. Your barrel is your chamber. There is no feasible way to provide a leverage arm to do that.
A revolver chamber is separate and you can put a rammer under the barrel and drive it home.
The consequence of not sealing the chamber is a chain fire (and with all due respect a rear induced chain fire may not be impossible but it sure is extremly difficult to do and I have seen tests to confirm that with deliver open patch.
You need to seal the chamber and a ball is squeezed down providing a band that seals to the chamber walls.
Treated wads can be insurance for an oval chamber, but the primary method was a lead sealing band on the ball.
My first visual is the paper catching on the frame at ignition and tear off, (and starting a fire at my feet) likely making less accurate? Never heard, ever, of paper patching for a revolver??
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Don't use paper any more. Had the thinnest Hair Curling Paper clog 2 0f the nipples. Caused misfires. I'll just use powder.
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