Size of Felt Wads?

[glw]

I've been reading this thread :
"Loading a .36 caliber Colt revolver" and I got to wondering.

If you want to top your powder with felt wads, what size should they be? Same size as the bore or same size as the ball?

Just wondering. I'm pretty enthralled with these things and am gonna buy my first one pretty soon and would like to know what I'm doing when I get to the range with it.

 

[ZUG]

If I was going to make them I would make them chamber size.

 

[Billnpatti]

It is best to have your felt wads slightly larger than the chamber size so they can properly seal the powder. Their purpose is to seal the powder to prevent multiple discharges so having them be a nice press fit to ensure a good seal is the best way to do it.

 

[wicket]

I use felt wads formed with a punch i purchased as part of a set from Harbor Freight, it's 3/8" bore which works fine for me. I soak the wads in the lube that Gatofeo promotes online, and find the wads fit the chambers of my Pietta Navy quite well, haven't had a chainfire yet, and the bore accumulates fouling more slowly.
Obviously a punch could be made in any diameter desired,but i don't think diameter is all that critical. The wad probably deforms under pressure when the chamber fires, hugging the bore.

 

[crockett]

I've made my own and also used wonder wads. My homemade wads are thinner than the wonder wads. The wonder wads are probably 1/8" and already lubed and they are slightly larger than the chamber. On my home made wads they are thinner and I think the ball pushes the wads down into a cup shape which may result in the wad not fully covering the chamber. This theoretically could create a path for a chain firing. The other purpose of the wad is to push fouling out the bore so once again a slightly oversized wad is best. I'd buy some wads and then try to duplicate the store bought wad.

 

[Billnpatti]

I made my own using a 3/8 hollow punch for my .36 cal. and a 7/16 for my .45 cal. from Harbor Freight. The felt is 1/8 thick 100% wool felt from Duro-Felt. I cut out pieces of felt about 6 X 9 inches and "butter" them with a mixture of bear fat and bees wax. I then put the felt in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the lube into the felt. Then I let it cool to room temp and start punching out wads. Just use enough lube to saturate the felt but not leave it greasy or gummy. Properly done, you should be able to handle the wads without getting grease on your hands. The resultant wads are a tight fit into the chambers and seal them nicely. When fired, the wads lube the bore and help to keep fouling down. They also eliminate the need for putting grease over the ball to prevent chain firing.

I use the bear fat and bees wax simply because I have it. It was a lube that I tried and chose not to use on my patches. So it was handy and of a good consistency. One could use something like Bore Butter just as well. I don't think the exact lube you use is all that important so long as it does the job and is not messy. With a rifle, lube can make a difference but a handgun is not as accurate as a rifle and the exact lube will not make a significant nor measurable difference in your scores. Just be sure not to use a petroleum based lube because it will make gummy stuff in your bore and the fouling is much harder to clean up. Stick with animal or vegetable lubes. Crisco will even work and has long been used as a grease to put over the balls in the cylinder chambers.

 

[FishDFly]

It is best to have your felt wads slightly larger than the chamber size so they can properly seal the powder. Their purpose is to seal the powder to prevent multiple discharges so having them be a nice press fit to ensure a good seal is the best way to do it.

If your ball is larger than the chamber size and it shaves a lead ring when seated, how is a felt wad going to prevent multiple discharges????

Felt is not going to stop chain fires.

Chain fires come through the nipples, not from the front end.

 

[Billnpatti]

So some say but then you will find just as many, if not more, who claim that chainfires come when the flash of the fire comes across the front of the chambers. Else why do they put grease over the balls? Some may say it keeps the fouling soft and others say it is because they are doing it to prevent chainfires. I'll be first to admit that I don't know where chainfires come from, I've never experienced one. Your argument sounds reasonable but I still choose to use the wads. They may prevent a chainfire but then again, they may just make me feel good. :idunno:

 

[FishDFly]

If you watch line pistol shooters, they put powder first, then either Cream Of Wheat or corn meal and then a lead ball over cylinder diameter which shaves lead when loaded. Then some type of lubricant is loaded over the ball. If the cylinder is sealed with an oversize lead ball, there is no way fire is coming around a sealed chamber by lead, just not going to happen.

When I when first started shooting at the National level , one the Masters told me, you do not have a clue on what you are doing. He took me under his wing , taught me, loaned me what I needed and said bring me my stuff when you finish shooting. Who he is I have no idea, but he taught me a lot in one hour.

I have very fortunate to learn from High Masters and Master Pistol Shooters, thanks to all for my education, your efforts have helped me.
I am slowly creeping up the ladder.

Bill, come to Brady and shoot with us.

 

[dickydalton]

I buy my wads from the Possibles Shop and lube them with Gatefoe # 1. The 44s measure about .470 and the 36s .418 before lube. recovered downrange, and sometimes still stuck to the ball, they are cupped and showing rifling grooves but no black gas leakage.

 

[FishDFly]

I buy my wads from the Possibles Shop and lube them with Gatefoe # 1. The 44s measure about .470 and the 36s .418 before lube. recovered downrange, and sometimes still stuck to the ball, they are cupped and showing rifling grooves but no black gas leakage.

Possible's Shop, nice person to do business and a Board Sponsor, he has enough of my money.

I have never seen a wad still stuck to a ball.

Seems if some do as you say and some do not, would show up on a 25 yard target with different diameter target holes in the paper. This give the person scoring the target the impression that different calibers had been shot at the target, would it not?

 

[Billnpatti]

I'd like to do that. I am not good enough of a shot to actually compete but I used to shoot at Friendship knowing fullwell that I had no chance at all. Even as I stood there making a fool of myself, I was having a great time. So, I guess I can go to Brady and I make as much smoke and noise as the next guy. My only problem is that I have no camping gear and, if it is anything like Friendship, there isn't a vacancy at a motel anywhere near there.

 

[dickydalton]

Well sir I will check my photo album tomorrow and maybe post you a picture. I didn't say they went through a target. They were shot into a washed sand pile at 50 yards. The first shot became the target for the rest. I took the photos because another poster on here said wads didn't work.
That thread turned into a bad thing and was stopped by the moderators. I am willing to bet that other shooters have recovered balls with wads stuck to them that were shot into snow banks or sand piles.

 

[dickydalton]

I guess I don't know how there can be two different diameter holes from two things that came through one barrel together?

 

[M. De Land]

My feeling is that they should be of at least groove diameter and a few thousands more isn't going to hurt anything.
Have no clue about 1/8 inch felt wads sticking to ball bases but am sure going to find out. Probably a good reason to use dry lube would be my guess.
I would also think it more likely for wads to stick to bullet bases than balls. Mike D.

 

[FishDFly]

There are plenty of rooms in Brady, we don't have that many shooters.

 

[jaxenro]

Not sure if I can post links here but one person wrote a series of articles on chain fires where he tested over and over including shooting with several nipples uncapped on loaded cylinders and that didn't cause chain fires. His theory is it is crushed powder between the cylinder wall and the ball creates a channel for the chain fire

 

[FishDFly]

There are as many theories on what causes chain fires as there are folks who shoot revolvers.

They are nor as common as some believe.

Good thing is folks can load the way they wish.

 

[FishDFly]

There are as many theories on what causes chain fires as there are folks who shoot revolvers.

They are nor as common as some believe.

Good thing is folks can load the way they wish.

 

[jaxenro]

I agree lots of theories but this includes a lot of testing including causing chain fires. I am not stating not to load how you want or that it is conclusive but it certainly is inteeresting to read actual test results as opposed to speculation.