What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Forester]

I reinstalled the rear ramrod pipe. It had slightly bent, after straightening it up it fit a lot better. I also worked on the muzzle cap, the sides that touch the barrel were a bit narrow. Some file work fixed that. This was on my 58 Kibler kit. I also bagged up 45 Lee 578 Minnie Balls. These are not necessarily for the Kibler but for my old Zouave, although I may try a few in the Colonial.

 

[Dale Lilly]

In town to get some money from the bank, stopped in at local pawn shop. Bingo! Shiney new CVA Hawken from 1990. I am sure it has never been fired and I know why. Triggers are waaaay out of adjustment. There is no evidence that it has been fired. Bore is perfect, blue is as new, nipple is pristine. There are two small dimples in the wood just forward of the patch box. They asked $200. I offered $150, settled for $160. It looks like it just came from the factory, but it is dated 1990. Good day for the Polecat.

 

[TDM]

Heck of a nice deal there @Dale Lilly!

 

[wganz]

Down to 10 pounds to finish up this batch of Minie balls. Contrast with ingot pile in post 5,727.

 

[oldwood]

Finished installing the flint lock on a new smooth rifle. Walnut stock , T and flared 38" smooth rifle , .555 cal.. This gun should'a been done , but covid got in the way. Couple more months ,and to the range. Will see what these smooth rifles will do. Will put a cobbled up primitive peep on the tang , and a thick blade front sight. If it will shoot good enough at 60 yds. , will take it out in flint lock deer season. ........oldwood

 

[wganz]

P.S. my work bench is great for working on stuffs but is horrible for trying to cast. Got to get a Black & Decker folding workbench so that I cast on the back porch while seated. This will also give better ventilation plus be away from the back door + out from under the attic access door.

 

[Bunk]

Not much today just shot the Sharps and perhaps have got the windage zeroed finally.
Cleaned the gun and loaded ammo for tomorrow.
I am retired and have a 20, 25,50, and 75 yard range in my back yard.
The shooting bench is under cover and use steel targets so weather is not a problem.
I am lucky.
Respectfully
Bunk

 

[Resolve]

Spent the last couple of weeks at various medical offices and clinics seeing what can be done to improve the condition of my hands so that I can go back to shooting cap and ball revolvers. It doesn’t look promising. I’m changing my ML direction a little to accommodate that. I spent today going through my stuff seeing what I will no longer be able to use and what I will need. Same old story, get rid of one and buy two more.

Be safe and have fun,

R

 

[Fisherking]

Spent the last couple of weeks at various medical offices and clinics seeing what can be done to improve the condition of my hands so that I can go back to shooting cap and ball revolvers. It doesn’t look promising. I’m changing my ML direction a little to accommodate that. I spent today going through my stuff seeing what I will no longer be able to use and what I will need. Same old story, get rid of one and buy two more.

Be safe and have fun,

R

I love that “same old story!”


Arthritis and carpal tunnel are chasing hard after me at the moment but not interfering completely… yet.

 

[Resolve]

I love that “same old story!”


Arthritis and carpal tunnel are chasing hard after me at the moment but not interfering completely… yet.

Same with me except it did catch up. The carpel I can deal with but the Arthritis has some of my fingers looking as bent up as a bunch of Cheetos. Oh well, revolver days are over for me, but I still have plenty of rifle options. Providing that is, that the ball isn’t too small for me to work with my fingers. Then again there’s always canons.
R

 

[mushka]

Resolve, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you as far as revolvers go. I'm trying to change over to the left side with handguns. I can still use my right hand for a lot of things but am unsafe with handguns and small ball loading is troublesome. I've shot long guns left side for years because of a vision problem. This arthritis thing is a pita, big time.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

We all suffer getting old , be 80 next month still fighting cancer, never give up!!!!!!! Read up on your ailment it’s not nice, so much suffering in our world , such is life .

Here’s some gunny photos , no comment. .625 Gibbs look alike , inert, all my own work, it’s nearly time to hand make some 1850 wood screws

 

[rhart]

Not much today just shot the Sharps and perhaps have got the windage zeroed finally.
Cleaned the gun and loaded ammo for tomorrow.
I am retired and have a 20, 25,50, and 75 yard range in my back yard.
The shooting bench is under cover and use steel targets so weather is not a problem.
I am lucky.
Respectfully
Bunk

Wow! If you lived close to me I'd be your new best friend!

 

[rhart]

Well the rain has stopped in my area but the range is sloppy muddy. So instead of getting to shoot the Renegade I put an 11-degree chamfer on the forcing cones of two of my C&B revolvers (61 Navy & 60 Army). It went really fast and easy. I'm eying a couple of other pistols for the same operation that fire unmentionables (1873 models). Pondering whether I should chamfer the forcing cones on a 2nd Gen Colt 51 Navy and a 3rd Gen Colt 61 Navy - the more pistols I do the less cost per gun (although acquisition cost is a sunk cost no matter how many pistols I do LOL).

 

[tjiann]

Today I took my first try at making some Brown Bess cartridges with the .690 ball I cast yesterday. I'll put charges in these tonight to take to the range and shoot tomorrow.

 

[BS]

Made a new .680 cutter. First one one made a .677, forgot about the 5% shrinkage.
In the picture is my depth measuring gage.
I have the sprue hole and venting done.
Any way, new onw makes a nice round .680.
Now I may try a .685.

 

[Loja man]

Today I took my first try at making some Brown Bess cartridges with the .690 ball I cast yesterday. I'll put charges in these tonight to take to the range and shoot tomorrow.
View attachment 200660

Are you sure those aren’t sticks of TNT! Holy Guacamole!

 

[tjiann]

Are you sure those aren’t sticks of TNT! Holy Guacamole!

That's what they look like before you add the powder charge and fold them over.

 

[pacanis]

Ditto. I was looking at them and realized they didn't have tails yet. Just waitin' on the powder.

I should probably make more today. Now that I have a cartridge box to hold them all.

 

[rhart]

Dang, I was hoping winter was about over here in Oklahoma, but here it is rainy and 27-degrees out so I went ahead and put the 11-degree chamfer on the forcing cones of the 2nd gen Colt 51 Navy and 3rd Gen Colt 61 Navy this morning. I've done the chamfer on the forcing cones on a total of 5 pistols now and a clean-up on a 6th (my Taylor's 7th Cavalry Model apparently already had the 11-degree forcing cone chamfer done on it so I just cleaned it up very lightly to take care of the lead fouling). Amazing how quickly this reaming operation is accomplished by hand tools with proper lubrication - although it seems (to me) faster/easier on the black powder-only pistols than on the harder metal of the firearms made for modern unmentionable cartridges.