Just a Thank you

[vba]

In the thread below by Justified "Revolver Values" I wrote a reply about the great help this site was in my purchasing my first BP revolver.

I researched this site a great deal before purchasing my 1858 and 1860 (couldn't make up my mind and loved them both). You gentlemen were very helpful with regard to what stuff I needed to get started. Many said don't buy the pistol kit a Cabellas' and to buy the flask, .454 balls, wads etc. separately and thats what I did.

Thus far I've shot just the 1858 on a few outings and it was great fun! My buddy said there must be a way to speed up the loading process and again I went to this site and found a reference to using 2 ml plastic vials, I bought 40 of them on the bay for cheap. The vials were then pre-loaded with 30 grains of Pyrodex P, by the way, this will fill the vial.

I found it way much faster to have these pre-made charges ready to go If any are interested here is a link to the vials I used, hope it's OK to post this link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190669383777...84.m1439.l2648

Anyway,

Thanks

[Bill Akins]

For even faster loading than using the vials you mentioned that hold pre measured powder on one end and the ball on the other end of the vial, instead use nitrated flash paper cartridges you form and load up yourself. Then all you have to do is pop the paper cartridge into the chamber and ram them down and cap the nipple. Quickest way to load a percussion revolver.

You can get nitrated flash paper at magic shops. Or you can make your own by soaking newspaper in your nitrate solution and then letting it dry. Then you use a dowel to form the nitrated paper around according to the caliber of your chambers and use a tiny bit of fingernail polish to seal the side edges and end below where the black powder is. Use a little fingernail polish to glue the top of the paper tube around the ball. Try to glue the paper to the ball so that the paper is a teeny bit rearward of the middle of the ball. That way when you ram the ball down, no flash paper is sticking around the ball to act as a fuse to the rear charge. The chamber would likely cut the paper as it cuts the ring off the ball, so that likely no paper would be around the edges of the ball anyway even if you didn't get the paper back far enough on the ball. But I glue the paper a teeny bit rearward of the middle of the ball just to be extra safe.

If you make the paper tubes just right, you can also place a lubed felt wad over the powder charge under the ball. Then you don't have to lube over the top of the ball after ramming. If you really want to get trick with it, and make the tube just right, you can put a layer of corn meal or cream of wheat over the powder just under the ball. Then you don't need to use a lubed wad under the ball because the corn meal or cream of wheat acts as a front of cylinder fire break to prevent any chainfires from the front of the cylinder. But if you do that, just make sure the ball is tight against the corn meal or cream of wheat and pressing tightly against the powder charge. So the powder doesn't mix with the filler. That wouldn't be an effective chain fire break then. Cheaper than using a lubed felt wad, but not as easy nor as quick to make as using the lubed felt wad under the ball.

Before shooting make up a bunch of them and carry them pre made up like that in a leather "cartridge box" on your belt just like the soldiers did in the civil war. So easy to load that way. The paper totally combusts along with the powder when the cap flash enters the chamber. Works much better than cigarette rolling papers since the cigarette papers usually don't totally combust all the way.

When you ram them down, the compression will break open the paper behind the ball so the powder is exposed to the flash channel. But even if the paper didn't break open to expose the powder, they would still ignite because the nitrated flash paper is highly flammable and a whole 8x11 inch sheet of it will go up in like a second from a spark.

Sure beats pouring the powder out of your flask into your powder measure, then pouring the measure into each chamber, then covering with a felt wad or some corn meal or cream of wheat, then ramming the ball home, on each chamber, and maybe even putting some bore lube over the ball. All of which is very slow. This is much much faster. Give it a try, I guarantee you'll like it.

Don't want to hassle with making nitrated flash paper? Just visit your local magic shop. They will have it usually in folded 8x11 inch sheets.

Just make sure you keep the paper cartridges totally away from any sparks. Like don't have any laying on the shooting bench where your barrel to cylinder flash might reach them. Won't blow up, but sure will WHOOSH! and burn rapidly.



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[Beagle333]

Aaaaahhhhhh...... the 1860. Shoot it and let the love affair begin.

[Bill Akins]

I agree Beagle. The 1860 is my favorite BP revolver too. Chiefly because of its balance not to mention its steamlined good looks. I know the solid frame Remy is stronger, and I like it too, but not as much as I like my 1860's because the Remy feels a bit top heavy to me, whereas the 1860 is perfectly balanced to my feel. You are right (in my opinion)......the 1860 DOES just feel right. At least for me.


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[vba]

Well, thanks guys'. I will definitely shoot the 1860 and give the nitrated paper a whirl. Thank you for the heads up.

Bill, could cigarette paper be used?

[noelf2]

Cigarette paper works, but is much more expensive than just making your own nitrated paper. Go to your local Home Depot, Lowe's, etc and get granulated stump remover (it's mostly potassium nitrate, but check the label just in case - should say KNO2, potassium nitrate, salt petre, etc), dissolve as much as will dissolve in some hot water, and soak some newspaper in that (put the solution in a flat tray and put newspaper squares in it to soak), hang up the paper to dry. Now you have some cheap nitrated paper for cartridges.

[thebser]

im very interested in this method! i was wondering if anyone had how to vids or pics? i can read and all but id like to see a finished product. lol

[vba]

Noel, thank you, I will check this out!

[noelf2]

BTW I meant "KNO3", potassium nitrate. Not KNO2, potassium nitrite. Anyway, stump remover.

[Bill Akins]

VBA asked: "Bill, could cigarette paper be used?"

What Noelf2 said. However one thing to remember is that although most of the time the cig paper will combust and all burn, since cigarette paper isn't nitrated sometimes little unburned pieces of it can remain.


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