Reloading for the Maynard Model 1

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

First, I have never reloaded in my life ... so please, baby words are okay ... just assume that I know absolutely nothing about reloading ... you would not be too far from wrong ... *S*

In the nest year, I am contemplating getting a Maynard Model 1 to use when I portray a Confederate Civil War era cavalryman ...

But I imagine that the cost of shells for this beauty is probably way out of my league, and I will be forced to reload or have someone reload for me ....

Does anyone have any experience reloading this carbine round??

Like, if the round has a hole for the flash to of the primer to go throrugh, how does the round prevent gunpowder from seeping out he end of the cartridge?

[44caliberkid]

To answer your last question first, using 2F black powder, the grains are too big to fall through the hole.   I doubt 3F would leak out either.   You can get your cases or gas seals (the gas seal is just a shorter version of the case) from Dixie.  You can also buy cast bullets or a bullet mold there too.  These are really easy to work with, although most of my experience is with the Smith carbine.  I guess the full case would be the easiest.  You just put in black powder and leave enough room to seat the bullet in the case.  It may not be a tight fit, so I use cigarette paper around the base of the bullet to create a tight friction fit.  Then just load it, put on a musket cap and shoot it.
  If you use the shorter gas seals, you can use a glue stick and a cigarette paper to make the cartridge.   Run the glue stick around the outside of the top of the gas seal, wrap a paper around it, creating a tube.  The paper only needs to be about an inch wide.  Put in about 20 - 30 grains of powder, put some glue around the bottom edge of your bullet and seat it in the paper cartridge.  These are a little more fragile to store and carry, but once you chamber one, if the paper breaks it's no big deal.
  After you fire them, wash your cases or gas seals with soap and water.
  I also have a Burnside, which uses the gas seals and I make paper cartridges for them.  It's pretty easy once you practice a little.   Making rounds for breech loading carbines is quite a bit easier than metallic cartridge reloading.  There is no re-sizing of cases or priming, and no tools needed.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

44caliberkid,

That must be the reason that the Confederate Army kept using the Maynard but could not use the other carbines (as much anyway)/

I am told that the Confederates lacked the ability to reload Sharps and Burnsides  in the field, but could easily reload the Maynard ...