Minimal "kit" to reload a C&B revolver in the field.

[Adirondack Jack]

Some years ago I carried a '61 navy (clone) quite a bit, including woods bumming....  I didn't want to have to carry a whole possibles bag of junk, I wanted the revolver along, but it was not necessarily the focus of the trip.  So I worked out a pretty minimal reloading kit.

The ole '61 has been gone a long time, but momma took a shine to a little '62 pocket navy over the weekend, so we're back in C&B business after all these years.  Tonight I decided to re-establish the "minimal field kit" for her new pistol.

The heart of the matter is powder.  I never owned a "period-correct" flask, and the cylindrical brass jobbie I had was better suited to a possibles bag for a smokepole than a pocket.  the answer I worked out years ago, and again tonight comes in the form of pre-measured little "powder only" cartridges of cigarette paper.  In order to make em work reliably and not leave behind bits of paper in the gun, I worked out a method that has worked very well.  The cartridges are a cross between a coin roll and one of them funny california hand-rolled cigarettes.  The coin rolled end goes in first, where the action of the rammer ends up opening it up as the charge is rammed.  the "twistie" end serves as a handle to insert the little packet into the chamber.

Here's how we do it for the .36.

Materials:
Some sort of measure to dispense BP.
A funnel if need be.
A short piece of 11/32 OD brass tubing, maybe 4" long (Hobby shop),
A section of 5/16 dowel or other rammer to fit inside it loosely, slightly longer than the brass tube (I use an aluminum exacto knife handle)
Cigarette papers (about any kind will do.  I bought "zig Zag" 1 1/4 wide back in the day because they were on a display in the local stop-n-rob and they worked fine).
BP of course.

Here's the method.

For the .36 loads you can cut the paper in half, rendering two papers which will roll a short cartridge from each.


roll the paper around the brass tube and seal it.
Don't stick it to the tube, ya want it to slide.


Insert your dowel into the brass tube so the end is slightly recessed inside the brass, and slide the paper so it extends 1/4" or so past the end of the brass tube.


Crimp the end in "coin roll" fashion


Dispense the proper amount of powder, using a proper measure or scoop and funnel, then pour the powder into the brass tube (I used 17 grains FFG)


Using the dowel rammer and your fingers, gently extract the brass tube from the paper, leaving behind the end of the rammer and powder charge inside the paper.  



Carefully slip the cartridge off the rammer and twist the end, being careful not to use too much force, as you don't want the "coin rolled" end to open and dump the powder.



The twisted end acts as a handle, allowing you to slip the cartridge, blunt end first into the chamber.

When rammed, the coin roll end opens, exposing the powder for consistent ignition.  I've not experienced fragments left in the chambers, but it'd probably be a good idea to look for em before reloading.

A fancy cigarette tin makes a dandy kit capable of carrying about 20 charges, balls and wonder wads, as well as a tin of caps.  (I really need to get a  capper, but you get the idea.  The small brass tube with crimped ends is used to pick cap fragments free of the gun as they seem to like to wedge on the front of the hammer.


There ya have it, about four full reloads for the .36 in a shirt pocket kit.

[Noz]

Gun, small pouch to hold small flask with measuring spout, capper, balls and wads.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

There are several sources of info on making paper revolver cartridges.  The classic is by "TIMUCHIN" on 'thehighroad".  One that is easier to access is on our sister forum "theopenrange"

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=326.0

I have made cartridges using Timuchins instructions, but you have to register to access the photos.  The last time I tried them it was a drizzly winter day here on the WET coast.  After one cylinder full I tried to reload and they started to collapse and spill stuff all over.  If you go to the link above, "mongoose" posted a tip on using .38 Special cases to hold the powder with the ball stuffed on top with finger pressure.  In use, thumb off the ball and hold it in a pinch while you pour the powder in the chamber.  Insert your wonderwad, or proceed to place the ball on top of the powder and ram. Lube on top if no wad. (I use a Lypsil tube refilled with borebutter.)  A capper will be the slickest way to cap when all chambers are loaded.

I found that .357 cases hold my .36 load of 23 gr. without packing.  .44 Rem Mag cases work for .44 Cap'nball ammo

5 or 6 of these loads can be wrapped in aluminum foil, and two packs fit in a cap pouch very conveniently. I carry my reserve ammo in a .44/.45 plastic cartridge box.

[Fingers McGee]

Gun, small pouch to hold small flask with measuring spout, capper, balls and wads.

+1.  

[Fiddler Green]

+1.  

+2 Excetp for the wads; I[m with Noz on this one. I use Borebutter from a hypodermic needle.

[fourfingersofdeath]

Cool! Great fgor an afternoon's bunny busting. Not that we're allowed to engage in such behaviour in Australia and as a law abiding citizen, there's no way you'd catch me engaging such antics. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

4deadlydigits said;"there's no way you'd catch me engaging such antics.  Grin Grin Grin Grin Grin

THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT!

[Deadeye Dick]

AJ,
Cool way to carry reloads. The pictures help. Thanks for sharing. Also, I like the idea of using 38 and 44 cases for holding the ball and powder.
I hear Sir Charles' comment about the wet coast, as here in Oregon we have the same problem. 
Deadeye Dick

[kurt250]

i have used slick span for years making combustable cartridges. i have found a new material. if you go to a ladies store that sell fingernail polish and stuff they use for fixing there hair, they sell these little precut papers for there hair curlers. the paper is just like silk span, takes saltpeter real well, and comes precut into squares. there cheap and work fine. thats all i use now. kurt250

[SGT John Chapman]

I carry my reloads in Altoid mint tins, it keeps them from getting crushed and is completely correct to history cause the outfit making them has been selling them like that since the 1780s. So all I carry is cartridges and caps.....

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=326.0

This is all that's left of my Cartridges....


Other caring methods are my wooden case crate and cardboard tear open boxes......








The Original picture I reverse engineered my combustables from,....

[Adirondack Jack]

Sgt. John, I've seen your cartridges before.  You sir, have waaaaaay more patience, devote much more time to the making of them than I ever would.  I read a magazine article about combustible cartridges back when I first made mine, and thought, "Uh, no thanks".  I opted for the "powder only" bit because they are a whole bunch quicker and easier to make.

Oh the subject of "period correct", I mentioned to a pard I couldn't find my flask, and even if I did, it wasn't suitable for loading the little Pocket Navy anyway.  So he says "I have, in my C&B stuff, a 2nd Gen. Colt flask for a Baby Dragoon."  He proceeded to drag it out and GIVE it to us, so that I can teach the wife how to PROPERLY load her pistol.

The little flask arrived today, looking like it just came out of the box.  Of clourse since it was a baby dragoon flask, it only tossed 12 grains.   A .380 case JUST slipped over the spout, so I drilled the base end of the .380 case straight through at almost full diameter, leaving just enough meat so as not to break out at the extractor groove, cleaned it up, and tapped it onto the spout snugly.  The first guess at length tossed an even 20 grains (insert happy dance icon here), of course I can always shrink it a little if need be by tapping it a little further onto the spout.

A big cowboy thank you to my good pard Sgt Jake.  Now we got an O-fficial flask fer the Pocket navy 

[SGT John Chapman]

I can't just sit and watch TV,...I have to be doing something so I lay down an ol dish towel, drag out my nitrated papers, mandrel, and glue and go at it .

[Montana Slim]

I can't just sit and watch TV,...I have to be doing something so I lay down an ol dish towel, drag out my nitrated papers, mandrel, and glue and go at it .

Nice work!....Very similar to my technique of producing cartridges & also that I did to while watching TV. But, eventually, I gave it up as combined time to create them / load / shoot was waaayy behond loading with loose makin's in the field. Still, very cool & impressive how fast the C&B revolver may be reloaded using 'catridges....When loading these, be sure to do it where folks get a chance to watch.

Still make bullets & paper cartridges for my Pa's Sharps .52 Carbine....but we have a good method of loading from a flask for that one as well.

Regards,
Slim