Fillers

[ZVP]

  What do you use for filler in your C&B revolvers?
  I use Cream of Wheat, and usually add just enough to hold the ball about 1/16" from the edge of the cylinder.
  My Remington replacs do not favor ANY filler at all I just use a few sprinkles to see that I have loaded powder into the chambers. The whiteish substance tells at a glance rather than peering down into a partially loaded cylinder...
ZVP

[hellgate]

I've used COW before and found that the bore stayed quite clean being scrubbed by the filler. I've been told by others that corn meal is a little more compressible compared to COW. I've also used 1/2" fiber wads lubed and split in two. The bores also stayed quite clean then too. The wads were from circle Fly.

[fourfingersofdeath]

ffg or fffg!

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I never use fillers. I try to keep track of which chambers I have charged and which I have not. And I have been peering into charged cylinders for years. They ain't gonna fire if you ain't capped them yet. First I dump in the powder, then I seat a lubed wad. The lubed wad crunches the powder and lets me know for sure there is powder in there. Then I seat a ball.

[Fiddler Green]

I fill my cylinders half way with BP then I fill them the rest of the way with BP. Leaving a half inch for the ball. Then I press the ball in and put BoreButter over the top.


Why would you want to not fill them up with BP? Please don't tell me you're trying to save money as we all know better!

Bruce

[Percussion Pete]

Filler? I fill the cylinder with powder. Filler?  WTH?

[Dick Dastardly]

I've seen more dang problems relating to the use of fillers.  I've seen hardly any problems relating to using a full charge of black powder.  If it's a reduced recoil load you are seeking, try seating the bullet deeper on a smaller charge of powder.  Your rammer won't reach that deep you say?  I use the DD Tower of Power cylinder loading stand.  That ram is plenty long to seat the bullet on even the lightest charge of powder.  No fillers needed or desired.

Lube, you ask?  Load either the EPP-UG, which emulates round ball performance but hauls it's own lube, or the DD/PUK/ROA-II conical projectile that does the same.  No wads, cookies, fillers, over bullet smear or other adjuncts are needed or desired.  Just dump in the powder and seat the lube/sized Big Lube®LLC bullet and you're good to go.

Save the cereal for breakfast.

DD-DLoS

[Fingers McGee]

Powder, Lubed Wad, Ball.  Have never found it desireable or necessary to do otherwise.

FM

[ZVP]

 To the clowns;
Just how much powder do you think you are loading?
I load 20 to 22Grains of triple F which even with a ball leaves the cylinder less than 3/4 filled.
If I understand common sense, you do not fill the chambers with triple F and be anywhere near the safety margin built in by the manufacturer!
To the people really trying to answer the post;
I have tried only Cream of Wheat the other substance might be corser and thus better!
I have also used a Greased Patch which also leaves the ball short of filling the chambet to the top and having the ball closest to the forcing cone. I am concerned with trying to not make the ball jump a huge gap to the forcing cone.
I have noticed that even with the ball seated deep that the revolver fires pretty accuratelly! ' Anyone know what the conversion from 22 grains of FFF to what volume of FF? Maybe going to FF might fill the chamber enough to have a safe charge and keep the balls airgap jump minimal?
I appreciate all those of you that are trying to help and answer this question honestly!
I have little use for clowns when discussing explosives like Black Powder...
ZVP

[Percussion Pete]

To the clowns;
Just how much powder do you think you are loading?
I load 20 to 22Grains of triple F which even with a ball leaves the cylinder less than 3/4 filled.
If I understand common sense, you do not fill the chambers with triple F and be anywhere near the safety margin built in by the manufacturer!
To the people really trying to answer the post;
I have tried only Cream of Wheat the other substance might be corser and thus better!
I have also used a Greased Patch which also leaves the ball short of filling the chambet to the top and having the ball closest to the forcing cone. I am concerned with trying to not make the ball jump a huge gap to the forcing cone.
I have noticed that even with the ball seated deep that the revolver fires pretty accuratelly! ' Anyone know what the conversion from 22 grains of FFF to what volume of FF? Maybe going to FF might fill the chamber enough to have a safe charge and keep the balls airgap jump minimal?
I appreciate all those of you that are trying to help and answer this question honestly!
I have little use for clowns when discussing explosives like Black Powder...
ZVP

Well, I don't appreciate being called a clown.

Your 777 powder was made for inline rifle hunters. It has no place in a revolver. I use real BP and filling the cylinder is completely safe. Just like they did in the old days. Powder, ball, and cap.

[Dick Dastardly]

My revolvers are proofed at a maximum pressure well beyond what I can reach with a compressed charge of FFFg black powder under a projectile that will just seat low enough to allow the cylinder to rotate without hanging up on the frame.  This is true for my ROAs, 1860 open tops and even my lil .31 Remington spur trigger hideout gun.

I also don't like being called a clown.  Clowning around with guns isn't my way.

Full house loads of the One True Powder are known and proven safe and reliable.  Kiss your sister 777 and subs are whole nuther story.  So are duplex loads.

DD-DLoS

[Cuts Crooked]

777??? I didn't see him mention 777. I DID see him mention triple F, which is how some folks"spell" 3F or FFF.

Now, ZVP has a question about fillers......it's a valid question. Some folks use em, some don't. I've tried COW, it pretty much did what I wanted it too, and then I abandoned the experiament. I just didn't experiance the amount of reducition in recoil I expected, perhaps because the added filler also seems to become, in effect, part of the "projectile weight" and thereby adds to the recoil  in its own way.....heavier projectile = more recoil.

Perhaps a load that includes a lighter bullet, combined with fillers would have much more success in reducing recoil, but the reduction with the same bullet weight was a disappointment to me.

That's just MY personal experiance......not makin any claims fer anyone else.

[Percussion Pete]

You're right. I saw triple f and mistook it for triple 7.

My bad, but i'm still not a clown.

[Fingers McGee]

I also do not appreciate being called a clown.  There was nothing even remotely funny about my reply.  I've tried fillers - COW, grits, cornmeal and was not impressed with the results.  It seemed to me to be a waste of time, money, and food.

Regardless of where the ball is seated, the barrel/cylinder gap never changes, so there is no real advantage in getting the ball as close to the chamber mouth as possible. 

Recoil with a C&B is negligible even with a full chamber of fffg - the only exception being a Walker with 65 grains - so loading a reduced load with filler is unnecessary IMNSHO.  My normal .36 cal (1851/1861) load is 20-22 gr fffg and normal .44 cal (1860) load is 25-26 gr fffg.  I've loaded 25-26 grains of fffg in my '51 Navies with no wad and the ball seated over the powder with the ball just clearing the chamber mouth.  The recoil isn't any noticeably different than the 22 grain loading with lubed wad & ball 1/4 inch from the chamber mouth.

[Paladin UK]

FM SAYS..........

Regardless of where the ball is seated, the barrel/cylinder gap never changes, so there is no real advantage in getting the ball as close to the chamber mouth as possible. 

Years ago a whole lotta BP shooters were unner thet impression 

Nearly ALL my loads are short of the cylinder mouth, cant see the point in hammerin my smokepoles, specially at CAS distances!!

Paladin (Tight Ass Frugal  ) UK

[Professor Marvel]

To the clowns;
...
I appreciate all those of you that are trying to help and answer this question honestly!
I have little use for clowns when discussing explosives like Black Powder...
ZVP

My Dear ZVP

In an attempt to smooth the waters, and At the risk of possibly causing some offense, bearing in mind that unasked for advise is often poorly received, I offer the following advise here: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,34805.0.html

yhs
prof marvel

[Major 2]

Tell you a funny story...I ain't clowning

Back in the day, some 30 + years of DAYS....I enjoyed reenacting Mounted Cavalry style....

Now, Troopers carry a pistol or two and we need to load blanks obviously ... Johnny or Billy depending which impression we were doing frowned on wonder wads even toilet paper pills could and would set the grass afire.
So many use COW or grits (south of the MD Line) or such ,with some kinda grease......

ME.... I chose COCO PUFFS--- A. they were just the right size for a 44 Colt, or Remy if you leaned that way.
                                           B. they crushed and clung together making a rather nice seal , I still used grease
                                           C. totally disintegrated

Understand this was for BLANKS .... I use no filler in my Live shooters

Now for you 36 cal. reenactors there is 36 cal. COCO ROO's

And for the deadly guys,   CHERRIOS....you guessed it....HOLLOW POINTS

[Delmonico]

Original Shredded Wheat for artillary?

[Professor Marvel]

Original Shredded Wheat for artillary?

Perhaps one could use Rice in the artillery and then enjoy a fine breakfast of Simulated Qwakers Puffed Rice (It's shot form cannons!) one could send the Powder Monkeys out to collect the breakfast delight....

... heavenly carbuncles I once again date myself...
....and John Lennon would have been 70...
... c**p dated myself again...

yhs
prof marvel

[Major 2]

Original Shredded Wheat for artillery?

while Quaker Puff Rice would be right I guess,  according to their circa 1960's commercials...

Artillery boy's use plain white flour...and for some really neat night time light show shooting effects  0000 steel wool