Paper cartridges for 1851 Colt .44

[ODgreen]

Is it possible to make these? It takes a long time to measure everything out so I'm looking for faster loading.

[Crow Choker]

Possible, but they take time to do and must be made properly or you can have 'real' headaches. Unburned paper, broken paper, spilled powder. Tried doing it once, gave up on it. To quote the late gun author and shooter Jeff Cooper "It's an ingenious solution to a non-exhistent problem". As you shoot more, your load time will increase. Practice will make perfect. You indicated in your "Finally Got One" post it was cold outside when you were shooting. Been there, still here, and done that-many times.. Living in Iowa, shooting thee ol' cap an' balls in the winter, or colder days slows ya down, even if you've been doing it for some time. For me, the loading process is part of the enjoyment of shooting cap an' balls-just my 2 cents.

[ODgreen]

I guess my main issue is that i bought a cheap powder measure that is nothing more than a test tube with markings. the pain is getting the powder into it.

[St. George]

Use a flask.

That way - your charges should be pretty consistent and it'll be easier to handle, as well.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Brizco-Z]

  ODGreen,

It's really no big problem with powder and ball loading, in the field.  I think I'm pretty quick at it now, you get faster as you go, just have to have all your "fix'ns" in place before loading each pistol.  Have tried paper cartridges with papers from Dixie GW's and healed bullets, did no like them, at all. 

You need a steady work surface or a good stand for the pistol, and a little area to spread your stuff out on.  I load everything directly from a box and keep my caps separete in straight line cappers.  Powder in a flash with a specified vol. spout, for the .44, I use a spout that drops out standard grs. amount I like, it is a thumb lever type flash.  After a delay of a few minutes from the previous stage, I load each charge directly into each chamber, five for five shots or charge the sixth if there is a single reload on the stage. 

I have an old Bore Butter tin full of wads, and then I drop in a Circle Fly pre-lubed wad and lightly press it in to make sure its flush all around. then the lead round ball.  Press it in and make sure there's a slight shave'n of lead, then over lube the ball.  I have a meat tenderizing injector with the point cut square and curved slightly, full of Bore Butter.  Make a circle around the rim of the ball where it contacts the chamber wall.  You do have to keep it a little warm during cold months and shaded in the warm months. 

Holster each with hammer over an uncharged chamber, when I get to the loading table, cap five just like loading a Colt SAA, one, skip and the then the four then, hammer down on an empty or un-capped chamber.  If you have that single reload, cap it on the line when you draw that handgun and before firing the first round down range. 

This might sound like a lot of time and effort but, once practiced, it's quick, simple and you'll be back up to help with posse duties, in no time.  It's just knowing the cycle you have to go through and it gets so much quicker with time.

Another little reminder.....This one is Important........What ever you do, don't be telling everybody how simple and fun these little Cap and Ballers are and how they make such beatiful clouds of smoke and your posse start cough'n and choke'n for air and all, we don't need no more competition than what's already out there...............Ya'll all have a great 2011 and hope to see you all down the trail. 

Brizco-Z   

[Paladin UK]

Fer Brizco-Z

I load each charge directly into each chamber, five for five shots or charge the sixth if there is a single reload on the stage. 

Aint ya kinda worried `bout flashover    or do ya have some trick ta cover over the nipple hole 

Paladin (Whats reeeeel intrigued ) UK

[hellgate]

Paladin UK,
In SASS matches the C&Bers are allowed to cap the 6th nipple BEFORE shooting the guns. Then the nipple is covered and no flashover. I used to cap at the last on my Colts 'cause the nipple was right there when the gun was cocked and it was faster but I don't chance it any more even though I never have had a chain fire (so far, anyway).

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I use FREE   speedloaders!

. Pick up .44 mag cases at the range from profligate case-wasters  (.357mag cases for the Navy's.)
. Measure in your favorite charge
. Press a roundball onto the case mouth
. When loading, thumb-pinch off the ball, pour in the charge, wonder wad if desired, place & ram the ball, lube if desired.
. Cap & blast away

5 or 6 loads can be wrapped in foil and stored in a cap-pouch. Perhaps 2 packs. The days ammo can be packed in a plastic .44-45 ammo box.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

If you get a flask like I showed you on your other thread, life will be much simpler. You fill it with powder at your car. Then you meter it out through the spout for every shot. It's really pretty simple.

[Brizco-Z]

Mr. Paladin UK,

And thanks to Mr. Hellgate too, yep, the sixth chamber can be charged, if needed, but when I do, I always cap it immediately upon drawing that pistol.  The other cones have already been capped at the loading table so, that one gets capped prior to firing the first round from that handgun.  Now I have to admit, I have, long ago, left adjacent chambers un-capped and have not had flash-over.  I have shot C&B from as far back as the 70's and have never, yet (probably the next time out), had a flash-over.

Now on the flask, I believe Mr. Johnson said something about them too.  The one I use is a spout measured flask at 28 grs. with a thumbe lever to measure out each charge.  I pour directly into the chamber but, there are usually quite a few minutes that pass between when I shoot, step off the line, clear my other firearms, collect my brass, verify my time, respond to comments on how many I missed and what kind of procedural I had and how my mind went blank when the buzzer sounded, prior to my charge'n the pistols for the next stage.

Til later,

Brizco-Z

[hellgate]

The problem of exploding flasks from a burning ember in the chamber is more of a problem with deep rifle barrels where an ember could smolder in the deep recess of the barrel where air/O2 may be limited down in the bottom of the barrel. In the revolvers the chambers are shallow and any embers burn out unless due to firing paper cartridges rather than loose powder  & all. Basically, if you fire loose powder there isn't going to be a problem.

[kurt250]

i make combustable cartridges for my .36 1851 navy and my 44 1860 army. i have been making them for years and that the only way i shoot my colt second generation cap and ball pistols.they were used by shooters during the pre-matalic cartridge times. i got into making them just for fun about 20 years ago and have stayed with them ever since. if you want info on how i do it send me a private message and will send you what i do. kurt250

[ODgreen]

Thanks all for the help so far.

While I eventually plan to start shooting at matches, I have a few more guns to get and that takes $$$  I don't have atm.

I often hunt squirrel and rabbit out in the woods of central iowa. I do this with and old Ithaca M49. Thats a single shot .22 youth rifle. The area I hunt is known to have wild hogs(a problem here in IA) and well, a .22 I feel won't save my bacon from the angry bacon. I figure the '51 gives me a chance, and that paper cartridges can be loaded into a cylinder while I'm cowering in a tree.

[Cuts Crooked]

The area I hunt is known to have wild hogs(a problem here in IA) and well, a .22 I feel won't save my bacon from the angry bacon. I figure the '51 gives me a chance, and that paper cartridges can be loaded into a cylinder while I'm cowering in a tree.

Where you at that has Hawgs in central Iowa? You let me know....I'll come thin 'em out fer ya! My 45-70 Roller needs sumthin to shoot at, 'n feral hawgs would be jist the ticket!!!!

(the onliest place I know of 'round here that has Hawgs is down on the southern border 'n they ain't many of them there even  )

[Crow Choker]

I'll come too. Have Guns, Will Travel. One shot, one kill! Onik, Oink

[Cuts Crooked]

Hey Crow Choker, (another CC on the board  )


You innersted in huntin Hawgs I got a web site I can stear ya too. I've always wanted ta shoot a big feral pig! Lemme know 'n I'll PM ya the addy fer the web site.

Too stay on topic, OD, don' shoot no Hawgs with that thing unless it's a matter of "no other choice cause he's gonna kill me if I don't!!!!" .........Then make it a head shot and run away FAST when he goes down. Hawgs is notorious fer soaken up lead to the head and then getting back up in a few minutes!

[Noz]

150 gr Round Ball and 28 grs of powder to be used for killing hogs? That's sending a boy to do a man's work.  Might get it done but probably not.
My cruising gun for hogs in south Missouri is a 41 mag with a 260 gr LBT over a whole lot of W296 in a Smith 657.