10 gauge cowboy loads?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Another test you will have to do is to check the security of the glue over the O/S wad.

Load both barrels as you would for hunting. Shoot and reload only one barrel repeatedly, as you would in hunting. Check the security of the wad over the unfired load after each shot. Hope you don't have a shot dribble too soon!

[Bibbyman]

I've talked to a gunsmith that says he can custom make chamber sleeves to fire 12 gauge for estimated $100.   This looks to be the most economical way to go as 12 gauge hulls are plentiful and I'm tooled up to load 12 gauge.  I'm not having any luck finding free once fired 10 gauge hulls.

I'm still evaluating the old gun.  I had to do a lot of stock mending.   The action springs are mounted on the trigger plate. This takes up a lot of room and the wood behind the action is very thin.   I repaired cracks and filled gaps between stock and action.  It has two tang screws and the rear most was nearly stripped.   I "blacksmithed" the threaded hole in the tang to tighten it up. But having to remove and replace it many times to work on the stock, it's about beyond simple repair.   I have a new tang screw slightly larger but need a tap to recut the threads in the tang.

I'm using a 9 gauge over powder wad in brass cases as 10 gauge just rattles around in the hull.   I'm also using them as a top card.  I'm using 10 gauge wads as the are fluffy enough to at least not rattle.  I'm using all 10 gauge wads in plastic hulls.

[Bibbyman]

I "bit the bullet" today.   I'd beat the bushes, put the pinch on every friend I thought could help me get free or inexpensive once fired 10 gauge hulls. But none have came through.   I've searched for once fired 10 gauge hulls all over the Internet.  Still none found.  So this morning I walked into Grafs in Mexico, Missouri and gave the salesman the code number for 100 new Cheddite 10 gauge primed hulls.  I asked the salesman to hold a gun on me while I paid. $66/100. I wouldn't mind the initial price so much but I know black powder is hard on plastic hulls. 

All being equal, I would have liked about any other brand.  Some places show Federal hulls but none in stock.  Anyway,  I've got hulls and plenty of cold weather to cut them down.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

That's only 7 cents per round. All-in-all, not too extortionate.


WHOOPS SORRY!  it is $.66 each Plus Tax.

[Bibbyman]

That's only 7 cents per round. All-in-all, not too extortionate.

That makes me feel a lot better.  Here I was thinking it was 66 cents each.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

That makes me feel a lot better.  Here I was thinking it was 66 cents each.

I'm afraid that you are correct, Sir!  Still, that is a fraction of the $7.50 + shipping per round for metallic hulls at TOTW

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/partdetail.aspx/1210/1/shot-shell-10-2-78

[Bibbyman]

Too bad Magtech don't make a 10 gauge brass hull at a price proportional to the cost of 12 gauge.  While the turned out brass hulls are extremely high, they should last a long time. The plastic hulls won't last long using black powder.  Of the two plastic hulls I've been using,  one has a hole burned through after 3 firings. 

[Bibbyman]

I spent the day stoking wood in the stove and loading a few of my new Cheddite 10 gauge hulls.  I used Elmer's Glue-All to glue in the top card.  The bottle says, "Now stronger formula,  Dries fast".  In the directions it states a drying time of 30 minutes.   But it's been over two hours and is still sticky. 

I've long read about water glass but was at a loss as to where to find it. In doing a search on this forum, I now know what to look for.

Is water glass still the accepted best choice for sealing the top card?

[Lucky R. K.]

You should be able to find Waterglass on ebay.

Lucky

[Bibbyman]

It should be easy to find it local now that I know that it's in a lot of products.  If I go looking for concrete sealer or stove pipe joint compound or, or, or, I can probably score.  If I walk into the farm and home store and ask for "water glass",   they will, one, think I'm pulling their leg, two, take me to house wear and show me drinking glasses, or three, just tell me, "We don't have that.".

Looks like my Elmer's Glue-All has set up.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The proof will be in the pudding.

Load the first round in the second barrel and keep on firing rounds from the first barrel until either you run out of rounds , or shot runs out

[Bibbyman]

The proof will be in the pudding.

Load the first round in the second barrel and keep on firing rounds from the first barrel until either you run out of rounds , or shot runs out

I'll do that with these 25 I've loaded.  It's not very encouraging.   The glue was set this morning and clear as it said it should be.   Put I gave one top card a gentle push and the glue cracked.

I may not get to test them today.  Wife has seen the need to overhaul a bedroom.   Move all the old furniture out and replace it with a set from another house we own.

I read somewhere that a guy was using some type of super glue.  I've not found that reference back.

[Pony Racer]

Bibbyman no superglue needed.  Just plain old glue gun glue...

For whatever reason that stuff stays rubbery in the cold - have no idea why.

I did try some kind of special electricians glue that worked real well - however, the smells coming out of those shells were very strange - not sure if breathing in that stuff is healthy so I would not try it again myself or recommend it to anyone.

PR

[Bibbyman]

I blasted away 25 rounds yesterday afternoon.  As Sr. Charles suggested,  I loaded both barrels but fired one side 4-5 times to test glue strength.  I ran the test twice. Both times the glue held. 

The 209 primed plastic hulls had no misfires so that's a good thing.

These top cards were the ones I glued in with the Elmers Glue-All.  I did score some water glass yesterday - of sorts.  I went to Ace Hardware and asked for water glass and got "the look".   I expected it was sodium silicate and used in a wide variety of products.   I gave them the couple of Rutland products listed on the Ace Hardware web site.  They didn't have that brand in stock and couldn't locate an equivalent product that said it contained sodium silicate.

I went to our local big box lumber/home supply and found an equivalent stove gasket adhesive that stated it had sodium silicate.   It was Imperial brand.  I've not used it yet.

Some of the 25 rounds sounded a little weak.  I don't think I'm getting a tight fit on my wads.  I have 10 gauge nitro cafd, cushion wad, and top card. But they seem to slide into the plastic hull too easy.  I have some 9 gauge nitro cards I use in the brass cases.  In any case, I seat the nitro card with enough force to hear the powder crunch.  I try to put about the same pressure on the cushion wad and top card.  All my reloading tools are improvised and rather primitive.

Has anyone used plastic shot cup wads in 10 gauge black powder loads?   Most are designed for heavy loads but there is one for 1-1/4 oz load.

[Noz]

Check the pharmacies.  They frequently carry it.  It was used for years to seal eggs to help preserve them for lengthy periods.

[Bibbyman]

Check the pharmacies.  They frequently carry it.  It was used for years to seal eggs to help preserve them for lengthy periods.

I will next time.  The Imperial stove gasket adhesive is thick and black. I diluted it with about 2 parts water to one part paste.  I figure that it is mostly sodium silicate because it diluted easily.   It's about the viscosity of cream.  It looks good so far but will be black instead of clear.

[Bibbyman]

Well, my improvised "water glass" from stove adhesive didn't work well.  It stuck ok to the card but pulled away from the plastic hull. 

But the old New Baker is a hoot to shoot.  The wind chill is well below zero so I'm going to wait until it's more comfortable out to shoot it again.

[MUD MARINE]

I have hunted ducks and geese with tens since childhood. I use ten gauge 3-1/2" Magnum doubles and an Ithaca semi automatic. As a child, I started with my great grandfather's custom Parker 8 gauge 4-1/4". My current inventory of brass shells for the 8 and the 10s came from Rocky Mountain Cartridge Company. I use crimped smokeless and plastic shells for hunting.

I get my powder and wads from BACO. I use 9 gauge Walters wads in my tens.

My loads for SASS are the same as hunting but I use very small shot. I never crimp my brass but glue the overshot wad down with Duco Cement.

It goes: powder, 9 gauge nitro wad, two or more 9 gauge fibre wads, a square load of small shot and a glued down over shot wad.

I prefer CCI #10 primers.

What a blast!  pun

[Bibbyman]

Well,  I'm still having problems keeping the top card in.   The last couple of batches I used Duco cement.   It looked promising.   I'd put the old gun aside and not shot it for a few months.   My son wanted to use it to turkey hunt so I loaded some up with #6 shot.  The glue had a week to set.  We were testing the loads and found some didn't sound right.  I had him shoot several from one barrel whale leaving a load one in the other and it looked like the top card was holding.  But he took it out hunting the next morning and came back with several that had loosened up.  The top card would come out with all the glue on it and nothing on the plastic hull.  The hulls are new Fiocchi.  I'm thinking the new hulls have a glaze of maybe some wax or oil on them that keeps the glue from sticking?   Maybe swab them out with something and or scuff them up inside with steel wool?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Bibbyman; Have you tried reloading fired hulls? The inside surface should be rougher than new hulls.

Someone above suggested glue-gun. I use that in brass Magtechs, but see no reason you shouldn't at least try it in plastic. No more than a small handful to test.