Question about EPP bullets.

[LonesomePigeon]

 I just recieved some EPP .44 cal and EPP .36 cal bullets from Whyte Leather Works. I intend to use them in my cap n' ball revolvers. Do I need to lube these bullets first or can I just load them into the gun as they are?

[Coffinmaker]

I presume when you describe the EPP bullets, the .44 your actually talking about is the EPP-UG 45.  The EPP-UG 36 is self-explanatory.

Anyway, lube depends on what propellant your shooting.  If your using APP, no lube is necessary.  I shoot the EPP bullets in both 44 and
36 cap guns "as cast" and they run just fine without lube with no fouling in the bore.  When seating these bullets, both 36 & 44, it
helps a lot if you have a slight bevel in the cylinder mouth to help keep the bullets square to the chamber for ramming.

If your using other than APP, you'll need to lube them for best performance.  You won't need wads or a glop of lube over the top.  The bullet carries plenty of lube for percussion hand guns.

Coffinmaker

[LonesomePigeon]

Yes they are EPP-UG 45 to be used in a 3rd Model Dragoon and EPP 36 in an 1851 Navy. I'm not sure what APP is, I would be using Goex 2F and/or 3F. I went ahead and pan lubed some and I'm probably going to give them a try today. Thanks.

[LonesomePigeon]

Only tried the EPP 36. Tried them in a G&U 1851 Navy and in a Pietta Remington 1858 Navy. They worked good and were pretty easy to seat.

[Dick Dastardly]

The narrow driving bands were designed by old El Paso Pete to chamber with, or without sizing.  This bullet has proven to shoot very accurately.  I like to lube/size them and put them in the bullet vials, five to a vial.  At the match all that is needed is to charge the chambers and thumb seat the bullets on the chamber mouth.  With five chambers thus made ready I seat the bullets with the ram and they are ready to cap and shoot.  Nothing else is needed because the big lube grove effectively seals the chamber mouths.

An interesting aside is that I've shot them from my Thompson Center Seneca front stuffier rifle over 30 grains of FFFg black powder and found them to be very easy to load and very accurate.  I've also shot them out of Cowboy 45 Special ammo and was very satisfied with 20 grains of FFFg bp.

Attached is an engineering drawing of the EPP-36

DD-MDA