[xtimberman]

I ran into this paper cartridge tutorial on another forum:

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... 914fa3339f

Many years ago, I bought a paper cartridge kit for my 1851 Navy from Dixie Gun Works - a useful device which they no longer offer. It came with a wooden block, a set of forming dowels, and papers - which you could re-order. Unless I am doing a lot of shooting, the paper cartridges are my preferred method of loading a C&B revolver. I loaned the kit to someone who loaned it to someone...

I see where Paco is using ZigZag cigarette papers instead of the nitrated ones with good results.

Colt and Remington both had cartridge factories employing hundreds of women with tiny fingers who assembled these paper cartridges and were paid so much for each assembled box.

xtm

 

[Gizamo]

The old theory was that nitrated papers work best. They can be bought in sheet form and cut to a pattern. Rolled around a wooden dowel, and sealed with Elmers paste glue for poster board. Works pretty good....

The new theory....one that Lord Slashcat taught me....Telephone Book paper.
It works for paper cartridges from everything from muskets to Sharps paper cartridge rifles....never seen it fail :mrgreen:

giz

 

[DHENRY]

Giz,
What a shame that there weren't any phone books for the munitions works to use during the Civil War! :lol:
Seriously, though...
Do you still grease up the charge holes when using paper-contained loads?
Don

 

[xtimberman]

Do you still grease up the charge holes when using paper-contained loads?
Don

Yes, you still need to do that. I tried to come up with an easy way to put a little disc of beeswax/parrafin in my paper cartridge below the ball, but later convinced myself that it was contaminating the powder. Later, I resorted to dunking the balls into a can of Johnson's Paste Wax, but determined that it wasn't sufficient for black powder shooting. I still dunk them in paste wax ahead of time, but add a small dab of my own concoction on top of the "cartridge" with a pharmacist's spatula after it's seated.

I've come across some original C&B revolvers that still resided in the original owners' families. A couple of them were stored away in a drawer and remained loaded with the little factory-made paper cartridges. I'm certain that their use was widespread - particularly by folks who owned one but rarely shot it. The flasks are handy for shooting sessions, but black powder will draw moisture and cake up inside if left filled and unused for a very long period of time. I helped the owner unload one of them and noted that the "cartridges" were loaded with hollow-base conical bullets that had a single narrow grease groove.