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Paper cartridges for C&B pistols.


Chert Rock Chuck

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I’m going to start working on some paper cartridges for some of my cap and ball revolvers.

 I have round balls for .31 and .44 cal models but wonder about the use of bullets as well.

 If my .44’s can use .45colt ammo with a conversion cylinder, is it acceptable to use the same .452 200gr RNFP bullet for paper cartridges as well?

 My assumption is that it should work just fine, but we all know what happens when we ASSume things like this.

  Thanks, Chert Rock.

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Regular bullets are not pure lead.

Unless they are under sized and go in to the cylinder with no effort, you run the risk of the bullets not fitting in the chamber.

The pressure needed to push the bullet in to the chamber will bend the loading lever.

 

I never saw an advantage to using pure lead bullets over the traditional round lead ball.

I did work up paper patch round ball which was kind of novel but it was not a time saver and I loaded at the unloading table with flask, felt wad and ball.

After some practice, reloading both revolvers (10 rounds) took no more than checking 2 shooters at the unloading table while reloading.

 

 

 

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First off,  make sure the lead is dead soft because seating them will be difficult being with so much more bearing surface.   Conicals made for cap guns usually have a reduced base that will start into the chamber mouth easily.  The 200g bullet will take up a lot of room because of its total length.  Also, on some guns, the "window" opening is not tall enough to rotate the bullet under the rammer.

 

This are a thousand "how to" YouTube videos out there on making paper cartridges.  Some go to great lengths and efforts.  Here is a video I made trying to devise a simple method.  It worked to some extent but still had its problems. 

 

 

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Thank you both for the reply.

This is exactly why I didn’t want to go on an assumption.

 I cast the bullets from wheel weights and they are quite soft, but not pure for  certain.

 It was more curiously than necessity. I’ll just go with the round balls until such a time that I decide to get conicals.

 I bought a kit for making the paper cartridges so it should be fairly easy once I make a few and get the hang of it.

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I've started playing around with making paper cartridges. What I've found is the easiest. Is to just make up one using hair dresser roller paper. Drop my powder in. Thats it I'm only loading it  with powder. I load the paper cartridges in the cylinder and the put the patch on top of that and the a ball. Thats been working good for me.

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For CAS, I think the easiest application of a paper cartridge is to load it with APP and round ball.  No lube required, this saves you time/steps/components making your cartridges and i have found that lube and paper tend to get stuck to weird things in your rammer if you twist the paper over the ball instead of gluing it in.  If you are loading a different sub or real black, "conicals" have the advantage of having a place to put your bullet lube if you don't want to use a cookie (extra components) or lube over the chamber (extra time negating advantage of paper cartridge). 

 

 

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