Loading revolvers question.

[Joemolf]

That is pretty cool! Is is something that came with a Colt revolver back in the day? either way, pretty cool.
Robby

I suspect there is validity to it. I have a 2nd gen colt that label is found on the inside cover of the presentation box it came in.

 

[TFoley]

That is pretty cool! Is is something that came with a Colt revolver back in the day? either way, pretty cool.
Robby

Yes, it is the facsimile of the inside of a Colt's revolving pistol case.

Do you guys think I'm making this up for the good of my health?

 

[Red Owl]

That's pretty much the way I do it, the only confusion is on the cartridges. There was a development period and I'm not sure what they are referring about. If you look at combustibles sold by Colt, Sage, etc. You simply open the box and load the rounds.
On the wads and grease- I think those things probably were a personal "add on" but not essential. On rifles, some folks find they get better accuracy putting a wad over the powder (like wasp's nest" and under the bullet. On the grease in the ends of the cylinders, Robert E. Lee had some sort of red sealing wax so such things were done but once again not mandatory. Note- no air space between powder and ball. Wads take up room that could be used for more powder- I doubt if old timers used them if the gun was to be used in any type combat- you wanted as much powder as possible.
TAKE note on the cleaning- you are supposed to strip down the gun, wash it in warm water, dry and oil- that is how I have always done it.
And THANKS for posting the instructions.

 

[J dirt]

Yes, it is the facsimile of the inside of a Colt's revolving pistol case.

Do you guys think I'm making this up for the good of my health?

View attachment 130314

I like that. By chance do you know where to obtain a copy of instructions?

Best regards.

 

[springfield art]

Even though Sam Colt died, the idea of the .41 Colt hung on until the .41 Long Colt New Armies came out.....

The modern unmentionable ctg. .41 mag. never took off, either. The few Rugers around are like collectors' items. Interesting that Colt tinkered with a .40.

 

[Joemolf]

Yes, it is the facsimile of the inside of a Colt's revolving pistol case.

Do you guys think I'm making this up for the good of my health?

View attachment 130314

Notice what comes in the box! A place for Everything and everything in place except wads and lube! My feelings it was something that came latter. Very nice colt and presentation box

 

[TFoley]

I like that. By chance do you know where to obtain a copy of instructions?

Best regards.

Dixie Gun Works.

 

[Billy Boy]

How would the old timers kept moisture out of the cylinder?

Don’t go to war on days when its’ raining..

 

[Billy Boy]

On the paper cartridges. As I understand it, at least for the federal troops, nothing else was used for cap and ball revolvers. I have tried to locate flasks, etc. that would have been issued if troops reloaded that way and I've never found anything.
The conical bullet had a long pointy tip and not much as to driving bands- which under the pressure of the ramrod would get the conical out of line- accuracy suffered.
The big worry was the paper completely burning up. If an ember was still in the chamber and you rammed in a fresh round- it would blow up right in your face.
Today cigarette paper is used but it doesn't burn up as well as the original ammunition so BE CAREFUL.

I use nitrated coffee filter paper and have no problem with residue left in the chambers. The nitrated envelope does seem to add to the powder charge some, and I wound up reducing my max loads by 5 grs.

 

[Billy Boy]

Conical ammunition was the norm for military issue in period. Most reproduction revolvers do not have the loading gate cut as deeply as the original guns did, as they were designed with round ball ammunition in mind.

I had to bevel the R side frame on the back side of the loading ‘window’ and bevel the R side of the loading plunger to work with paper cartridges in my New Model Army. It was fine un-altered using Lee 200 gr conical with just powder and wad.

 

[Billy Boy]

What paper is currently used for paper-wrapped cartridges? I have several .44-cal revolvers, and one .36 cal, and would love to experiment a bit with paper cartridges.

Tried them all, coffee filter paper seems to work best for me.

 

[Joemolf]

Are these instructions valid?

View attachment 130134

There are military loading manuals out there that I sure will sustatiate this process

 

[TFoley]

Are these instructions valid?

View attachment 130134

You question puzzles me, Sir. Are you asking if the Colt firearms company's own instructions on how to use their product are valid? Are you serious about this? Do you think that the instructions that came with your car, provided by the manufacturer, are valid?

Or somehow misleading in some way?

 

[Columbus]

You question puzzles me, Sir. Are you asking if the Colt firearms company's own instructions on how to use their product are valid? Are you serious about this? Do you think that the instructions that came with your car, provided by the manufacturer, are valid?

Or somehow misleading in some way?

You're puzzled? Perhaps you completely missed the context of my post as it was in reply to another. No, I'm quite clear on what Colt recommended and posted those instructions for those who insist on the need for wads or patching of some kind, and I'll post another version of it just to clarify. As far as your question, all I can say is that many, many people can be misled or questioned by those lacking the ability to understand innuendo.

 

[TFoley]

You're puzzled? Perhaps you completely missed the context of my post as it was in reply to another. No, I'm quite clear on what Colt recommended and posted those instructions for those who insist on the need for wads or patching of some kind, and I'll post another version of it just to clarify. As far as your question, all I can say is that many, many people can be misled or questioned by those lacking the ability to understand innuendo.

View attachment 130462

In your post #94, you asked - quote -

'Are these instructions valid?

'

In my posts #97 and #102 I answered by showing you the original of that copy.

 

[Joemolf]

In your post #94, you asked - quote -

'Are these instructions valid?

'

In my posts #97 and #102 I answered by showing you the original of that copy.

I have just purchased a Ubertie Remington 1858 received in the mail yesterday. I never thought to look at what Ubertie has to say about loading but just in general they make no mention of using wads and lube behind the ball. They do mention casually in a note not a step after all cylinders are loaded except cylinder 6 about applying grease to reduce the chance of chain fire. One note of interest they recommended not overseating the ball to prevent compressing the powder. Though do state the ball should be touching the powder with no air gap. In metallic cartridges I know powder should be compressed. So that got me wondering why not. They do clearly state after shooting to clean enterly with hot water. Wipe dry and apply lightoil through out.sounds like good instructions to me.

 

[Columbus]

In your post #94, you asked - quote -

'Are these instructions valid?

'

In my posts #97 and #102 I answered by showing you the original of that copy.

And after my message you still don't understand post #94.

 

[Joemolf]

Red Owl, and others - many thanks for the all-inclusive responses! I have a total of four revolvers, plus a couple of flintlocks, and one double barreled 12 ga percussion pistol. Three of the revolvers are .44, one is a .36 - AND ALL THESE HAVE NEVER BEEN FIRED!
Until this past week, when I met up with a fellow forum member, I had no place to go shoot. I am a disabled Vietnam Vet, and have some mobility issues. This fellow lives less than 20 miles away, and is building a range adjacent to his home. It will be completed soon, and the shooting will begin.
I do have a very limited experience with Civil War-era revolvers. When I was 15 and 16, I lived in Northern Virginia, outside DC. A friend of my Dad's was a history prof at U. Maryland, and he had formed one of the early N-SSA teams. I was outfitted in an original Civil War Naval uniform, with an original .58 cal Springfield musket and an original Civil War revolver. We travelled around various military bases, competing on their rifle ranges with the muskets, and every once in a while, the revolvers. "Landing Party of the USS Constellation, a sister frigate to Old Ironsides, USS Constitution. We also re-enacted the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas, VA, on the 100th anniversary of the battle. Shortly after, Dad retired from the Navy, and took a civilian job in south Florida - no more black powder events! But time and tide rumbled on, and I fell back into an earlier hobby of building rifles. And eventually found my way to this forum, and another similar one.
The people I've "met" here are some of the greatest sharers of information ever. They give freely of their time and energy to help others, and have inculcated that habit with me.
I shall experiment a bit with the various papers suggested. I do have a bit of an advantage - to get my Biologist's degree, I had to take a lot of Chemistry. And me being me, I learned (actually taught myself) to make nitrocellulose or gun cotton, as well as various other rather flammable concoctions. It would be easy to make nitrated paper, for example. But - having gotten a modicum of common sense over my 76+ years, I do believe I will leave that part to others., and satisfy myself with various "safe" forms of paper. mostly.
I shall try the curling papers, tracing paper, newspaper, bond paper, etc., and find which is a favorite.
Who knows - I may go far with revolvers, and forego my lovely longrifles. NOT! They are sure fun too!
Again, thanks for the info about paper cartridges. Will be fun to make a couple devices to help churn out a nice lot of cartridges!

The thing that is nice about the coffee filter is it’s pretty durable but at the same time reliable. I’m not sure rolling paper or curling paper would be the same. I used liquid glass to build a few dozen instead of glue sticks work fine I had red some where it more historically correct. You really can’t tell the difference. That gent from Hungry on YouTube Cap and Ball sells cartridge boxes they are reusable I purchased a half dozen of each several years back. Unfortunately they are not topped off. Damn you’re going to have fun exercising your old new revolvers. Do the paper cartridges later get shooting first would be my recommendation

 

[Stantheman86]

The modern unmentionable ctg. .41 mag. never took off, either. The few Rugers around are like collectors' items. Interesting that Colt tinkered with a .40.

I have a .41 Mag Ruger Bisley that has precisely 50 rounds through it in the 5 years I've owned it......it's the round that answered a question nobody asked

 

[Stantheman86]

I simply poured powder in the chambers , rammed a ball and capped nipples today while shooting my 2nd Gen Pocket Navy.

It ran fine for 2 cylinders, then it started hailing so I rolled out. I'm sure I could have gotten a few more cylinders through it without wiping it out.