Smith Carbine rat shot cartridge

[Dusty_Traveler]

So the last few days I’ve been pondering this: if anyone has ever put together a rat shot cartridge for their Smith carbine. I did some eyeballing and built a couple this morning. Haven’t shot them yet.

I am using the nylon cases available from Lodgewood.

Used 5/16” and 1/2” punches.

Each cartridge takes:

(1) 5/16” punch out of cigarette paper for the flash hole cover

(2) 1/2” punch outs of card material. I used the backing from a Permatex silicone package.

After placing the 5/16” cig paper over the flash hole, I added 20gr of 3f and one of the pieces of 1/2” card. I used a sanded 1/2” wooden dowel to seat the powder and card by hand until I could not feel it compress any more. I then added 30-ish gr by volume of #7.5 shot. Tapped to level, and added the other 1/2” card on top. I’m excited to try them out!

 

[Bunk]

I suspect it will shoot a doughnut pattern but go for it and see what happens. For my Smith catridges my choice is FFg and it won't dribble out the flash hole.
Bunk

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

@Bad Karma

 

[Whughett]

I suspect it will shoot a doughnut pattern but go for it and see what happens. For my Smith catridges my choice is FFg and it won't dribble out the flash hole.
Bunk

He mentioned covering the flash hole with paper. I too use 2F in mine but wonder if better accuracy and performance could be had with 3f, more velocity perhaps.

 

[Bad Karma]

I use 3f in mine, also with a disc of rice paper over the flash hole. Thanks Dusty gotta try this!

BTW, did you ever pattern this load?

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I use 3f in mine, also with a disc of rice paper over the flash hole. Thanks Dusty gotta try this!

BTW, did you ever pattern this load?

No sir I never patterned it, just shot vermin sized bottles and cans with positive results. If you pattern yours, let’s see the results!

 

[tjiann]

FWIW. I stopped using the disc of paper over the flash hole and started covering it outside with 3M Micropore tape. Flash goes right through it every time. Less time consuming for me than loading a disc inside.

 

[Bad Karma]

FWIW. I stopped using the disc of paper over the flash hole and started covering it outside with 3M Micropore tape. Flash goes right through it every time. Less time consuming for me than loading a disc inside.

Thanks for that. Makes a handy little carbine a little handier to feed. Those little discs are a pain in the tookus…

 

[BillinOregon]

I wonder how those nylon cases work out. When I had a Pietta Smith, it came with some seemingly hard rubber cases that were so troublesome to insert and to extract that I sold the whole rig in frustration. Fun carbine though!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I found that they worked great. Easy to load and unload. No sticking or binding. Held up to 40g of powder.

 

[Whughett]

I wonder how those nylon cases work out. When I had a Pietta Smith, it came with some seemingly hard rubber cases that were so troublesome to insert and to extract that I sold the whole rig in frustration. Fun carbine though!

They work well indeed. There is a YouTube video on how to repair the Flashhole when it eventually erodes to too large a diameter, or to prevent that. A 1/8” pop rivet is fitted to the hole.

 

[Bad Karma]

What these guys said. Easy to load, seems to hold up well too.