.36 Caliber Paper Cartidges???

There are some videos on YouTube that show people making and shooting these. Most use cigarette rolling paper.

You may be interested in Dean Thomas' Round Ball to Rimfire Part 3. It details pistol ammunition.

Early on, it was packaged in cartridges just like muskets - a small paper tube with a ball in it and powder, and you had to tear the tail off, pour the powder, extract the ball, and ram it home. There were numerous complaints, namely that it was hard to hit the desired cylinder bore with the powder pouring out of the torn-open paper.

Later there were many variants of so-called combustible cartridges, made from a variety of materials and often varnished to give some level of waterproofness. In period testing it was often noted that the so-called combustible cartridges were not really combustible and the ash and residue was left in the chambers.

If you are going to use "combustible" paper cartridges have a care when loading to make sure there are no burning embers left in your cylinder bores.

Steve
 
Those are very nice looking cartridges BerdanSS! I've made them too and it is not as easy as it looks. I was all thumbs and after a while went back to the old pour and tamp method.

In the old days ammo factories made them employing women. It is delicate work. There is at least one tale of an ammo factory blowing up which distributed parts of female factory worker all over the neighborhood. Sad.
 
paper cartridge

Read about them few years ago.
Decide last spring to try them
I finally got my system worked out where
from start to finish about as fast as a modern reload.
I use a wood dowel tapered so they slide off easier,
or a piece of copper tubing.
With tubing I can roll and fill at same time.
I have a 6 hole loading block I set the cartridge in
either filled or waiting to be filled.
When full I tie top off with thread.
I attach the bullet only on my1863 .54 cal sharps.
I roll my own 30 gr 44 remingtons and colt
50 gr for the walker
80 and 90 grn for the Sharps
70-80 grn for the .50 cal rifle.
 
I like the dowel idea. My thoughts are to roll, twist end, slide off dowel, fill with powder, top with ball, seal with wax, cut off excess paper...tubing idea is hella smart...
 
Tried the dowel idea and the lack of taper did not do well. So went to using a .22 high power case that has about the right taper you need so they will load well and tear so you dont need to worry about fail to fire issues.
 
The original paper cartridges for revolvers were tapered for easier insertion.
I've been considering ordering some "Flash Paper" from a magicians supply store.
From what I've seen this should work better than homemade nitrated paper.

I usually just fill a .38 Special case with powder and tape a ball on the case mouth. The cases hold just short of 25 grains of Goex FFFG.
Undo the tape, pour powder, then seat ball.
 
I just use bugler ciggy butt papers and that seems to work just fine.Rolling paper comes nitrated to a degree.
 
Been fiddling about this....

No need to soak the entire length of the cigar papers, since only the folded end will be subjected to the cap's discharge.

Once rolled, I drop in a ball and then drop them (balls down) into a cartridge tray. Once filled with powder, make an 'accordian fold' (I like to double-fold them and squeeze gently with pliers) and then paint the ends of the fold with Potassium Nitrate.

That's it!!!!!

Only question is, where can I get liquid potassium nitrate????
 
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paper cartridge

Been making paper cartridges for while now.
As with anything it takes practice.
I use zigzags as quick and easy, already nitrated
Now from start to finish I can complete one as fast as you cn do a complete brass cartridge recycle. Maybe even faster.
Do it in easy chair watchin TV.
Then when out shooting , just insert paper a ball cap and shoot.
But to each his own
 
Hawg Haggen said:
I used tea bags. They worked every time but are a PITA to make. At least for me.

I'm sorry, but I couldn't help visualizing a Colt Navy with five of those strings and tabs dangling from the cylinder!

Bob Wright
(Who, obviously, is not into black powder)
 
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