C&B. Why are wads even necessary?

[BlackPowderBen]

Used my homemade wads today at the range

 

[Mike Irwin]

"I subscribe to hard grease under the ball without a wad..."

MMMMmmmmmm....

Grease cookies! My favorite!

 

[Mike Irwin]

"That was probably for waterproofing."

Yes, but it was also known (or supposed) that it helped prevent chain fires.

 

[maillemaker]

I'm pretty sure period conical balls had grease grooves and were generally lubricated.

Steve

 

[Mike Irwin]

I think Colt pattern conicals in the civil war era had a single small grease groove. Not really all that much lube.

 

[Hawg]

Colt patterns did not have a lube groove but did have a rebated base. I have seen some bullets with a lube groove and a rebated base but they weren't Colt patterns.

 

[Mike Irwin]

OK, it looks like the D.C. Sage manufactured rounds for Colt revolvers used a small grease groove in the bullet.

The rebated rim was to allow for either nitrated paper or animal gut wrappers for a self-contained cartridge, but not have it interfere with ramming the cartridge into the cylinder.

Interesting discussion about this here: http://firearms339.rssing.com/browser.php?indx=12745374&last=1&item=17

And here's a really nice photo...

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_10_2014/post-9906-0-63484200-1413235086.jpg