Here's an oddball question. Donor case to make a funnel for BP revolver powder

I was looking for the regular non cartridge BP forum - Somehow, today, I just can NOT see it. Probably because a friend was drunk texting me most of last night, GAAHHH, he's a good guy but young and loopy LOL - And I don't do well with disturbed sleep! So if a Mod feels the need to move this, please, feel free. I just dunno to where :P

Getting a BP revolver together, I've seen that (I assume to avoid the lube over the top of the balls) people sometimes use a funnel to drop the powder into the chambers. Could make a funnel with tubing and a cut off 30-30 case or something, my existing selection of funnels wouldn't do it but I do have tools. :)

So - Is there a better "donor" case for the purpose than a 30-30 out there? A nice long neck would be good, I probably will end up making a dedicated measure from another case for powder, safer than loading direct from a flask. If not a long neck I can always get brass tubing and braze / solder some to the case of course.

Or do people just find that the lube at the end of the chamber isn't an issue, so long as the lead ball's suitably sized I'd think it would mostly be dragged out on firing...

Getting an 1860 in .44 and planning .454 balls so it'll swage off a nice little ring :)

With a 44 I just pour the powder in from the measure and seat a wad and then the ball or the bullet. I find that if I don't blow grease all over an into the gun I get more shots as good or better accuracy and less mess. I cut and lube my own wds from old felt hats and lube with bear oil and beeswax. I set the mix hard enough not to melt in the summer and have no problems with a days shooting.

A funnel will help get the powder into the chambers easier. But the reason for the lube on the chamber mouth is 2 fold. One it keeps the BPs fouling soft and manageable. The other is to help stop chain fires between cylinders, some claim this also happens with poorly fitted caps. A felt lube wad can be used under the ball to alieviate the chain fire issue, but some lube may be needed for extended shooting sessions.

I'm with KCSO, I just pour the powder into the chambers, use a greased felt wad and seat the ball.

A funnel would only slow that process down. I use a brass power measure and have cut the tube on the powder measure (a removable and replaceable part) to the length that gives the desired powder charge.

I place my thumb over the end of the powder measure, open the gate on the measure, turn it down so that the powder flows into the tube, let the gate close and turn the measure vertical again. I now have the correct amount of powder in that tube. I place the tube in the desired chamber and pour the powder in the chamber. I wouldn't want a funnel, it would just be one more thing to deal with.

Now, I have used an empty casings AS a powder measures. You find a casing that is close to the volume you desire and trim it until it holds exactly the amount of powder you want to pour into the cylinder. You fill the casing and use that to pour the powder into the cylinder. In that situation, it's not a funnel but rather a powder dipper.

I'm all for "What Works" - I'm replacing the nipples on the '60 to only use #11 caps (so I just have to stock one size cap) as that seems smarter than having to stock 2 sizes. I'll make sure those are snugly fitting nipples, to prevent chain fires, I spent enough time when younger doing exciting things like flying Search and Rescue as an observer that I don't really feel the need for much more excitement in my life... Threading your way through pine trees in a Cessna 172 when a field turned out to be really muddier than expected so your takeoff was far lower performance than desired, a couple times, rock climbing on shale during searches and practice missions, and rappelling off 400' bridges and so on a few times is enough LOL

I got a wad maker, felt hats huh? I was looking at Duro-Felt but inexpensive is good. I've heard some believe that the felt wad with lube prevents chain fires, some don't, I don't know yet, always more to learn :)

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Originally Posted by Mr_Sheesh

I got a wad maker, felt hats huh? I was looking at Duro-Felt but inexpensive is good. I've heard some believe that the felt wad with lube prevents chain fires, some don't, I don't know yet, always more to learn :)

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You might even try the "paper mache" material used in old-fashioned egg cartons. It punches out into little discs more easily than felt, and it absorbs a reasonable amount of lube.

If you're already buying eggs, the material is "free".

The baking/kitchen supplies aisle at your favorite supermarket, or Walmart, Target, et. al., will have a selection of funnel sets, one of which will work/fit. Another choice is a Lee dipper + a tub of powder. While I prefer the funnel myself, I often use my adjustable BP measure with its funnel-like top, but it's messier than the funnel.

What might be handy for a funnel is to purchase a 300 wsm case and a piece of 5/16" of tubing to make a tube that's long enough to get the funnel above the muzzle. A piece of 5/16" of tubing with .015 wall thickness has a ID of .282. and will press into the case mouth of the case easily with a little fitting. Cut the head of the 300 wsm case and you have a .530 dia hole to pour into or it can be fliared for a larger opening even. The drawback is a loading stand is needed to make this easier to use. 2 hands a revolver, funnel, and powder measure are a lot to handle and maniplulate.
Getting the funnel above the muzzle would make charging easier. This would also allow for a straight pour into the chamber with the funnel. But the loading stand would almost be a neccisity to hold the revolver.

A paper cartridge may be another way of easy mess free loading of the revolver.

I have several metal powder flasks which accept spouts of various dimensions. I have shortened the spouts to measure the amounts I need for each gun. That way, if I want to charge a .44 I use one flask and if I want to charge .36, it's another. The spouts are made of brass and are easily trimmed. I also like to use felt wads that have been saturated with black powder lube. Typically, I like to load the cylinders off the gun with my loading stand.

I've always used the powder flask to charge the gun also. And I've never had a chain fire, but it seems to me if a lead ball that is large enough to shave lead off isn't going to seal the cylinder, what good is a felt wad? There isn't even any guarantee that it went is straight. I prefer to just put some some bullet lube over the balls instead of wads. Never had a gun tie up during a 6 stage match(30 shots/pistol), so good enough for me.

I really like the egg carton wad's idea. I am sure going to try it, makes sense to me.what have I got to loose, an egg carton.

DIXIE GUN WORKS sells a powder measures with a funnel attached that swivels to dump powder in barrel or cylinder and is made out of brass. had mine 42 years and still work's great.

I simplify the whole procedure with my Brass framed Colt replica by charging the powder
into the six cylinders with the cylinder out of the revolver.
then putting the cylinder back onto the frame and reinstalling the barrel to Hard seat the balls

The first thing that seems to have been forgotten about these civil war period revolvers
is that the commonest way to reload one "back in the day" was to pop out the barrel wedge with your thumb,
pull the barrel off and thrust the empty revolver into your uniform jacked and pull the hammer
to half-cock thus dropping the empty cylinder into your right hand (or "dominant hand")pocket
while reaching into a belt pouch (with your non-dominant hand) for a pre-charged cylinder and
swiftly reassembling the revolver

People have argued with me about fitting this wedge, but if it is supposed to have been hammered into place and
back out again why are they built with a spring catch?

I have demonstrated that with practice this can be accomplished in 10-18 Seconds
(If the barrel retaining wedge is "properly" fitted to the barrel and frame)
Which should be noted is close to the time it takes to reload a modern Revolver with
HKS type speed-loaders (I can personally do this in 8-12 seconds depending on how stressed I am).

Then again it seems that most owners are more interested in using proper period holsters and period correct reproduction powder flasks than in having a spare cylinder for their black powder cap & ball Revolver.

I seriously doubt that anyone buying a revolver in the 1850-1860 didn't get a spare cylinder with it at purchase, and anyone acquiring one to take to war probably had six or more spare cylinders!

AD

Back when these revolvers were used there was a unique reloading technique. One or 2 were carried on the belt and 2-4 were carried in a pommel on the saddle horn. Reloading meant switching revolvers. Otherwise they were swapping cylinders.

I've been planning to get 2 '60s and 2 spare revolvers, then more later. Seems "the way to go" yeppers. Just wondering on reloading IN the frame, got an external reloading dealie for the cylinders but not a revolver stand - yet. My budget sucks and I could spend a LOT in a week if I didn't have the limited budget, oh well LOL

Look at the stands on the internet at BACO, Track of the Wolf, Dixie, and others. They wouldn't be hard to make one up. Some decent hard wood and a little cutting doweling and glueing. You could make a very nice one pretty reasonably depending on wood used. A good table saw and drill press with some elbow grease and your there

For anyone curious there is a neat and tidy cinematic demonstration of this in the movie Gettysburg, Preformed by Jeff Daniels while playing the part of Joshua Chamberlain during the act of the movie that concludes with the "Swinging door" bayonette charge that resulted in the award of the Medal of Honor.

During that act Jeff Daniels casually reloads his 1860 Colt Army by that method.

Check out youtube for easy to make paper cartridges for you cap and ball revolvers. Load up as many as you want at home and all you need to do is slide them in the cylinders and press the ball or bullet into the cylinder. One of the reason I don't shoot my bp revolvers much is because of the hassel of all the assesories you need to take with you to shoot. Some really neat primer cap dispensers out there too.