joeb33050
10-31-2006, 07:18 PM
Help!!!Comments?Errors?
8.4.12 HOW TO MAKE COMBUSTIBLE PAPER CARTRIDGES
Harry Eales
Making nitrated paper isn't difficult, all you need is a few ounces of Potassium Nitrate. Dissolve this in a small quantity of hot water until no more will dissolve. (a saturated solution). Pour this concentrated solution into a plastic or metal dish, a photographers developing dish is handy. Obtain some 'onion skin' typing paper and soak each sheet in the tray and hang them up to dry, much like photographers did with developed film. Let it dry and then cut it to the required shape to make the cartridge.
Make a slightly tapered former, and wrap the nitrated paper around it once with a slight overlap and lightly glue the seam.
I found it helpful when making such cartridges for a .577 Enfield ML to tie the top of the paper cartridge into a bullets grease groove with a single strand of strong cotton thread. Needless to say, but keep the treated sheets well away from anything that could cause them to ignite. Have fun.
A word of caution though in their use especially in Muzzle loaders. If there are smoldering remnants of the case left after firing, a new cartridge may go off when loaded. That's why they had wet sponges used between rounds on the old muzzle loading cannon. Better safe than sorry, especially in today's world where Lawyers are always ready to sue.
I suppose a wet or rather damp, lambs wool mop down the barrel on the end of a ramrod between shots, wouldn't come amiss, and it would help soften any powder fouling present.
8.4.12 HOW TO MAKE COMBUSTIBLE PAPER CARTRIDGES
Harry Eales
Making nitrated paper isn't difficult, all you need is a few ounces of Potassium Nitrate. Dissolve this in a small quantity of hot water until no more will dissolve. (a saturated solution). Pour this concentrated solution into a plastic or metal dish, a photographers developing dish is handy. Obtain some 'onion skin' typing paper and soak each sheet in the tray and hang them up to dry, much like photographers did with developed film. Let it dry and then cut it to the required shape to make the cartridge.
Make a slightly tapered former, and wrap the nitrated paper around it once with a slight overlap and lightly glue the seam.
I found it helpful when making such cartridges for a .577 Enfield ML to tie the top of the paper cartridge into a bullets grease groove with a single strand of strong cotton thread. Needless to say, but keep the treated sheets well away from anything that could cause them to ignite. Have fun.
A word of caution though in their use especially in Muzzle loaders. If there are smoldering remnants of the case left after firing, a new cartridge may go off when loaded. That's why they had wet sponges used between rounds on the old muzzle loading cannon. Better safe than sorry, especially in today's world where Lawyers are always ready to sue.
I suppose a wet or rather damp, lambs wool mop down the barrel on the end of a ramrod between shots, wouldn't come amiss, and it would help soften any powder fouling present.