Anyone load for the Chassepot????

[abunaitoo]

After many, many years of searching, I now have one.
Need to make a needle. Made the seal out of plumbing washers.
Gathering parts to make the cartridges.
Having a hard time finding flame retardant spray.
Anyone load for these????

[JHeath]

After many, many years of searching, I now have one.
Need to make a needle. Made the seal out of plumbing washers.
Gathering parts to make the cartridges.
Having a hard time finding flame retardant spray.
Anyone load for these????

Just saw a Chassepot for sale in a militaria case at Seattle at Pacific Galleries, a big antique store on Lander St. Think it was pretty clean but did not look close. The employees are unlikely to know anything about guns in case you call.

Don't know why you need it, but call theatrical supply houses for flame retardant powder, mixed with water and sprayed on stage curtains. I thought needle guns used flammable paper.

Are you going to leave it original or improve performance by chambering to 11mm Chassepot Ackley Improved?

[abunaitoo]

From what I've been told, the paper does not burn up. When it does, it cloggs up the chamber.
What happens is it sometimes get blown/pulled out with the boolet. When it doesn't it just gets pushed foward when the next cartridge is chambered.
It's staying original.
How often do people have a chance to fire off a original needle gun.
Thanks for the lead. I'll give the local theater a call.

[salpal48]

There is a Company called RH CUSTOM. They have a web site. he has parts , Needles and washers for the 1866. he also Has pre made Tubes and pre cut cardboard wad and Pre made pure lead bullets as a kit. No primers or powder. They are in Europe. I was going to order for Mine but It seems he is always out of stock . I have tried to load mine and I have loaded them with 777 and a makeshift shot shell primer insert. sometimes it works . Then it does not. paper in circumference is Appox 12MM to hold the powder . Gluing the percussion cap to the cardboard is the problem . Any thin paper and thin cardboard will work. I was using a pre glued post it pad if I remember a 3"x2" . Then gluing the cardboard to the tube.
There is another web site with the size of the paper and card board size.
Overall length is important . and It's trial and error.

[JHeath]

Rosco (online theatrical supplier) sells flame retardant for various materials. Also breakaway bottles you can harmlessly smash over kids' heads for fun, in front of the neighbors for that "daddy's-drinkin'-up-our-Christmas" illusion. The Chassepot completes the picture.

I was joking about the Ackley Improved paper cartridge. My fault, I never use smileys.

[Harter66]

I have 1. Tooling for loading doesn't like it will be to diffacult to make.My issue now is locating musket caps and a suitable mould.

The originals used a silk 'sock' tied in a lube groove . This allowed all of the paper ash,soot and a lot of the fouling out w/ the boolit. I've also read of varnished cartridges that carry most of the firing debris out. For me I'll try plain paper w/a separately patched boolit.

Alas this will be for my winter project it is all R&D learning at this point .