1860 Army .44 cal , beeswax or lard ?
- Thread starter 45C
- Start date
Mixed by volume not weight. I use a glass jar in a pan of water creating a double boiler. It takes a bit of experimenting to get the consistency you want. First time I had too much beeswax. Remelt and add more olive oil. Make a small batch then you’ll have a better idea of how much you need of each. After you figure it out a larger batch doesn’t have to be adjusted as you have done the trail and error. Stuff works good. Only problem is after a few shots it coats the everything in front of the cylinder. I wipe it off with a rag. Minor issue.Update, I stumbled across a health store and guess what… they had 100% Beeswax annndd the purest virgin oil you could possibly find… purer than the Virgin Mary
45C: 25 1/2 grains by volume is a moderate charge. Especially with 2F. Though you'll find that the equivalent charge in 3F runs a bit cleaner. Plus, delivers more velocity and performance. Most .44 C & B guns seem to deliver a good balance of accuracy and performance between about 25 and 30 grains. Your pistol likely being no different. Your gun will soon tell you what it likes.
Nothing wrong with using a .357 mag case from here on out, for a measure. Either solder or epoxy a bit of wire on it for a handle and scoop away.
I use discarded cases all the time, for powder measures. They work just fine.
Once you've determined your desired charge by volume, verify the charge on a scale. Dump that into your donor case, and note the powder level. Then, simply trim the case to the powder level(May have to repeat the trim and measure sequence a few times). Once satisfied that the charge is reasonably accurate. Attach a handle to it. Then, use it thereafter as a volumetric measure. It's that easy. Though often convenient, it doesn't have to be a pistol case, either. Any discarded rifle case works just as well.
It appears that you're checking charges on a scale, for consistency. That's always a good practice.
Al
Nothing wrong with using a .357 mag case from here on out, for a measure. Either solder or epoxy a bit of wire on it for a handle and scoop away.
I use discarded cases all the time, for powder measures. They work just fine.
Once you've determined your desired charge by volume, verify the charge on a scale. Dump that into your donor case, and note the powder level. Then, simply trim the case to the powder level(May have to repeat the trim and measure sequence a few times). Once satisfied that the charge is reasonably accurate. Attach a handle to it. Then, use it thereafter as a volumetric measure. It's that easy. Though often convenient, it doesn't have to be a pistol case, either. Any discarded rifle case works just as well.
It appears that you're checking charges on a scale, for consistency. That's always a good practice.
Al
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Amazon Canada sells beeswax with rapid delivery. A few blocks go a long way. Regular (for cooking) olive oil is what you want but it is getting pricey. Believe it or not, cocoanut oil will also work. The main challenge is deciding how hard you want the lube to be. For muzzleloading rifles, like P53, it's best not too hard, while for Snider and Martini harder is better. For Martini loading I simply use pure beeswax as was used in the original British ammunition.
milsurpo
MosinMan13
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thornbury Ontario
There ya go! Well on your way now.
