44 Remington wads and caps?
- Thread starter 89diesel
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- Kaslo, B.C.
You don't use wads in your .44 Remington. Seat the ball tight on top of the powder and fill the chamber up with a good dollop of Vaseline. Besides lubrication you're trying to keep all the fire confined to the chamber behind the barrel. Without the grease you may well get more action than you bargained for.
You must use a buffer wad between the ball and the powder in order to prevent a chain fire. A chain fire occurs when the firing of one charge ignites all of the others. This could cause severe injury. An alternative to the buffer wad is to place a thick layer of grease over the ball. Both methods work well.
I choose to use the felt wad method, tends to be cleaner and faster. Cut your own from felt hats, felt pool table tops, any decent quality felt. Lubricate them using a decent lubrication, or good old fashion lard, not too much. Cut them with a large diameter hole punch, or such as you might find in a leather shop.
You can order the caps from Cabellas but probably better to find a local supplier.
I choose to use the felt wad method, tends to be cleaner and faster. Cut your own from felt hats, felt pool table tops, any decent quality felt. Lubricate them using a decent lubrication, or good old fashion lard, not too much. Cut them with a large diameter hole punch, or such as you might find in a leather shop.
You can order the caps from Cabellas but probably better to find a local supplier.
The critical point here is to make sure there is no air space between the ball and the powder !!!.
If you want to load it with a light load then you really should use filler on top of the powder (the Cream of Wheat) or a wad. As well, unless you are using a separate loading stand to seat the ball, the plunger on the revolver will only push the ball part way into the cylinder. It will be far enough if you are using enough powder but not for a light load. That's when it is important to use filler or a wad to eliminate the possibility of airspace. The airspace can allow a dangerous over-pressure build-up with nasty results. You also get better results if the powder is slightly compressed.
Putting lube on top of the ball does two things - reduces the chance of a chain fire from the front and spreads the lube around when you fire it to help keep things moving. Soft gooey black powder residue doesn't create as much of a problem as hard dry residue, either for continuous shooting or later clean-up. And be sure and put lots of lube on the cylinder pin. Bore Butter works well for all of this but so does Crisco.
If you are using the proper size ball (which is very slightly larger than the chamber) then there should be a small ring of lead cut from around the ball when you seat it into the cylinder. This gives you the best result - a sealed chamber and a no chance for a spark to get past it.
Hope that helps!
If you want to load it with a light load then you really should use filler on top of the powder (the Cream of Wheat) or a wad. As well, unless you are using a separate loading stand to seat the ball, the plunger on the revolver will only push the ball part way into the cylinder. It will be far enough if you are using enough powder but not for a light load. That's when it is important to use filler or a wad to eliminate the possibility of airspace. The airspace can allow a dangerous over-pressure build-up with nasty results. You also get better results if the powder is slightly compressed.
Putting lube on top of the ball does two things - reduces the chance of a chain fire from the front and spreads the lube around when you fire it to help keep things moving. Soft gooey black powder residue doesn't create as much of a problem as hard dry residue, either for continuous shooting or later clean-up. And be sure and put lots of lube on the cylinder pin. Bore Butter works well for all of this but so does Crisco.
If you are using the proper size ball (which is very slightly larger than the chamber) then there should be a small ring of lead cut from around the ball when you seat it into the cylinder. This gives you the best result - a sealed chamber and a no chance for a spark to get past it.
Hope that helps!
Here are two good sources for information on black powder and 1858 Remingtons in particular. Remember that all Blackpowder loading instructions refer to VOLUME. The following tables assist in setting conversions to weight measure and other volume measures. Blackpowder loading tables assume you are using a volumetric measure. Shooters don't carry weigh scales into the field! =
ht tp://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm
And from the Society of Remington Revolver Shooters =
ht tp://www.alliancelink.com/srrs/loads.htm
More here = w ww.scorrs.org
ht tp://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm
And from the Society of Remington Revolver Shooters =
ht tp://www.alliancelink.com/srrs/loads.htm
More here = w ww.scorrs.org
I have always used crisco over the ball on cap and ball pistols.
On light loads I have used cornmeal as a filler over the powder rather than wads. That will also prevent chain fire.
The smell of crisco, cornmeal, and black powder smoke is unique.
You can use a wad if you like but they do add one more niggly step to loading.
I have also found that crisco over the ball keeps a C&B revolver from seizing up due to powder fouling. Take a roll of paper towel with you and some windex to wipe down the revovler from time to time.
Use a load that allows the ball to seat on the powder with no air space.
Leave an air space and you are inviting pressure problems.
If you must use a light load, use a filler such as cream of wheat or cornmeal to fill the air space between the powder and the ball.
An air space between the powder and ball is rumoured to have caused some cylinders to bulge or fail. I wouldn't take that chance.
