Paper Cartridge makeing ? Who does that?

[dingus]

I recently bought a Percussion Brech loader that has a 54 caliber bore and used a paper cartridge like the monkey tail rifle.
Whats the best way to make theses cartridges up ?

A freind was saying glueing paper into a tube around a dowel with the bullet in the end once its dry pull it off the dowel ad powder then crimp the end shut.
Sounds intresting. Can you make them water proof ? or water resistant at least.
This is all new to me.

 

[lannard]

just a stab at life however, what about waxedx paper? or brushing liquid wax on after the whole process. never tried, but i guess this would work. beeswax would probably be the best.

 

[dingus]

That might just work.
the percusion cap must be able to burn a hole in the paper to ignite the BP but with all the modern paper around today id think a person could make theses Cartridges so they could be strong enough so you could have a pouch full of them ready to load.

 

[ben hunchak]

Isn't there something called "nitrate paper" or some such that is used ????

 

[Steppenwolf]

Some folks use cigarette papers. You can also treat paper with a nitrate wash. Here is how to make a Monkey Tail cartridge.

 

[dragoon7214]

I have an article in an old Outdoor Life Annual at my folks place in Saskatchewan, detailing how to do it. If I can find it, I'll scan it and send it to you.

 

[dingus]

Great Info!
Thanks.
I want to get into this once my breech loader percussion Rifle gets here and i fix it up.

 

[BUSHMAN79]

I used to make paper cartridges for my '51 navy, and used cigarette rolling papers. I dipped the bullet ends in melted beeswax. Sure beat a powder flask, bullets, and tub of Crisco! I've always made paper cartridges for my Brown Bess, too. In the bigger calibres, I've used newspaper with good results. You can make your own nitrated paper by soaking the paper in saltpetre and water, I believe. There was an article about it in the 1983 Gun Digest. I'm amazed more people don't make paper cartridges. It sure beats fumbling around with powder measures and things in the field. Even with a patched ball, you can pre-roll some blank cartridges to load under the ball. This is the way Baker rifles were loaded, I think. A really fast dip in melted beeswax makes the cartridge water resistant, and I've always opened them and poured the powder down the barrel. I did try a few without tearing them open, and it seemed to make no difference. I never opened the revolver cartridges, they burst when you ram them, anyway.

 

[vagrantviking]

I used to make them for my cannon using potassium nitrate impregnted onion skin paper. Later I got lazy and skipped the nitrate and just use a worm to pull the unburned paper back out.

Google is your friend here. There are dozens of good sites. Some even show equipment and instructions from the days when paper cartridges where the latest thing.