Light loads, revolver

[SlowFuse]

Curious if anyone has made "gallery loads" or something similar in a cap and ball revolver.

Last night I preloaded a 1851 cylinder (36 cal) with 10 grains of 3F goex, filler and ball. I usually use 15 to 20 grains in this gun (also with filler) with round balls or conicals. These charges are already fairly light, although 20 gr with a conical seems to have a bit of oomph.

So it got me thinking, what's the lightest load you could use without risk of sticking a ball in the barrel? Talking 36 caliber in this case but if you've done it with a 44 I'm interested.

I loaded another cylinder with the same 10 grains 3f and added some card wads and #9 shot for a "snake load" and am thinking I should have bumped it up to 15 grains... but I guess that can be another thread...

 

[electricfactory]

Wonder if you could load 5 grains and send a ball down range ?

 

[Rebel Dave]

Be Carefull with real light loads, You dont want a ball/bullet getting stuck in the barrel.

Dave

 

[expat_alaska]

It would depend upon the caliber and ball/bullet weight. I have a North American Arms Super Companion .22 C&B revolver with a cylinder/chamber length of their .22 Magnum cartridge revolver; barrel length is 1-5/8" for size comparison (it is a very small revolver). The pistol came cased with a 5 grain powder scoop. It fires 30 grain conicals (only made by NAA) seated on the powder charge.

Kind of a pipsqueak when fired.



NAA also makes the Companion which has a .22 LR size cylinder and a 1-1/8" barrel with a 4 grain powder scoop, firing the same conical.



Regards,

Jim

 

[Mike OTDP]

For many years, my match load at 25 yards was 9 grains of Swiss 3F. In a .44 Remington. Not a problem.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

You know thats a intersting question. My lowest load on a .36 cal revolver would be 15 grains. Though my spout throws 20 so that's what i use in my wifes .36 . i have used 25 grains of OE with no problem and it breathed a whole new life into the .36 with roundball. Ive shot a few snakes in my day, i mostly shoot them with my woods gun a brasser 44 "navy" but i did send a ol serpent to copperhead heaven last year with 15 grains in the .36. It was a light load but the snake didnt mind said he didnt feel a thing!

 

[derek45]

just warm up beforehand with some H110 44 magnum loads.

after that, 30gr FFFg will feel like 22LR

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Here's a previous discussion about shooting wax projectiles indoors -
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/shooting-indoors.546868/#post-6774331

 

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello SlowFuse,

I fabricated a swaging die to make a hollow base conical for my Spiller & Burr.

AntiqueSledMan.