Pancho
Member
I saw this thread on another forum and thought it would be good for this forum. What clever little and large things have you come up with to help your muzzleloading experience.
What clever little things have you come up with
- Thread starter Pancho
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I pre measure 4-5 loads and drop them into old film canisters when hunting makes for a quick reload though not as fast as a paper cartrage.
Also when I am going to load some cartridges like 45-70 or what ever I sit around work and premeasure my powder charges into the film canisters really speeds up load day.
Also when I am going to load some cartridges like 45-70 or what ever I sit around work and premeasure my powder charges into the film canisters really speeds up load day.
I always carry a film case of about 70% Olive oil, 30% Beeswax, with some wintergreen extract. It's an old lip balm recipe, but serves another purpose as a great lube. I'll lube up the cylinder pin and action on my SAA when shooting BP.
Also, lately in my ammo boxes, I keep a few "cleaning" loads, with Unique and a couple lubed felt wads below the bullet. In my boxes of 50 BP cartridges, I keep 5 of these.
Also, lately in my ammo boxes, I keep a few "cleaning" loads, with Unique and a couple lubed felt wads below the bullet. In my boxes of 50 BP cartridges, I keep 5 of these.
Pancho
Member
Keep em comin.
arcticap
Member
I put a little bit of masking tape on the stock under the barrel of my sidelocks to cover the gap that is open and which leads to the inside of the back of the lock (if that area of the stock is inletted to be open).
The masking tape helps to block almost all of the powder residue from entering the lockwork and saves me from having to remove the lock for cleaning. A little wipe with a cotton swab with just a dab of solvent and then oil and the lock & mainspring stay very, very clean and protected.
There's usually always enough room in the barrel channel for this thin application of masking tape without the barrel needing to be forced down at all. If there wasn't enough room than it probably doesn't need to be done, or an even thinner type of tape could be used. The tape gets slightly blackened but the lock stays ~99% cleaner than that.
The masking tape helps to block almost all of the powder residue from entering the lockwork and saves me from having to remove the lock for cleaning. A little wipe with a cotton swab with just a dab of solvent and then oil and the lock & mainspring stay very, very clean and protected.
There's usually always enough room in the barrel channel for this thin application of masking tape without the barrel needing to be forced down at all. If there wasn't enough room than it probably doesn't need to be done, or an even thinner type of tape could be used. The tape gets slightly blackened but the lock stays ~99% cleaner than that.
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Phantom Captain
Member
How about a picture...
DrLaw
Member
It's A Miracle
That holder changes the gun from an 1860 to an 1851!
Amazing!!!!
The Doc is out now.
That holder changes the gun from an 1860 to an 1851!
Amazing!!!!
The Doc is out now.
Phantom Captain
Member
You just discovered it's most secret ability. If I close my eyes, concentrate hard enough and click my heels three times I can have any pistol I want with this!!
Pancho
Member
phantom,I you don't mind i'm going copy your excellent stand with some minor changes. I would look into creating a vertical rail that would permit to slide the barrel support for short and long revolvers.
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Well, there's several problems with Dorothy's shoes. First, I'm not into cross dressing. Second, I doubt if I can even stand in high heels without keeling over and breaking something. Last, it's going to be hard to convince the Smithsonian Museum of American History to loan it out so we can convert our guns into better ones. It was tough enough to get a photograph of one particular rifle from them. BTW, they had the shoes on display one year along with Archie Bunker's chair, Carol Burnett's cleaning lady outfit and other famous memorbilia of Americana.
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BTW, cheapie thing is a piece of plywood with carpet nailed on it. I've been lazy and wanted to tap my buttplate on the ground, but don't like doing it on concrete. Not something you carry into the field, but for the range its fine.
Pancho
Member
I do all my shooting behind my house and the last thing I want to do is put the butt of my gun on the ground to load or swab. I take a carpet sample with me throw it on the ground at my feet and have a clean soft place for gun butt.
Pancho
Member
To aide in drying the water from metal gun parts after cleaning and before wiping and lubing I liberally pour rubbing alcohol on the gun and parts avoiding only the wood. Alcohol displaces and mixes with water gets into all the small places and evaporates quickly. It's also cheap and readily available.
Phantom Captain
Member
No problem Pancho,
I'd be interested to see your final version with your alterations if you do go ahead and make one. I liked mine fixed and made it this way since I don't have any short barreled cap and ball revolvers. I set mine up to take all my pistols though, army, navy, dragoon, remington .44 and remington .36. My whole point was to have a universal stand that I could use for all of them.
4v50Gary I also keep a scrap of carpet (no plywood or anything, just a couple scrap squares) in my trunk for my buttplates at the range. Nice to have to throw down on concrete and not worry about banging up my rifles while loading.
I'd be interested to see your final version with your alterations if you do go ahead and make one. I liked mine fixed and made it this way since I don't have any short barreled cap and ball revolvers. I set mine up to take all my pistols though, army, navy, dragoon, remington .44 and remington .36. My whole point was to have a universal stand that I could use for all of them.
4v50Gary I also keep a scrap of carpet (no plywood or anything, just a couple scrap squares) in my trunk for my buttplates at the range. Nice to have to throw down on concrete and not worry about banging up my rifles while loading.
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hildo
Member
I noticed at the start of this thread that Eric F is using old film canisters to carry pre measured loads in.
Above you see the plastic powder tubes that I use for pre-measured loads. They are available in 30, 50 (shown), 75, 100 and (I believe) 180 grain capacity in boxes of 20 and 50. Cost for the tubes and holder as shown is 5 euro's, around $7 US, and they last a long time. In Germany and Holland basicly all black powder shooters use these, for safety reasons as well, but I see people in the USA talk about powder horns all the time, never have seen these mentioned. Are these not available in the US?
These powder tubes speed up loading quite a bit. I timed myself and managed to fully load the revolver, including lubepills under the roundballs and capping, in 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
These tubes certainly qualify as clever little things.
Hildo
K.A.T.
Member
Hildo, that is exactly what I've been wanting to do! What company sells this item, do they have a web site?
azredhawk44
Member
KAT:
try this:
http://www.testtubesonline.com/12x55mm_Polystyrene_Plastic_Test_Tubes_p/207-0006w.htm
They have caps available on the menu on the side, but the tubes run 4 cents a piece.
Better to buy from a general supplier than a "gun store" or a place that "specializes" in test tubes for holding black powder. You'll get a hundred times your money back.
try this:
http://www.testtubesonline.com/12x55mm_Polystyrene_Plastic_Test_Tubes_p/207-0006w.htm
They have caps available on the menu on the side, but the tubes run 4 cents a piece.
Better to buy from a general supplier than a "gun store" or a place that "specializes" in test tubes for holding black powder. You'll get a hundred times your money back.
hildo
Member
These are not test tubes but powder tubes, made of plastic so they will not break or when they, in the very unlikely case, will explode they will not send glass flying around.
Have had some that cracked at the top when the cap was put on, but this guy sells good quality.
I live in Holland but bought these on the internet from a German blackpower parts dealer 'Stifters gun Flints'
I am not sure he ships to the US, probably does though since he ships to Holland as well.
Not sure what shipping would be.
http://www.stifters-gunflints.de/
The Index page of his site, go to 'SHOP' and you will see all kinds of articles on the left of the page.
The power tubes are called pulverrorchen in German
The partnumber for the 50 grain (20 in a box like on the photo) is SER50 (5.00 euro)
SER75 is the same for 75 grain tubes (5.50 euro)
SER100 is the same for 100 grain tubes (8.50 euro)
The tubes only are availabe too:
PR50 = 50 grain tubes. 100 for 12 euro
PR75 = 75 grain tubes. 100 for 14 euro
PR100 = 100 grain tubes. 100 for 18 euro
Hildo
Have had some that cracked at the top when the cap was put on, but this guy sells good quality.
I live in Holland but bought these on the internet from a German blackpower parts dealer 'Stifters gun Flints'
I am not sure he ships to the US, probably does though since he ships to Holland as well.
Not sure what shipping would be.
http://www.stifters-gunflints.de/
The Index page of his site, go to 'SHOP' and you will see all kinds of articles on the left of the page.
The power tubes are called pulverrorchen in German
The partnumber for the 50 grain (20 in a box like on the photo) is SER50 (5.00 euro)
SER75 is the same for 75 grain tubes (5.50 euro)
SER100 is the same for 100 grain tubes (8.50 euro)
The tubes only are availabe too:
PR50 = 50 grain tubes. 100 for 12 euro
PR75 = 75 grain tubes. 100 for 14 euro
PR100 = 100 grain tubes. 100 for 18 euro
Hildo
hildo
Member
azredhawk is right.
His link shows tubes that are not bad I think, they are not glass and very inexpensive.
Now you will still need something to store them in and you're ready
Note that the caps of the tubes can be flipped of with one hand, since you will have the revolver in the other. Unless you use a gunholder on the range ofcoarse.
Hildo
His link shows tubes that are not bad I think, they are not glass and very inexpensive.
Now you will still need something to store them in and you're ready
Note that the caps of the tubes can be flipped of with one hand, since you will have the revolver in the other. Unless you use a gunholder on the range ofcoarse.
Hildo
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K.A.T.
Member
Thanks Guys, this will speed up my loading. I didn't want to do the paper shell because I use a lube pill between the ball and powder.
Franco2shoot
Member
I had a piece of No-Skid tape left over from a boating project when the wheels of invention started swirreling. When I removed the synthetic Ivory grips from my 58 Remington and placed a narrow strip across the backstrap I had no idea just how much it would improve my overall grip. The project took all of 5 minutes and greatly improves the feel when the charge ignites.
KKKKFL
KKKKFL
Phantom Captain
Member
Hey gang,
On the subject of speed loaders Dixie has a ton of stuff.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_100_359
I personally use the Dixie quick load target tubes. I have 100 of the red tubes for my .58 caliber rifles that hold 60 grains and a minie ball. They are reusable, washable, etc.
I also have about 150 of the .44 yellow tubes (will hold about 45 grains 3f goex and a ball) and 150 of the .36 white tubes (which hold about 30 grains 3f Goex and a ball). I always pre-load before going to the range. I DO NOT put a lubed wad in between though. Mine are all loaded powder and ball only. When I'm at the range I just have a bag of wads with me and put them in the pistols as I go!
Because I do carry my stuff to the range and wear my cartridge box while shooting I do even lube my minie balls before putting them point down in the tubes. The cartridge box keeps things very nicely organized and clean. I use lyman black gold lube on the balls so it stays pretty stiff and I have never had a problem with melting lube or anything, even all summer.
On the subject of speed loaders Dixie has a ton of stuff.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_100_359
I personally use the Dixie quick load target tubes. I have 100 of the red tubes for my .58 caliber rifles that hold 60 grains and a minie ball. They are reusable, washable, etc.
I also have about 150 of the .44 yellow tubes (will hold about 45 grains 3f goex and a ball) and 150 of the .36 white tubes (which hold about 30 grains 3f Goex and a ball). I always pre-load before going to the range. I DO NOT put a lubed wad in between though. Mine are all loaded powder and ball only. When I'm at the range I just have a bag of wads with me and put them in the pistols as I go!
Because I do carry my stuff to the range and wear my cartridge box while shooting I do even lube my minie balls before putting them point down in the tubes. The cartridge box keeps things very nicely organized and clean. I use lyman black gold lube on the balls so it stays pretty stiff and I have never had a problem with melting lube or anything, even all summer.
Pancho
Member
I've converted all of my sidelock percussion guns to use musket caps. The musket caps are hotter by far and the tophat musket caps are easier to handle and easier to pick off. The conversion should cost less than $10.
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