Milsurp After Hours

Here is my loading set up for my Remington 1858. Not only have I saved money by making my own items but they do the job the way I WANT them to!

1) Measured powder loads. Plastic tubes from the chemist . They are used for blood samples! Base is a piece of plywood drilled to take the plastic tubes. with a piece of carpet square on the bottom to stop it slipping.
2) Everyday plastic funnel - you don't need brass or other types.
3) Lubed wads made from felt soaked in lube then cut out with a punch when dry. Use a substantial log to cut them on, using the face of the cut. This will give your punch a much longer life.
4) Starters. make your own from dowel and a wooden cupboard or drawer handle drilled to take the dowel then glued on it.
5) Buy pipe cleaners, they are good for lots of things.
6) Yes I know this is for a BP Revolver but a loading support for a pistol is worth thinking about and they are easy to make and will maker loading much easier.

Nipples. They can get blocked so I use a very small screwdriver from a watchmakers set to clean each between shots. Much better than the fancy bits you can find in nipple wrenches.

Once I get to cleaning my Remington I put all my nipples in a special cleaning holder that I made from a piece of aluminum strip and 2 bits of wood.



Enables me to clean, rinse and dry them with ease! Yes, I know I have 6 to deal with but it would still work well for one or two.

Now that is what I call some great info.
Some of the items are so simple to make that even I can do it.

I copied the picture and text to my muzzle loader map.
Thanks very much Duncan.

I like the home made starter very much.
What I didn't know was that I can use a plastic funnel.
Got a couple of those in the kitchen.
How about static electricity??


Met vriendelijke groet,

Martin

Static - I have had no problems. The funnel is not hard plastic but flexible and powder does not stick to it. I use it for nitro too and it works fine.
Will post some more tomorrow when I have photographed them.

HERE YOU ARE..................These items can be made for a fraction of the price of bought ones and can be tailored to your own system.
( No doubt my Yorkshire heritage is showing again )

Never mind the Yorkshire heritage Duncan.
Great info.....AGAIN.......
Copied it to my muzzle loader map.

THANKS.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Martin

Just don't ask me to explain how to get good groups because I can't

The tube to get the powder to the bottom of the barrel is the first I've ever seen. Such an idea never crossed my mind.

I do have a fiberglass loading rod with a multifunction brass end that can add other attachments for cleaning or pulling a ball as well as the one for loading. It's long enough to use with any of my rifles. The extra length aids in being sure your load is seated. However, I put a piece of tape on the rod at the handle end to show me where the bottom of the barrel is as an indicator.

I made a long rod out of a well oiled oak half inch dowel and added a brass end with the screw end adaption feature like the store bought rod.

One thing I'd advise any rifle shooter...get a one piece rod. Those multi-piece rods aren't good for anything....loading or cleaning. They break sooner or later....usually sooner.

The tube to get the powder to the bottom of the barrel is the first I've ever seen. Such an idea never crossed my mind.

Obviously after the first shot the barrel will not be 100% clean so pouring powder from the muzzle could result in only a part of the charge reaching the bottom.
The second patch /bullet should pick up most of any powder that gets stuck in the barrel but it will arrive with some crud I suspect so this loading tube seemed sense to me.

What if some of the powder gets stuck in the....much narrower....loading tube? Adhesion by humidity or whatever? The patch on the round ball or the full volume of the mini or maxie push all of the powder that clings to the bottom of the vertical held gun barrel when loading at the muzzle as you noted. In the loading tube what insures that all the powder goes completely down the tube? Do you hold the end of the used tube up to the light and look through it to see if any light is coming through after you load?

Where did you get that idea anyway?

Loading tubes are used by the cartridge shooter purists. Some of them are four feet long. They let the powder compress naturally and not pack overtightly.

Cartridge shooter? They load their cartridges with a long tube?

When I load my muzzle loaders I push the ball and patch down as far as it will go to seat on the powder, then I give it a light tap or two with the rod to be sure. Don't know how correct this is....but that's what I do. I don't know anything about bp cartridge loading but don't see how it would apply in loading a front stuffer in the traditional way.