Bwahhahahahahahahah!
Another innocent victim falls into my foul and perverted black powder clutches!
What a coincidence, eh, RC? On the very day that I e-mail you to ask if you've finally succumbed to the snows of Nebraska, up you pop to announce a
real gun purchase (at long last.) Congratulations are in order!
Unlike Strangely Brown
(who has had his Mk IV as a wall hanger for at least two years) I trust that you will now be gathering together the necessary bits and pieces and shooting the bloody thing?
Incidentally, S-B told me recently that he has cold-swaged balls which explains why he walks in such a peculiar manner.
I can honestly say that reloading for and shooting my Martini-Henry has given me more fun and satisfaction than any other shooting experience to date. As Gert (the real expert) will confirm, there is a bit of a learning curve to climb to get them shooting well but it is certainly worthwhile so stick at it.
If you've been following my trials and tribulations on the M-H forum then you'll have some idea of what you have let yourself in for. My aim was to produce an as near authentic Victorian round as possible so I made a rod for my own back, so to speak. Grease groove bullets would be easier but the paper patched originals look sooooo much better and perform superbly.
Quick tips:
1. Get a copy of Paul Matthew's "The Paper Jacket" and make a patching board as he describes. This makes patching a doddle.
2. Lee now produce M-H dies (to Coyoté's specification) they are good value. Once fire-formed all you need to do is neck size and slightly flare the case mouth.
3. CBC brass is perfectly OK and cheap but you MUST use large, preferably magnum,
pistol primers with them. The nitrated blotting paper 90 grains of BP CBC rounds worked perfectly at the range on Saturday being totally consumed and leaving no residues in case or barrel.
4. Make up a blow tube and use it between shots to keep fouling soft. Accuracy is substantially improved (Thanks, Gert!)
5. Buffalo Arms currently have some 100% cotton patching paper in stock. Grab a pack before it goes as it is no longer made. (Slight snag for the purist, it is pale blue not white)
Post some pictures and keep us informed of how you get on. To my amazement I was straight into the target at 200 yards with my Mk II on Saturday and once I'd worked out the backsight elevation was into the black at 300 yards in very blustery conditions.
On this showing I'm beginning to think that the Martini-Henry could prove to be as accurate as the Lee Enfield at mid range. More experimentation is needed.
Brian
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