Milsurp After Hours

Did these pictures before for someone who hasn't tried BP shooting. Just to show one method that I like to use.

All of the required items. Wads in the bag, a powder flask with a spout that measures 20 grains of powder, .451 ball ammo, percussion caps of correct size, cap loading tool, and revolver. An old shell case to act as a powder transfer is often suggested as a safety measure... not shown.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867161.jpg[/pic]

First measure powder into the spout. The spring catch captures the powder. Next step should be to load into a powder measure, not attached to the flask, before loading a chamber for extra safety. But on first loading this step is not necessary since there are no possible remaining sparks.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867223.jpg[/pic]

Load a cylinder. with correct powder charge. Again this is in a cold gun.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867201.jpg[/pic]

Load wad.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867252.jpg[/pic]

Put in ball on top of the wad and use the loading arm to press the load down tightly into the chamber.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867274.jpg[/pic]

After loading each chamber, then cap each nipple, being sure each cap fits on tightly and is not likely to come off. Sometimes this requires a slight squeeze to the open side of the cap. Chain fires are more often caused by caps coming off than any other factor from what I understand.

http://pic11.picturetrail.com/VOL384/10 ... 867301.jpg[/pic]

Now you should be ready to have some shooting fun.

Howdy Niner,

I just found you all and was reading the posts on blackpowder guns.

I shoot a 1858 Remington a lot and have never found a capper that will work on one. In your picture, it looks like you are using one that puts the cap straight on instead of at a 90 deg angle. What kind of a capper it that? Where do I get one?

Thanks

Old Baldy

I also shoot a '58 Remington, in N-SSA competition. ( www.n-ssa.org ).

The method I use is just slightly different. In N-SSA, all charges must be in premeasured containers. Also, I use a fold-up loading stand-makes things go faster and easier.

Load charge, then fill balance of cylinder with inert material, cream of wheat, corn meal. Load ball then cover end of each cylinder with lube (SPG).

For caps on a Remington, use #10 rather than the larger #11. They can be hard to find, but Dixie gun Works stocks them, so I buy a supply from them once a year.

For a capper that fits a Remington, I use an old style Thompson Center and an older Tom Cash. Both work well.

Howdy Karl,

Thanks for the reply. I have a drawer full of cappers of different styles and shapes and none of those will work on any of the 1858s that I shoot (Pietta, ASM, and Eruoarms). Do you know where I can get either of the two that you mentioned? My old fingers don't work like they did at one time and it is getting hard to cap the nipples by hand.

Thanks

Old Baldy

I don't know why they make them larger today, maybe to fit the inlines, I guess. Best I can suggest is to haunt the shops looking for old stock. That's why I have two different ones.

Don't get me started on old arthritic fingers.

Do they go on at an angle or straight in line with the nipple?

Where I live, there no "shops" to haunt. Any blackpowder supplies are just a little corner or display in the gun shop.

Not many folks around here shoot bp and I am the only one I know of that shoots a bp revolver.

I do all my shooting at plastic bottles, cans, or dirt clods out behind the house.

Old Baldy, what I'm using in the picture is a CVA straight line capper. It's many years old. I would imagine you could find one or one like it today. I tried a Google search, but am at work and any site with the world gun or related word is banned by the firewall! Good thing they don't know what a milsurp is, or I wouldn't be able to get here.

Mine are straight line also.

Thanks Folks,

I am going searching.

http://www.eders.com/CVA-Straight-line- ... path0.html

If you click on to the link it will take you to the relevant page