Refitting the muzzleloaders...

[Adam Helmer]

This time of year is the time I detail strip all my MLs, clean and lightly oil the locks, put linseed oil on the stocks (inside and out) and polish the brass with Brasso.

While the stocks are drying, I set up the old Coleman Stove and cast a bucket full, or two, of balls, Minies and Maxis for the seasons ahead. In January, one will lament NOT casting balls and bullets in July!

I stopped by the local bank yesterday and got a huge pile of nickel coin wrappers for blanks and pre-measured hunting loads for this Fall. Now is the time to get kit ready.

Adam

[roundball]

Adam, do you use the coin wrappers to carry just premeasured powder charges...or as a complete "cartridge" with a ball tied in similar to those carried in the Civil War?

I'm going on a dove shoot with my Flintlock over Labor Day and while I probably won't use but a few, I know from dove shoots years ago it was easy to go through a box of shells.

Have been thinking about coin wrappers to carry premeasured powder charges in some, maybe a couple ziploc bags with a dozen charges in each bag.....and premeasured shot charges in another set of coin wrappers...if some wrappers dropped on the ground, that cheap paper would dissolve in short order and not leave long term litter, etc.

[Joe Boleo]

Empty and unused vacutainer tubes (which are used to collect blood samples) with rubber stoppers make ideal powder containers. They look like a test tube and I get them free when they outdate before being used. I use various size tubes and different color stoppers to indicate what powder and charge is inside and also mark the outside of the tube. They are reusable and last a long time. Take care...
Joe

[roundball]

Joe I appreciate that info...I'll file it and also do a web search to see if I can find any out of curiosity.
I assume they're plastic and not glass for obvious reasons...is there a particular model or size thats best?

I actually have a good supply of Blue & Gray plastic powder / shot pocket reloaders and they work well...but the bad news is I'm constantly having to fiddle with them...taking caps off, putting caps back on, then ensuring I tuck the reloader away so I don't lose it, etc.

Am interested in the coin wrapper idea because they're disposable...nothing of value to lose...might work well during a dove shoot.

For my .62cal I was thinking about folding/gluing one end of a coin wrapper shut, then seating a .58cal Oxyoke wonderwad all the way down into it so the wad bottoms out on the end that's glued shut.

Then pour in the premeasured powder and fold the excess paper in a way that leaves a tail making it easy to tear off / open later.

In use...tear off the tail and put the open end of the torn wrapper into the bore so the powder drops, leaving the end with the wad sticking up just above the muzzle.

Seat the whole wad/paper combo downbore, pour in the shot, and add the OS card.

A question that bothers me is this:

"Since the coin wrapper paper is down on the powder with the wad above it, will all the paper be consumed by the fire "inside the bore", or will flaming paper exit the bore, possibly starting a fire in dry grass, etc" ?[

[Joe Boleo]

These vacutainer tubes are plastic, sterile, come in various sizes and very convenient to use. I would be glad to send a few samples to you for review. If interested, send me a PM. Take care...
Joe


P.S. I once shot a cleaning patch and cleaning rod tip out of a muzzleloader. The patch ignited and set fire to some dry grass in front of the shooting bench. I put out the fire easily.

[Adam Helmer]

roundball,

I put a pre-measured charge of 2F, 3F, Pyrodex or whatever into the nickel coin wrapper. First, I fold over one end of the wrapper and secure it with a postage-stamp size piece of scotch tape. I then pour in the powder charge, flip over a small portion of that end and secure it with scotch tape.

I do not insert the coin wrapper into a gun bore. I tear the end off the coin wrapper and pour the pre-measured charge down the barrel. I put 10 or 20 pre-measured charges into a plastic zip lock bag, label the outside with a marker and tote the baggie afield.

Adam

[roundball]

Joe...are these 6ml size about right?
Do you know hHow much powder or shot a 6ml will hold?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...8585&rd=1&rd=1

[Gil Martin]

I got Joe started on using these tubes. The 4 ml size by Becton Dickinson are 13 x 75 mm and easily hold 60 grs. of FFG blackpowder. The larger 13 x 100mm size are about 6 or 7 ml and have BD # 6419 hold about 100 grs.of FFg powder. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

[roundball]

This is all good info and filed away...thanks to you both!

[roundball]

Stumbled across a new (outdated 2005) 100 pack of the larger 7ml size dirt cheap on EBay...shipping is more than the product...will see if / what I might be able to use them for...thanks again