ribbonstone
01-14-2006, 04:33 PM
Been playing with an old 44/40 smooth bore single shot testing to find a way to duplicate the old wooden/paper nose done shot charges....like the speer shot-caps, but more 1880's looking. Found a way, and tested the loads this afternoon...work great. Should be useful as sinlge shot loads in iny 44-40 (may stand up ro revovler recoil, may not, haven't tested that..don't have a 44/40 revovler to find out).
Case processing stops after power charging...and here I was using 15gr. of FFg. More speed isn't going to help, you'll run out of pattern by 20-25yards and going faster just isn't going to cure that.
Two stiff card wads over the powder, compressing it. The stuff primer boxes are made from seems about the right stiffness.
Here comes the labor intensive part:
Wooden dowel about .375" (which is nice as 3/8" is pretty common). Shape one end into a rounded hemispherical head. Make 3 of them each about 3" long each.
The thick paper stock used for those pull-out ads in magazines turnes out to be about the right thickness for what cmes next (and no one will miss them). Trial and error as to length and width, but want the stock to over lap a little bit on the dowl and to fit into the case all the way to your waddding, but present a OAL abut the same as a loaded round when completed.
With the stock on the rod, dampen the OUTSIDE with Elmer's glue. Will glue the overlap together to make a tube, and while the tube is wet will shape the end over the hemispehical end into a bullet-looking shape. While on the dowl, split the cardbard tube four or five times with a razor blade. NO NOT SPLIT IT FULL LENGTH...split it length wise, but only in the middle for about 1/2 its OAL.
While still damp with glue, rub some glue around a bit to help seal those splits and have it keep it's shape. Leave it on dowel #1 and move on to dowel #2. By the time you've done #3, dowl #1 is almost dry and can be slid off the dowel to dry without the support.
Turns out the 3/8" inside diameter...pluse the thickenss of the card stock...come out a nice slide fit into a 44/40 case neck.
If you measured right, will have thse cardbaord nose cones that reach to the wadding in the case and end up the length of a loaded round. Fill the case wth shot (#9 is a good choice, but #8 or #7 1/2 wll work). Holding it the short cup nose down, slide the brass case over the end until it butts up to the wadding. Withdraw the shot cup a litle bit, and wet it with glue, slide it back in...that's the "crimp".
Of course in a rifle used as a single shot, can make the tubes as long as you feel comfortable with, aren't any real OAL restrictions, but the more shot the more pressure so there is a limit to what is reasonable.
1. They will stand reasonable handling...can't beat on them, but then again you can't beat on the originals of this type either.
2. They LOOK 1880's, which may not be important...to me it was, so i selected the stock that I made them with for it's "old" look (no bright colored ads, modern print,etc.)
3. Back powder never failed to shread the tubes...all I found were bits and pieces. Smokless will elave larger chunks and I suspct some of the shot never excapes.
4. Patterns about like a .410 with 1/2oz. loads...which sin't unexpected as that's pretty much what it is.
5. tightest patterns come with the least amount of powder..real light loads (like 7gr. of black) pattern very very well, but are not strong enough for hunting...but it does make an interresting light bulb busting load.
6. 15gr. of FFg and just a tiny bit short of 1/2 oz. can come out to an OAL of 1.6" With a differnt (more WC like) nose shape, would eaisily be under the standard OAL for a 44/40. From a smooth bore, will patern well enough to kill small game out to 25yards and ven with a 15gr. charge, is powerful enough to do the job.
Case processing stops after power charging...and here I was using 15gr. of FFg. More speed isn't going to help, you'll run out of pattern by 20-25yards and going faster just isn't going to cure that.
Two stiff card wads over the powder, compressing it. The stuff primer boxes are made from seems about the right stiffness.
Here comes the labor intensive part:
Wooden dowel about .375" (which is nice as 3/8" is pretty common). Shape one end into a rounded hemispherical head. Make 3 of them each about 3" long each.
The thick paper stock used for those pull-out ads in magazines turnes out to be about the right thickness for what cmes next (and no one will miss them). Trial and error as to length and width, but want the stock to over lap a little bit on the dowl and to fit into the case all the way to your waddding, but present a OAL abut the same as a loaded round when completed.
With the stock on the rod, dampen the OUTSIDE with Elmer's glue. Will glue the overlap together to make a tube, and while the tube is wet will shape the end over the hemispehical end into a bullet-looking shape. While on the dowl, split the cardbard tube four or five times with a razor blade. NO NOT SPLIT IT FULL LENGTH...split it length wise, but only in the middle for about 1/2 its OAL.
While still damp with glue, rub some glue around a bit to help seal those splits and have it keep it's shape. Leave it on dowel #1 and move on to dowel #2. By the time you've done #3, dowl #1 is almost dry and can be slid off the dowel to dry without the support.
Turns out the 3/8" inside diameter...pluse the thickenss of the card stock...come out a nice slide fit into a 44/40 case neck.
If you measured right, will have thse cardbaord nose cones that reach to the wadding in the case and end up the length of a loaded round. Fill the case wth shot (#9 is a good choice, but #8 or #7 1/2 wll work). Holding it the short cup nose down, slide the brass case over the end until it butts up to the wadding. Withdraw the shot cup a litle bit, and wet it with glue, slide it back in...that's the "crimp".
Of course in a rifle used as a single shot, can make the tubes as long as you feel comfortable with, aren't any real OAL restrictions, but the more shot the more pressure so there is a limit to what is reasonable.
1. They will stand reasonable handling...can't beat on them, but then again you can't beat on the originals of this type either.
2. They LOOK 1880's, which may not be important...to me it was, so i selected the stock that I made them with for it's "old" look (no bright colored ads, modern print,etc.)
3. Back powder never failed to shread the tubes...all I found were bits and pieces. Smokless will elave larger chunks and I suspct some of the shot never excapes.
4. Patterns about like a .410 with 1/2oz. loads...which sin't unexpected as that's pretty much what it is.
5. tightest patterns come with the least amount of powder..real light loads (like 7gr. of black) pattern very very well, but are not strong enough for hunting...but it does make an interresting light bulb busting load.
6. 15gr. of FFg and just a tiny bit short of 1/2 oz. can come out to an OAL of 1.6" With a differnt (more WC like) nose shape, would eaisily be under the standard OAL for a 44/40. From a smooth bore, will patern well enough to kill small game out to 25yards and ven with a 15gr. charge, is powerful enough to do the job.