Reloading metallic cartridges

[ogre]

, I use a disposable plastic syringe, allowing me to insert a fairly precise blob without any particular effort - apart from getting the syringe loaded with the grease to start off with!

This grease looks to be much softer then my lube. I use a mixture of beeswax and lambs tallow but I am always ready to experiment.

[Patrick Chadwick]

a mixture of beeswax and lambs tallow

Hmmm, probably too stiff for the syringe method. That sounds more like a mix to be warmed up to make it runny, and then dunk the bullets.

[ogre]

That sounds more like a mix to be warmed up to make it runny, and then dunk the bullets.

Well...... that is certainly one method to use it.

[villiers]

Am looking at a new method of inserting a grease patch under the bullet by melting a thin sheet of grease and stamping out round patches. This would replicate the grease patch and guarantee uniformity.

[bitbuerster]

Hi all,

(I really appreciate this thread -learnt a lot already.)

Did anyone already gave it a try to load a Werder cartridge with some slow-burning smokeless powder instead of BP (and filling the surplus with semolina, grease or something other)?

Anyway, I'd be interested to hear your loading data for a 11.5x35R cartridge (as being used in the Werder pistol).

Many thanks!

[Patrick Chadwick]

Am looking at a new method of inserting a grease patch under the bullet by melting a thin sheet of grease and stamping out round patches.

This is known as a grease cookie, and is common practice among muzzleloaders. Go to the long range muzzle loaders' forum, at

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/lrml/

and look for "grease cookie".

For BPCRs you can make it very easy indeed - by using the case itself as the cookie cutter!

Prepare the shallow tray with the lube of your choice filled in to the right depth. Take the cartridge case, primed, with powder load and a wad (or two) over the powder. Upend the case, place it square on the lube layer, and use the case neck as the cookie cutter, i.e. press in, twiddle round, withdraw. You now have a case with a neck plugged with lube. Load the projectile as normal. Finished. But it can be simpler.

You may need to experiment a bit with the lube mix - if it is too soft it will not come cleanly off the tray. But the fats and greases used for BP will often also corrode the case if left for weeks (maybe days?). And there may be some seepage of light constituents of the lubricant into and through the wads. So I only grease and load on the day before a competition, if possible, and then keep the loaded cartridges nose down in the storage box.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Did anyone already gave it a try to load a Werder cartridge with some slow-burning smokeless powder instead of BP (and filling the surplus with semolina, grease or something other)?

Forget it.

You will probably get some affirmative answers to this, but as you are living in Switzerland, I would advise against it.

Firstly, using a smokeless powder in a gun that was made for BP only invalidates the proof and makes you liable for the consequences if anything goes wrong.

Secondly, all European shooting organizations with which I am familiar, in line with both the laws of their countries and that elusive thing known as "the spirit of the original", not only forbid the use of anything other than proper BP for muzzle-loaders and blackpowder guns, they typically also forbid the use of duplex loads. Any shooting federation that is allied to the MLAIC (Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee) will follow these rules. Some, but not all, may permit the use of BP-"Ersatz" powders such as Goex in certain circumstances.

So why break the law in an important matter of safety, hazarding both your firearm and yourself, to work up a load that you cannot use in any competition, because the use of smokeless powder will get you instantly disqualified and thrown off the range?

[villiers]

A Werder pistol is a much too valuable piece of equipment to experiment with. Swiss BP is a high quality product and I´d stick with it. I can shoot about 15 rounds before I have to pull through. The secret is to liberally lube the cartridge. The M69 Kurz (depending on the form of the bullet) will only chamber in my cavalry carbine if the length is not over extended (otherwise the action will not close over the domed base of the cartridge). With a round bullet head, the COA length on mine should not be more than 45mm. This allows for 30 grains of BP, a thin cardboard shim, and a small grease pellet. And is quite accurate at 300 metres (just as good as my LE No. 5). I did exchange the front sight blade (keeping the original safe) as it was shooting much too high.

I tried out some of the BP alternative powders and found that even lighter charges were creating a much higher Vo than standard BP loads. The smoke and the stink are part of the joy of it.

[arnie19]

Sorry to jump inot your conversation but i could see that all of you were from Germany .I was wondering if any of you had ever seen one of these items .I believe it was a paper weight or something given out during WW2 . Arnie Hope the pictures work


http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...psaf544d1f.png
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...psda9a3e94.png
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/d...ps0fd45ab3.png

[villiers]

arnie, it certainly looks interesting (I´m a pilot and my speciality is in vintage, tail wheel aircraft) ... but the pics come out much too small on my computer and I can´t make out the letters.