CAS TOPICS > The Dark Arts

Any suggestions on making combustible cartidges?

(1/10) > >>

River City John:
I have made consumable cartidges in the past using materials that came with the kit from DGW for making .54 cal. Sharps cartridges. The paper in that kit was too thick and would leave a sleeve of charred paper in the cylinders that gummed them up after three wheel fulls.

Someone suggested cigarette rolling papers. But aren't most coated with a chemical that makes them burn slower nowadays?
Anyone have experience using cigarette papers?

Would the most common brand, such as Bugler, be the best to use? There sure seemed to be a lot of brands when I stopped by the smokeshop. Most touted as treated to burn slow. I was toying with getting some of that treated paper magicians use that flames to ash almost instantly, but figured it would be too expensive.

Forming a tube and glueing the mouth to a ball with Uhu or similar glue I have information on.


Thanks,
RCJ

RattlesnakeJack:
RCJ:

Did quite a bit of this back in my days of strictly black powder shooting.  You can make your own nitrated paper - get a supply of potassium nitrate (KNO3) or sodium nitrate (NaNO3) - both otherwise known as saltpetre - from a chemical supply house or school chem lab supplies deale.  Make a "superaturated solution" in water - in other words dissolve the stuff until it won't take up any more.  Immerse sheet of paper in the solution(cake pan or photograph develper tray or some such) until thouroughly saturated, remove the sheet and let excess solution drip back into tray, then dry.  I found that a common household iron on low-medium heat setting hastened that process (and also gives you a much smoother and easier-to-work-with finished product.  I used to use good quality tissue paper or "onion skin" typing paper - amazingly tough stuff for its weight.  Heavier paper, like regular copier or printer paper, won't work very well ....

I've been told on other threads on this topic, elsewhere, that KNO3 can be a bit pricey these days.  Can't comment on cost, since the supply I used way back then was given to me by a high school chem teacher of my acquaintance.  However, I can confirm that a little goes a long way.  I was given a 500ml bottle which still had only about 1/3 of its contents - matter of fact, I made my supersaturated solution by just filling the bottle with water - what won't dissolve just stays in the boittom!  I still have most of it left - you pour the solution remaining in the soaking tray back into your bottle of course.  If it dries out, "just add water"  ... ;D

gotzguns:
PAPER I HAVE BEEN USING FOR YEARS IS SILKSPAN. ITS A LINEN COVERING USED ON MODEL AIRCRAFT. IT COMES IN THREE GRADES. LIGHT, MEDIUM, AND HEAVY. I USE MEDIUM FOR MY COLT COMBUSTABLE CARTRIDGES AND SHARPS CARTRIDGES. SOAK IN SALTPETER LET DRY. HAVE USED THIS FOR OVER 5 YEARS WORK FINE AND MAKE .36 .44. AND 52 SHARPS. MAKE MY SHARPS CARTRIDGES WITH FLAT BOTTOM. NEVER CARED FOR CUTTING OF BASE OF CARTRIDGE WITH THE KNIFE EDGE OF BLOCK. MINE, THE CAP BURNES RIGHT THREW THE PAPER BASE AND YOU CAN UNLOAD THEM IF YOU HAVE TO WITH OUT A MESS. ALITTLE RESADUE LIFT BUT NOT ENOUGHT TO WORRY ABOUT. USE REGULAR MUSKET CAPS ON SHARPS  AND STANDARD PISTOL CAPS ON PISTOLS. MAKE PISTOL CARTRIDGES WITH A TAPER SHAPE. GO IN MUCH EASIER. HAVE ALSO BEEN USING A CHEMICIAL CALLED "WATERGLASS" TO GLUE CARTRIDGE TOGETHER AND GLUE BULLET OR BALL TO CARTRIDGE.HAVE LOADED NEARLY 1000 COMBUSTABLE CARTRIDGES OVER LAST 5 YEARS. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY HOT PAPER IN CHAMBER OR CYCLINDER THAT COULD CAUSE A EXSPLOSION WHEN NEXT CARTRIDGE INSERTED. IF ANY ONE NEED ANY MORE INFO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME HERE. GOTZGUNS

Advertising:

Goatlips:
Potassium Nitrate (KnO3) is available at any hardware store as "Stump remover".  I once bought a 25 pound sack of it from a feed store years ago for that purpose, unrefined but dirt cheap.  Might be still available that way; drugstores may still sell it also.  Or just dissolve a bit of black powder, the sulfur and charcoal are insoluble in water and should filter out.  Good shootin'

Goatlips

J.J. Ferrett:
I have had quite good success with cigarette papers for making quick powder cartridges for my Remmies and 1860 copies.
I got for the better brands, Zig Zag, etc. I roll the paper around a dowel, lick the gummed edge and stick it down to form a tube, twist close one end, pour in powder, shake to settle and then twist close the other. You then have a ready made measure of powder, and can store them in an ammo box or the like until the match. No spilling when reloading a C&B revolver.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page