first loading and firing of my first mortar

[keith44]

 
Firing first then we'll talk about loading, and the obsticles or difficulities of loading a micro bore mortar.
 
 

 
 

[keith44]

bored oversize to fire .177 pellets with safe windage, but how do you get the powder in that little hole, and then load a pellet backwards like it was a minnie ball?  Well the powder was easy, make a funnel...
but that pellet...
 
the hard way for now.

[subdjoe]

Maybe make up some loading blocks with some sort of registration pins?  Or use these:

http://www.umarexusa.com/product/8-shot-Rotary-Magazines,160,18.htm

Of course, you still have to load those by hand.

Hey!  Use flash paper to make up "fixed munitions!"  Make up little tiny combustible cartridges!  (lordy, that would be a PITA to do)

[keith44]

hmmm, I think someone's had more coffee than I have...
 
 
 
I was trying to figure out if a loading block would work, and be worth it.  The block would have to be pretty thin, and not brittle.

[projector]

I couldn't find a powder measurer locally so to load the firecracker shooter I used a 3/8" nut and a spoon.  Set the nut on the spoon and fill it partially, pull the nut and pour the powder out of the spoon through a small funnel.  Then I left the funnel at the shop and cupped my nad arround the muzzel to form one.  No idea on the pellet.

[keith44]

something like this is what I had in mind, but scaled way down.
 
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/tableList.aspx?catId=1&subId=193&styleId=978&as=1
 
 

[subdjoe]

hmmm, I think someone's had more coffee than I have...
 
 
 
I was trying to figure out if a loading block would work, and be worth it.  The block would have to be pretty thin, and not brittle.

Nah, my obnoxious just kicks in early.

Frankly, I don't think a loading block would be worth the trouble for you. First you have to spend the time loading it up. Then you have to align it over the bore of your piece and ram the pellet down.  That might end up being more time consuming than just putting the pellet in by hand.

[Microboomer]

Keith,
I've been thinking about starting a thread with my nano-cannon implements, hoping that I'll get some better suggestions from other folks.  I'll do it when I get around to taking a couple of pictures...
The one thing I have that works well and looks pretty decent is my powder scoop.  I took a spent .22 cartridge and cut it off so that it measures 2 grains, which is my standard load for BB caliber.  I milled a flat on a scrap of 1/4" brass rod and soldered the .22 brass on to it so it looks like a nano-scale peace pipe.  I can scoop right out of a powder can if I want.  The scoop is just a little bit bigger than a BB bore, so it's pretty easy to dump the powder in w/o spillage.
I'll take a picture sometime soon.
andy

[keith44]

Andy,
That's a great idea!  Yes post a pic when you can.

[keith44]

For those who may want to make a dipper from a metallic cartridge case here are a select few from a list in one of my blackpowder references

45-70 case 75 grains 2F or 1.1 oz 7 1/2 shot
45 Colt case 42 grains  or 0.6 oz 7 1/2 shot
38 Special 24 grains or 0.3 oz shot
30 carbine. 20 grains or 0.2 oz shot
22 long rifle 5 grains
22 short      2 grains

[Cat Whisperer]

Keith,
I've been thinking about starting a thread with my nano-cannon implements, hoping that I'll get some better suggestions from other folks.
...
andy

YES!  Do it!