Loading 51' navies timed

[Will52100]

A question that has been asked a lot is "How long?"  Well just for fun I set my watch and timed myself.  From two empty 51' colt 36 navies sitting on the bench with loose powder and ball and a snail capper my average time to fully load all six chambers, cap and smear a little crisco on the chamber mouths was 4 minits, 10 seconds to both guns back on the bench.  I haven't timed myself with paper cartriges, but I would bet that you could cut the time in half.  Don't know it this is fast or slow, but it works for me, and keep in mind that I cast my on balls so I take a little longer making sure the sprue is pretty well straight up.

[flamenblaster]

I usually load with paper cartidges because it saves me time at the range..have to drive about an hour to one of several spots in capital state forest (washington state) ..so like to maximize my time while im there. Also this time of year around here rain showers can blow up in a matter of a couple minutes and ruin my day if they persist long and hard as they will often do. I dont mind rain but makes it a lil tricky loading a cap n ball. Anyhow ive loaded up in about a minute with my 1860..maybe even slightly less..just guessing..but its a fraction of the time it takes to measure out powder in the field (i never load from flask..i like my hands and eyes to much for that)..overall i probly spend 5 minutes preparing at home for every minute i save in the woods..but its the woods time that i prefer anyhow :grin:

[flamenblaster]

Oh..btw..i remember reading reading years ago in some very old obscure pyrotechnics book from a library that direct contact between powder and glue is a big no no..something about a chemical reaction causing spontaneous ignition after a period of time..has anyone heard of this?..i just use elmer's to glue ball into the end of my papers but what i read kinda bugs me sometimes..ive been inserting a small piece of cotton between glue and powder to minimize contact just in case :shock:

[Third_Rail]

Well, I've had a few non-exploding fireworks (small rocket motors, really) loaded with 4Fg BP for three years... the entire motor had been soaked in Elmer's and then dried, and the endplug opposite the clay nozzle had been glued in too. No ignition yet.... :wink:


I think that maybe it was just a bunch of false information. I've got enough experience with BP to know that heat, static, and hard impact are the only things that will set it off.

How do I know these things? I'm a chemistry hobbiest, and I'm cheap - I make my own BP  :grin:

[Will52100]

I should say that the range I shoot at is out behind the house and that is loading times for both guns.  I havent' timed with paper cartriges, but it is a Lot faster, I just hate making them.

I've never heard that about the glue, me thinks it's refereing to perhaps a differant type of glue?  I've made cartriges up with Elmers and even mixed a little powder with a puddle of glue to close the end over the charge.  Of course the longes they've set up is a couple of months, so...?

[mewing6003]

Well, I've had a few non-exploding fireworks (small rocket motors, really) loaded with 4Fg BP for three years... the entire motor had been soaked in Elmer's and then dried, and the endplug opposite the clay nozzle had been glued in too. No ignition yet.... :wink:


I think that maybe it was just a bunch of false information. I've got enough experience with BP to know that heat, static, and hard impact are the only things that will set it off.

How do I know these things? I'm a chemistry hobbiest, and I'm cheap - I make my own BP  :grin:

This guy pretty much ruled out the static myth about black powder:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=130945&an=0&page=1#130945

And yes, I would have lost money on that bet also!