where can I get or how can I make papers for paper cartridge sharps carbin...

[tedbudd]

remember these papers must be infused/impregnated with nitrae I think or something to make them burn durning the shooting process..also trapaziodal in shape? What diminsions(of paper) for .54 cal round. also does the raw bullet protrude from front of paper cartridge or is it enshrouded to the tip like a musket charge...

[beowulf]

.  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 ...

[FrankG]

smokin gun , wrote up a little ditty on consumable cartridges some time ago using old phone book pages that worked good for him !

[Wild Ed]

Cigarette papers are already done for you if they are large enough.  I used to make revolver paper cartridges out of them.

[Rev]

Me too...

[tedbudd]

Thx 4 the info...does the cartridge end in a tail (like a traditional musket cartridge)to be "snipped off by sharps action closure(exposing the raw powder to flame), or does it somehow have a paper disk at the end that the flame from the cap cooks thru to ignite the powder? I suspect the former...or is it some other method...

[n5lyc]

I owned one briefly, was not my cup of tea, but looked good.

In the sharps .54 BP, i had a wooden dowel just a hair smaller than the bullet, using a glue stick, glue the end of the cig paper around the base of the bullet  with the dowel supporting the paper, glue the seam.
when dry, add measured charge, pack lightly with slightly smaller dowel, trim powder end with some paper left over, fold and use a glue stick to seal end so it would not unfold.
Since it is a breech loader, when you closed the breech it cut the back end off of the ctg.
cap it and go.


If you want a reduced load, use filler behind the bullet, then the measured charge.


I did the revolver ctg with cigarette paper, thing too,
I would just insert the cartridge and ram it home.
then use a nipple pick to open the cartridge through the nipple, and cap it.

ball, wonder wad, cigarette paper wrapped around a wooden dowel.
when dry, add measured charge, lightly pack with smaller end of dowel, trim powder end with some paper left over, fold and use a glue stick to seal end so it would not unfold.

worked for me long ago, but haven't done it since i got back into the hobby.
guess i need to make up a few to see if i can still do it.

Ian

[jackson]

tedbud,

I have been shooting percussion sharps rifles off and on since 1977. I prefer to roll my own paper tubes on a wood dowel mandrel. I use a glue stick
to seal the last wrap. I then come in from one end with a thin base plug which I form on the end of a slightly smaller dowel rod. I push the
cup shaped base plug slightly thru the other end then apply a small amount of glue stick, and push the base plug back into the tube. I like using
hollow base minie balls of the proper size for the bore. Depending upon what powder charge I use, I will trim the cartridge so it allows the minnie
to seat on the powder charge and come to the first lube grove. I dont have much problem getting the musket cap to burn thru the paper base, nor
do I have hang fires. Some of the paper cartridge is left in the breech or barrel, but I just quickly open the breach and run a brush up the barrel.
Then reload the rifle with the next cartridge, cap, and fire. I have found the breech plate sear to be worthless, and in most cases it only crimps the
paper cartridge closed again. I dont use nitrated cartridges. I hope this is of help.

[tedbudd]

thx  all think Im almost ready ta take a whack at it will let ya know...I like the breech plug cup proposed/ used by last poster as I think this will keep the action cleaner and keep loose powder from blowing/ cracking the forearm as has happened to me years ago in a previous sharps I had...also this method allows for neatly unloading the gun if ya choose...will nitrate or use cig papers  , trail and error style