Mark Hubbs Hi mark. I really like your content. I just got a Uberti 1849 pocket. I saw a photo of a cased original and in the case there was a package of 31 caliber cartridges. Wanted to know if you thought this was something of the era or made up. Also do you know if there were conical bullets in 31 caliber.
Bob, yes indeed colt and other sold factory prepared packages of .31 caliber ammunition, 5 rounds per box. Eras Gone has designed a correct bullet for the .31 and the molds will be availible in the next 8 weeks or so. Stay tuned!
I wash my handguns that I've shot with black powder out in the kitchen sink. But I wait until night when my wife is asleep. She knows that I do it but don't want to see me do it.
Outstanding video in every way Mark. Loaded with historic and practical info, yet short and to the point. Thank you! You just shipped my 36 and 44 molds and I am eager to get started with making combustibles.
Hmmm....i have heard it said that parafin(at least modern parafin) is petroleum based and therefore should not be used with black powder and only non-petroleum based greases like lard, tallow, other animal fat or vegetable-based grease or oils like Crisco or Olive oil should be used along with Bees Wax. The main reason being that petroleum based products make fouling worse because of the residue created when burned. If traditional parafin was different from modern parrafin perhaps that made a difference?? Can you expound on that?? As for me, im sticking with Bees wax, lard and Olive oil...have no issues other than ridiculous prices for Bees wax.
Great video! I’ve used this exact lube recipe and method and it did virtually nothing to keep down fouling. The bore fouled out with one cylinder. Although not period correct, a felt wad under the wad liberally lubed works tremendously better. These can be used in paper cartridges by placing a very thin cardboard disc between the wad and powder.
Those are exactly the words my feverish mind was searching for a the time! I usually can get through 3-4 cylinders with out too much trouble with these recipies.
@@markhubbs1964 By using 50/50 beeswax vegetable margarine grease cookies behind round ball I managed to shoot 16 cylinders without my Uberti Navy 1851 getting clogged with fouling: it went as smooth and accurate as the first cylinder (measuring accuracy by 6 shot groups at 25 meters). I ran out of ammo, but I believe I could have gone on shooting accurately much longer.
Just a thought - I couldn't find any Gulfwax parrafin at first, so I bought a hundred "tealight" candles for about 4 bucks at Wally World. The wax in them appears to be parrafin, but it's a LOT softer than the Gulfwax parrafin I found later, almost like it has pre-added tallow. So, the Gulfwax is sitting on a shelf, and I'm running through the tealights for lube instead.
@ 05:18 -- NB: A lot of lards have added salt; be prepared to boil it up with some water, agitate, freeze or refrigerate til it congeals, pour off the salty water & rinse/lather/repeat until you have clean lard that won't carry extra salt into your BP firearm [literally, the last thing you need!] ;-)
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 Just a reminder to read the label; where I am, the only lard available is sold in rectangular blocks & comes pre-salted... ::)
Dear Friends: The Eras Gone bullet is a good one and can be used as basis for a functional and authentic cartridge. Having said all that, it is just about useless for shooting matches with several stages unless the shooter is willing and able to give a good wet cleaning between stages, that bullet just doesn't cary enough lube to lube the bore or the Arbor/cylinder contact area to allow it to be used for an entire match. I got that combination to work by carrying a SMALL squirt bottle of 10 to one water Ballistol mix that gets squirted on that cylinder/arbor joint and down the bore, it takes some learning on just how much can be used before the wetness causes misfires. Your Eras Gone bullet shoots quite well as long as the fouling is kept soft, something that is unnecessary with the Big Lube Bullets. One has the choice of being out of Historical Costume and using Big Lube Bullets, or being historically inaccurate by carrying the Ballistol and Water mix while using the historically accurate Eras Gone bullet. I haven't tried pressing a grease wad over the loaded chamber mouths yet, but the lube is stiff enough from the Bees Wax that it might be unfeasible to try wiping a small amount from a stick of lube onto the chamber mouth, it is definitely too soft to be handled on the line in discs. The Ballistol and Water mix that I use for cleaning works best for me if I am using the Eras Gone Bullet. So far I haven't bought a mold, I am borrowing a fellow shooter's to conduct trials. It is an EXCELLENT bullet, but not for matches, unless an extensive wet cleaning is done between stages. All of us try to keep close as we can to historical accurate and customary equipment, but it seems impossible using a historically accurate bullet, I wonder what Civil War Soldiers used to keep their revolvers running during battle? Perhaps the revolver was seldom used as the principal weapon, getting used only when the battlefield became crowded and the usual rifles and carbines were not easily used. Cap and Ball and muzzleloading shoulder arms were plagued by Black Powder fouling, then and now. The Henry and Spencer cartridge arms suffered from this malady also, but to a lesser degree with their self contained cartridges with a better lube supply. It seems that fouling from Black Powder was so commonplace that it was an expected problem and got little mention in reports, it would be good to know what conditions existed back then.
I suspect that you shoot more rounds in one match day, than the average soldier shot during his whole career. Prolonged shoot outs with hand guns were very rare during the War. Most cavalrymen relied on their carbines.
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 Dear Friends: Some of us in our diligence to recreate or perhaps to create a fictitious yet historically correct character by researching , creating costumes, language , historically correct equipment and all the other aspects of a character's persona some willing to use historically correct soap, razors etc depending on which shooting sport activity is being pursued. It is commendable that there are those out there who focus of recreating everything down to the lack of deodorant in the camp in their atlas of persona they have chosen to creat or recreate. I have made serious attempts to. pursue the historicaly accurate theme. , but in truth dysentery, cholera, bad food, infections and other hazards of the time period probably killed more soldiers, cowboys or other historical personalities than bullets. We are out there indulging ourselves in a bygone time time and reaping rewards from the fellowship and shared passions of the activity we choose. Many look down their noses at me when I produce that squirt model of Ballistic and water or sometimes an inaccurate bullet historically speaking so that I can keep my weapons running during a match that is not very close to what happened in the century we are trying to portray. If someone chooses to participate in the Grade B Hollywood portrayal God Bless them. I hope they have fun, I wish the same for those who will in making their Persona try to duplicate the thread and even the spools of thread and how those spools were made in trying to be historically accurate. I say everyone sh Ould adopt that particular type of shooting sport they like the best, follow the bylaws and limitations as best he can and go have some fun shooting all the while trying to follow the guidelines of that particular sport. We, all of us feel alienated in some form in modern society and long for the perceived simplicity and romance of some bygone time. I say we should remember why we liked the social aspect of whatever shooting sport we have chosen We should do the best we can to create whatever character we are trying to portray, have a good time and good fellowship, and let the Devil take the hind most part. I particularly like the efforts that Eras Gone have participated in and when possible try to use historically correct gear and promote a good time shooting rather than trying to pick apart the persona that some new shooter has tried to use. Life is too short to take that seriously, and there are a vast number of problems to be worked on within the parameters of SASS or whatever other organization establishes. Come on, it is all about having fun shooting,, isn't it?
Revolvers were mainly issued to cavalry, which used them while closing distance and then switched to the sabre. Most people carried more than one revolver. Quantrill Riders and other skirmishers, that fought on foot as well and did a different kind of warfare, often carried as much as 4-5 revolvers. Two on the saddle holsers, two on the belt and 1-2 pocket revolvers tucked in the waistband and overcoat pockets. When one ran empty, they simply switched to a loaded one. Pocket revolvers were also extremely popular among infantry officers. Again, usually more than one revolver was carried. This because mostly there wasn't just enough time to reload during battle, and because carrying multiple revolvers was also good insurance against malfunctions such as a gun locking up due to a cap fragment into the mechanism. So they didn't have to fire more than one cylinder out of any given revolver. Maybe two if there was a lull in the action allowing to reload. Remember that we see this from the opposite perspective, as people in the "wondernine" era, while that people came form a recent era of single shot percussion pistols where to have more than one shot you had to carry more than one pistol, and a brace of pocket pistols (i.e.: two shots) was all that one had before having to switch to melee weapons. Revolvers were a huge improvement, so having 6 shots at your disposal was wonderful, and people considered matter of fact to carry more than one pistol. There was nothing unusual in it: it was just how you always did it. It was "You want more than one shot? Carry more than one pistol" and now it was "you want more than six shots? Carry more than one pistol".
Hello Mark, I heard about you from Blackie Thomas. I'll be watching because you are a welth of information. Thank you for sharing this infomation. You and Blackie make black powder very interesting. You and your Family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Make sure you put the muffin pan back.
Thanks Scotty! Rest assured the muffin tin is back in its place with no damage. Her cast iron corn muffin pan, which makes a great lead ingot mold, is a different story.
I pre-lube my conical's with LLA or 45/45/10. It seems to work quite well when loaded with loose powder and bullet, or in paper cartridges the lube acts as a glue and holds the paper on as well.
I've been using a softened paraffin wax for a while now with my muzzle loading rifle cartridges, and it works well, cheap too. Good to see I'm not the only one who thinks/though it was a good idea. On rifle bullets, the paper holds enough lube, but on revolver bullets, I'm thinking that you might have to pan-lube them with straight wax (or just barely softened) before assembling the cartridge (in order to fill the grooves), then dip in soft wax for an overcoat/temper the hard wax a smidge.
Thanks so much what a great video , i must have gone thru 20 utubes before I found yours , it told me everything I wanted to know and more ,the historical stuff was priceless , I started in black powder cap and ball and now have western action as well I've been trying bees wax / tallow under my lead with a touch of cotton ball between the base of the bullet and the powder charge in my 44-40's to stop the lube messing with the black powder , I was totally struggling with lubing the cap n ball inside the paper cartridge as it messed my paper , your method is fab , I've been trying to find a rapine hollow base mold as I think that'll be better for the 44-40 , I also picked up an old lubamatic bullet resize n lube press and will tryand make bees wax/tallow in cylinder tubes in it as well to see if I can get the 44-40 lube grooves done that way , thanks again and I will check you .com page too
Thumbs up, very informative and well done. Just starting on the .44 conbustable cartridge project. Definitely more to it than one would think. Without UA-cam I would it would have been a non starter. regards RS.
Good vid...thanks... Just getting into paper cartridges.I have been using 1/16" lubed felt wads under round balls, but have a conical mould on the way (should arrive tomorrow!) and as the bullets have a lube groove I was wondering how to lube them. This looks a nice easy way to do it... thanks.
Get yourself a little USB-powered coffee mug warmer. That way, you can keep the lube warm w/o resorting to open flame (ignition source; why risk a grease fire if you don't have to?) Yes, it's not period correct, but neither is watching your YT vid on the process! ;-) Instead of a coffee mug, you can use a little ramikin like what restaurants will serve sauces in.
I think the words you were looking for are heat sink. Because the mass of the bullet was at room temperature it acts as a heat sink and quickly cools the lubricant on the surface of the bullet.
I used to make my own tallow, commonly known as beef or bear fat. Mix with different percentages of beeswax or paraffin for my $19.95 Belgian trade musket, 28 gauge I could get a 45 wadcutter down the bore with a thick patch. That all started about 55 years ago. What about a can of Crisco and some paraffin. I just made some this morning to dip my 36 Cal. paper cartridges.
Absolutely amazing content! - loved your research, presentation, and interest in this topic - LIKED and SUBSCRIBED and will review your other videos. - LT 1st MInn Sharpshooters Reenacting group
I mix lambs tallow and beezwax 50/50 and melt in the microwave in a plastic tray (anything will work like the trays mw dinners etc come in) once melted I can dip 20 or so rounds ball first in it till it needs another 30 or so sec in the MW to melt again. i dip the ball and maybe a eighth of an inch or more past . but... LOL I have dropped the whole thing in and just got it out and used it. maybe even makes it waterproof? the other method is to use commercial smokeless bullet lube. this is much cleaner and applies easier... not sure how well it works tho.
Have you ever thought about using a Johnny ring (from the plumbing section in the big box stores, cost a couple dollars) as a lube. I use it on my cast lead bullets.
I found a lab heater on E-Bay . Not much different than an induction hotplate and after shipping was about the same price . Regulation is more precise though , lol 'well regulated' as it's moniker .
I understand you’re wanting to do it like they did in the old days, but it’s not necessarily the best way. More, softer lube (depending on weather) will help keep the powder fouling soft. Back in the day I don’t believe they’d be firing dozens and dozens of shots in a day like we often do, and so generous lubing would not have been such an issue. Doesn’t anyone know about Gatofeo anymore? I make Gatofeo #1 lube, and sometimes use plain old SPG. Either one is a good lube for moderate spring, summer and fall weather in the NW U.S. Your carts look very original, but for better range performance when shooting more than a few cylinders worth in a single session, I much prefer to include a lube cookie (card, lube pill, card) inside the cartridge between powder and bullet. This leaves some lube behind the bullet inside the bore to keep the powder fouling in the bore soft. When done right, the bore is no more folded after the 100th shot that it was after the first shot. I did extensive tests on this during the period of circa eight to fifteen years ago. Lube in the bullet grooves alone cannot accomplish this, unless, maybe, you’re using a bullet having super giant grease grooves but even then I don’t see as how much lube is going to squeeze bast the bullet’s base band and get left in the bore behind it where it can do the good that needs to be done in order to prevent a constant accumulation of fouling. Also, there has been some discussion of whether “paraffin” was cited in the old literature, or “paraffin wax”. It’s important to know which, because they assuredly are NOT the same thing. Paraffin is sold today as that “super refined” or “extra pure” (or other words to that effect) lamp oil, used in lieu of Kerosene, whereas paraffin wax is that hard canning wax, presumably made from liquid paraffin. Anyhow, Gatofeo #1 lube includes paraffin in the recipe, along with tallow and bee’s wax, but of course it’s a modern concoction based on Gatofeo’s interpretations of old literature. You can look up the recipe. Or rather you could, at one time. I don’t know if it’s still floating around, but I have it written down hereabouts. Such information on the web eventually dies with the person managing the server, or with his enthusiasm for paying the costs and putting in the time.
The wife comment cracked me up bro, way to funny, excellent historical video, I appreciated it. Is the paper waterproof also an what type of paper did you use, anything special or just any old paper you had laying around, thx Mark, I really like your content on your channel.
The grease is to lubricate the bullet. The grease will keep powder fowling soft and increase accuracty. The oversized bullet being swaged into the chamber is what seals the chamber and prevents chain fires. The tight ball will also help keep moisture out of the chamber, at least from the front end.
Yes, and the same could happen with bees wax. The grease added to the paraffin was my attempt at making a little bit softer and less brittle. However, I don't know what paraffin recipe that Colt used on original bullets. I don't know how brittle it was.
I suppose it could, but I'm not sure how much lube the ball would carry, especially in the critical area where the bullet engages the rifling. I would suggest lube over a round ball, even if it is put into a cartridge.
this is a interesting article on .36 caliber bullets made in St. Louis. www.pochefamily.org/books/RemingtonTD.htm does anybody make these teardrop bullets now or is there a mold available? i wonder how these bullets would perform if they were in .44 caliber. the teardrop bullets had the paper cartridge designed in by the groove at the base for a string to secure it.
Thanks JD! I'm very familiar with the St. Louis bullet. In fact we developed a design drawing and LEE Precision was lined up to produce our molds. Alas, they decided the cut of the mold blocks would not work with their machinery. We had the Richmond Molds made instead. I don't know of anyone else who makes.
That is actually an old Popori heater that I swiped from my wife. I have since gone to a different heating method. Look for my video on lubricating Kerr bullets.
I wonder if you can help I made some paper cartridges from coffee filters using a proper former these are 44 and I’m using .454 pure lead balls, but I must admit I had a hell of a job trying to seat them, even on a loading stand.any advice?
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 I haven't tried loading with the cylinder attached on the gun yet so may get better leverage doing it that way rather than the loading stand. So experimenting at the moment.
You can use a small piece of tubing 8 or 10 inches long to slip over the ram lever to increase the leverage. A commercial one is available from one of the bp bullet suppliers.
I’m shooting smooth bore trade Gun with round balls. Tried out some paper cartridges no lube and it is fouling badly. After the 3 rd shot it’s difficult to load and shoots all over the target. Need to lube somehow Should I lube the round balls before I put in cartridge? Or how about dipping in paraffin/ lard lube with the ball Tied in, let dry and then load powder? Any thoughts? Great video. Thanks Texas Gil
Round ball cartridges were not lubed. They were also cast much smaller than bore size to allow for easier loading. For example, .69 caliber weapons were normally loaded with a .64 or .65 caliber ball. You loaded in the paper until it was too fouled to load, and then you loaded the ball naked and kept shooting until it choked. Smooth bore guns are dirtiest guns to shoot unless you shoot a tight ball and lubed patch.
If you are loading the wrapped cartridge as they did luring the ball in the wrap will not work what I do on occasion is dip the wrapped ball cartridge in the lube this cuts down greatly on fouling. Just a thought to pass on.
As in dripping it onto the top of the cylinder from a lit candle? Never heard of it, & they were probably smart enough not to mess w/ an open flame near gunpowder...
Some recommend it but I have never used it. I do use small plastic sleeves slipped over the cap to help with moisture and cap retention to prevent jams as well as prevent the cap falling off prior to firing.
Anders, I don't have any experience with the pellots. 777 us a little hotter than Black Powder so 33gr might be equivilant to over 40 grains of black. The gun might handle it, but it wont appreciate it! I think that would be too heavy a load.
At the 5:05 min.mark you say that steric acid used to be added to paraffin to increase the melting point. Do you think we should do that, and how do we do it?
@@markfrench2980 That might make an interesting study. The traditional lube was tallow, which melts pretty low (I don't know the actual temp) and stays pretty soft at low temps. I know shooters today who use Crisco. Again, pretty low melting point and stays goopy soft. Anyone have an idea what's better, high melting point or low, and does it make a difference, or is it just a matter of which is less messy?
George, I deal with the Alabama heat hear. No real cure. In the upper 90s it will smear. Below that not too bad. Keep a wad of paper towels handy for clean-up. Some folks from way up north asked how to keep the lube from cracking and flaking off in very cold weather :) Thanks!
Higher wax content. Beeswax melts at a nominal 140F & paraffin canning wax higher still, so just keep adding that to your mix until it remains stable at 100deg. Anything above that & you should be thinking about coming in out of the sun until things cool off... ;-)
I live in Ohio, while we don't have as many days of 100+ weather, we still get it; plus we have several months at or below freezing; so making a bullet lube that works in all weather here is a challenge. I use a Paraffin-crisco mixture (8:2 as I recall), but I add 2TBS of Diesel winter treatment (keeps diesel from gelling up in cold weather) per lb of paraffin. that makes a lube that is hard enough to hold up in the summer (it's tacky, but doesn't smear unless you mean to smear it), but doesn't get brittle in the winter.
I'm curious why these guys call for lubricating the balls when colt themselves did not call for lubrication or wads One could guess the parrifin dipped paper cartridges were more for waterproofing with reduced fouling being a side affect. Are you using flash paper or rolling type paper?
Colt never suggested grease over the ball like modern shooter use. However, his bullets were lubricated on factory made cartridges. The same holds true for most other cartridge makers during the era.
Adalberto, I didn't see any increase or decrease of accuracy. It seamed to remain about the same was with adding lube over the bullet. What I do not know is how well it would have done with sustained shooting before cleaning. More than 4-5 cylinders full.
Did anyone else hear a woman's voice call "MARK" right after he said "she'll never know you use her muffin tins".
Shhh, don't tell her!
Mark Hubbs Hi mark. I really like your content. I just got a Uberti 1849 pocket. I saw a photo of a cased original and in the case there was a package of 31 caliber cartridges. Wanted to know if you thought this was something of the era or made up. Also do you know if there were conical bullets in 31 caliber.
Bob, yes indeed colt and other sold factory prepared packages of .31 caliber ammunition, 5 rounds per box. Eras Gone has designed a correct bullet for the .31 and the molds will be availible in the next 8 weeks or so. Stay tuned!
I heard it to,lol.
I wash my handguns that I've shot with black powder out in the kitchen sink. But I wait until night when my wife is asleep. She knows that I do it but don't want to see me do it.
Outstanding video in every way Mark. Loaded with historic and practical info, yet short and to the point. Thank you! You just shipped my 36 and 44 molds and I am eager to get started with making combustibles.
Thanks Sir!, I hope the molds work well for you.
excellent info. have seen many videos on lubing, etc. but I LIKE this idea of CHEAP materials that seem to do as well as these more exotic ones.
Hmmm....i have heard it said that parafin(at least modern parafin) is petroleum based and therefore should not be used with black powder and only non-petroleum based greases like lard, tallow, other animal fat or vegetable-based grease or oils like Crisco or Olive oil should be used along with Bees Wax. The main reason being that petroleum based products make fouling worse because of the residue created when burned. If traditional parafin was different from modern parrafin perhaps that made a difference?? Can you expound on that?? As for me, im sticking with Bees wax, lard and Olive oil...have no issues other than ridiculous prices for Bees wax.
Great video! I’ve used this exact lube recipe and method and it did virtually nothing to keep down fouling. The bore fouled out with one cylinder. Although not period correct, a felt wad under the wad liberally lubed works tremendously better. These can be used in paper cartridges by placing a very thin cardboard disc between the wad and powder.
Those are exactly the words my feverish mind was searching for a the time! I usually can get through 3-4 cylinders with out too much trouble with these recipies.
@@markhubbs1964 By using 50/50 beeswax vegetable margarine grease cookies behind round ball I managed to shoot 16 cylinders without my Uberti Navy 1851 getting clogged with fouling: it went as smooth and accurate as the first cylinder (measuring accuracy by 6 shot groups at 25 meters). I ran out of ammo, but I believe I could have gone on shooting accurately much longer.
Just a thought - I couldn't find any Gulfwax parrafin at first, so I bought a hundred "tealight" candles for about 4 bucks at Wally World. The wax in them appears to be parrafin, but it's a LOT softer than the Gulfwax parrafin I found later, almost like it has pre-added tallow. So, the Gulfwax is sitting on a shelf, and I'm running through the tealights for lube instead.
Thanks for the info.
@ 05:18 -- NB: A lot of lards have added salt; be prepared to boil it up with some water, agitate, freeze or refrigerate til it congeals, pour off the salty water & rinse/lather/repeat until you have clean lard that won't carry extra salt into your BP firearm [literally, the last thing you need!] ;-)
If true, pure lard is used, there will be no salt. Bacon grease is a whole different matter
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 Just a reminder to read the label; where I am, the only lard available is sold in rectangular blocks & comes pre-salted... ::)
@@nunyabidniz2868 crisco would be a valid sub for lard, and isn't salted (cheaper as well, unless you happen to raise hogs :))
I use no salt vegetable margarine. Works like a charm and in this era of diet foods is super-easy to find.
Dear Friends: The Eras Gone bullet is a good one and can be used as basis for a functional and authentic cartridge. Having said all that, it is just about useless for shooting matches with several stages unless the shooter is willing and able to give a good wet cleaning between stages, that bullet just doesn't cary enough lube to lube the bore or the Arbor/cylinder contact area to allow it to be used for an entire match. I got that combination to work by carrying a SMALL squirt bottle of 10 to one water Ballistol mix that gets squirted on that cylinder/arbor joint and down the bore, it takes some learning on just how much can be used before the wetness causes misfires. Your Eras Gone bullet shoots quite well as long as the fouling is kept soft, something that is unnecessary with the Big Lube Bullets. One has the choice of being out of Historical Costume and using Big Lube Bullets, or being historically inaccurate by carrying the Ballistol and Water mix while using the historically accurate Eras Gone bullet. I haven't tried pressing a grease wad over the loaded chamber mouths yet, but the lube is stiff enough from the Bees Wax that it might be unfeasible to try wiping a small amount from a stick of lube onto the chamber mouth, it is definitely too soft to be handled on the line in discs. The Ballistol and Water mix that I use for cleaning works best for me if I am using the Eras Gone Bullet. So far I haven't bought a mold, I am borrowing a fellow shooter's to conduct trials. It is an EXCELLENT bullet, but not for matches, unless an extensive wet cleaning is done between stages. All of us try to keep close as we can to historical accurate and customary equipment, but it seems impossible using a historically accurate bullet, I wonder what Civil War Soldiers used to keep their revolvers running during battle? Perhaps the revolver was seldom used as the principal weapon, getting used only when the battlefield became crowded and the usual rifles and carbines were not easily used. Cap and Ball and muzzleloading shoulder arms were plagued by Black Powder fouling, then and now. The Henry and Spencer cartridge arms suffered from this malady also, but to a lesser degree with their self contained cartridges with a better lube supply. It seems that fouling from Black Powder was so commonplace that it was an expected problem and got little mention in reports, it would be good to know what conditions existed back then.
I suspect that you shoot more rounds in one match day, than the average soldier shot during his whole career. Prolonged shoot outs with hand guns were very rare during the War. Most cavalrymen relied on their carbines.
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 Dear Friends: Some of us in our diligence to recreate or perhaps to create a fictitious yet historically correct character by researching , creating costumes, language , historically correct equipment and all the other aspects of a character's persona some willing to use historically correct soap, razors etc depending on which shooting sport activity is being pursued. It is commendable that there are those out there who focus of recreating everything down to the lack of deodorant in the camp in their atlas of persona they have chosen to creat or recreate. I have made serious attempts to. pursue the historicaly accurate theme. , but in truth dysentery, cholera, bad food, infections and other hazards of the time period probably killed more soldiers, cowboys or other historical personalities than bullets. We are out there indulging ourselves in a bygone time time and reaping rewards from the fellowship and shared passions of the activity we choose. Many look down their noses at me when I produce that squirt model of Ballistic and water or sometimes an inaccurate bullet historically speaking so that I can keep my weapons running during a match that is not very close to what happened in the century we are trying to portray. If someone chooses to participate in the Grade B Hollywood portrayal God Bless them. I hope they have fun, I wish the same for those who will in making their Persona try to duplicate the thread and even the spools of thread and how those spools were made in trying to be historically accurate. I say everyone sh Ould adopt that particular type of shooting sport they like the best, follow the bylaws and limitations as best he can and go have some fun shooting all the while trying to follow the guidelines of that particular sport. We, all of us feel alienated in some form in modern society and long for the perceived simplicity and romance of some bygone time. I say we should remember why we liked the social aspect of whatever shooting sport we have chosen We should do the best we can to create whatever character we are trying to portray, have a good time and good fellowship, and let the Devil take the hind most part. I particularly like the efforts that Eras Gone have participated in and when possible try to use historically correct gear and promote a good time shooting rather than trying to pick apart the persona that some new shooter has tried to use. Life is too short to take that seriously, and there are a vast number of problems to be worked on within the parameters of SASS or whatever other organization establishes. Come on, it is all about having fun shooting,, isn't it?
Revolvers were mainly issued to cavalry, which used them while closing distance and then switched to the sabre. Most people carried more than one revolver.
Quantrill Riders and other skirmishers, that fought on foot as well and did a different kind of warfare, often carried as much as 4-5 revolvers. Two on the saddle holsers, two on the belt and 1-2 pocket revolvers tucked in the waistband and overcoat pockets. When one ran empty, they simply switched to a loaded one.
Pocket revolvers were also extremely popular among infantry officers. Again, usually more than one revolver was carried.
This because mostly there wasn't just enough time to reload during battle, and because carrying multiple revolvers was also good insurance against malfunctions such as a gun locking up due to a cap fragment into the mechanism.
So they didn't have to fire more than one cylinder out of any given revolver. Maybe two if there was a lull in the action allowing to reload.
Remember that we see this from the opposite perspective, as people in the "wondernine" era, while that people came form a recent era of single shot percussion pistols where to have more than one shot you had to carry more than one pistol, and a brace of pocket pistols (i.e.: two shots) was all that one had before having to switch to melee weapons.
Revolvers were a huge improvement, so having 6 shots at your disposal was wonderful, and people considered matter of fact to carry more than one pistol. There was nothing unusual in it: it was just how you always did it. It was "You want more than one shot? Carry more than one pistol" and now it was "you want more than six shots? Carry more than one pistol".
Hello Mark, I heard about you from Blackie Thomas. I'll be watching because you are a welth of information.
Thank you for sharing this infomation. You and Blackie make black powder very interesting.
You and your Family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Make sure you put the muffin pan back.
Thanks Scotty! Rest assured the muffin tin is back in its place with no damage. Her cast iron corn muffin pan, which makes a great lead ingot mold, is a different story.
Just received my .44 cal Eras Gone Johnston & Dow mold. Preparing to try cartridges in my 1858 Remington. Thanks for the instructions on bullet lube!
I pre-lube my conical's with LLA or 45/45/10. It seems to work quite well when loaded with loose powder and bullet, or in paper cartridges the lube acts as a glue and holds the paper on as well.
Bloomin' excellent video - clear, concise, informative.WELL DONE and THANKS!
Thanks Robert!
Great work Mark. I will look forward when your mold is available again.
I've been using a softened paraffin wax for a while now with my muzzle loading rifle cartridges, and it works well, cheap too. Good to see I'm not the only one who thinks/though it was a good idea. On rifle bullets, the paper holds enough lube, but on revolver bullets, I'm thinking that you might have to pan-lube them with straight wax (or just barely softened) before assembling the cartridge (in order to fill the grooves), then dip in soft wax for an overcoat/temper the hard wax a smidge.
Thanks so much what a great video , i must have gone thru 20 utubes before I found yours , it told me everything I wanted to know and more ,the historical stuff was priceless , I started in black powder cap and ball and now have western action as well I've been trying bees wax / tallow under my lead with a touch of cotton ball between the base of the bullet and the powder charge in my 44-40's to stop the lube messing with the black powder , I was totally struggling with lubing the cap n ball inside the paper cartridge as it messed my paper , your method is fab , I've been trying to find a rapine hollow base mold as I think that'll be better for the 44-40 , I also picked up an old lubamatic bullet resize n lube press and will tryand make bees wax/tallow in cylinder tubes in it as well to see if I can get the 44-40 lube grooves done that way , thanks again and I will check you .com page too
Thumbs up, very informative and well done. Just starting on the .44 conbustable cartridge project. Definitely more to it than one would think. Without UA-cam I would it would have been a non starter. regards RS.
Thanks Richard. I'm glad it was helpful for you.
Great video brother keep making them and I'll keep watching them and sharing on all my social media
My wife and I have that same "hot Pot" . A Geo Bachelor's best friend.
Good vid...thanks... Just getting into paper cartridges.I have been using 1/16" lubed felt wads under round balls, but have a conical mould on the way (should arrive tomorrow!) and as the bullets have a lube groove I was wondering how to lube them. This looks a nice easy way to do it... thanks.
Get yourself a little USB-powered coffee mug warmer. That way, you can keep the lube warm w/o resorting to open flame (ignition source; why risk a grease fire if you don't have to?) Yes, it's not period correct, but neither is watching your YT vid on the process! ;-) Instead of a coffee mug, you can use a little ramikin like what restaurants will serve sauces in.
I think the words you were looking for are heat sink. Because the mass of the bullet was at room temperature it acts as a heat sink and quickly cools the lubricant on the surface of the bullet.
I used to make my own tallow, commonly known as beef or bear fat. Mix with different percentages of beeswax or paraffin for my $19.95 Belgian trade musket, 28 gauge I could get a 45 wadcutter down the bore with a thick patch. That all started about 55 years ago. What about a can of Crisco and some paraffin. I just made some this morning to dip my 36 Cal. paper cartridges.
Nice research and video. Thank you, Sir.
Great informative video, sorts out my questions. I have one of these eras past moulds for my Navy. Will try these cartridges out on Sunday
cheers
Excellent video. Thank you.
Absolutely amazing content! - loved your research, presentation, and interest in this topic - LIKED and SUBSCRIBED and will review your other videos. - LT 1st MInn Sharpshooters Reenacting group
Great video
I mix lambs tallow and beezwax 50/50 and melt in the microwave in a plastic tray (anything will work like the trays mw dinners etc come in) once melted I can dip 20 or so rounds ball first in it till it needs another 30 or so sec in the MW to melt again. i dip the ball and maybe a eighth of an inch or more past . but... LOL I have dropped the whole thing in and just got it out and used it. maybe even makes it waterproof? the other method is to use commercial smokeless bullet lube. this is much cleaner and applies easier... not sure how well it works tho.
Great video thanks God bless
Have you ever thought about using a Johnny ring (from the plumbing section in the big box stores, cost a couple dollars) as a lube. I use it on my cast lead bullets.
I have not tried them, but folks that have tell be they tend to contribute to accumulation of fowling.
I found a lab heater on E-Bay . Not much different than an induction hotplate and after shipping was about the same price . Regulation is more precise though , lol 'well regulated' as it's moniker .
P.S. I find the original way more intriguing but would not want the wife catching bullets cast from kitchen wear . Me neither
I understand you’re wanting to do it like they did in the old days, but it’s not necessarily the best way. More, softer lube (depending on weather) will help keep the powder fouling soft. Back in the day I don’t believe they’d be firing dozens and dozens of shots in a day like we often do, and so generous lubing would not have been such an issue.
Doesn’t anyone know about Gatofeo anymore? I make Gatofeo #1 lube, and sometimes use plain old SPG. Either one is a good lube for moderate spring, summer and fall weather in the NW U.S.
Your carts look very original, but for better range performance when shooting more than a few cylinders worth in a single session, I much prefer to include a lube cookie (card, lube pill, card) inside the cartridge between powder and bullet. This leaves some lube behind the bullet inside the bore to keep the powder fouling in the bore soft. When done right, the bore is no more folded after the 100th shot that it was after the first shot. I did extensive tests on this during the period of circa eight to fifteen years ago. Lube in the bullet grooves alone cannot accomplish this, unless, maybe, you’re using a bullet having super giant grease grooves but even then I don’t see as how much lube is going to squeeze bast the bullet’s base band and get left in the bore behind it where it can do the good that needs to be done in order to prevent a constant accumulation of fouling.
Also, there has been some discussion of whether “paraffin” was cited in the old literature, or “paraffin wax”. It’s important to know which, because they assuredly are NOT the same thing. Paraffin is sold today as that “super refined” or “extra pure” (or other words to that effect) lamp oil, used in lieu of Kerosene, whereas paraffin wax is that hard canning wax, presumably made from liquid paraffin. Anyhow, Gatofeo #1 lube includes paraffin in the recipe, along with tallow and bee’s wax, but of course it’s a modern concoction based on Gatofeo’s interpretations of old literature. You can look up the recipe. Or rather you could, at one time. I don’t know if it’s still floating around, but I have it written down hereabouts. Such information on the web eventually dies with the person managing the server, or with his enthusiasm for paying the costs and putting in the time.
Like the Reb uniform there!
Cool video
The wife comment cracked me up bro, way to funny, excellent historical video, I appreciated it. Is the paper waterproof also an what type of paper did you use, anything special or just any old paper you had laying around, thx Mark, I really like your content on your channel.
Go to MeWe and join black powder revolver group.
The grease is to keep the powder dry. So you can leave it loaded...
The grease is to lubricate the bullet. The grease will keep powder fowling soft and increase accuracty. The oversized bullet being swaged into the chamber is what seals the chamber and prevents chain fires. The tight ball will also help keep moisture out of the chamber, at least from the front end.
Just wondering if in cold weather the paraffin might get too brittle? Of course being such a thin coating maybe not an issue.
Yes, and the same could happen with bees wax. The grease added to the paraffin was my attempt at making a little bit softer and less brittle. However, I don't know what paraffin recipe that Colt used on original bullets. I don't know how brittle it was.
Can this be done to lubricate round balls as well?
I suppose it could, but I'm not sure how much lube the ball would carry, especially in the critical area where the bullet engages the rifling. I would suggest lube over a round ball, even if it is put into a cartridge.
this is a interesting article on .36 caliber bullets made in St. Louis.
www.pochefamily.org/books/RemingtonTD.htm
does anybody make these teardrop bullets now or is there a mold available? i wonder how these bullets would perform if they were in .44 caliber. the teardrop bullets had the paper cartridge designed in by the groove at the base for a string to secure it.
Thanks JD! I'm very familiar with the St. Louis bullet. In fact we developed a design drawing and LEE Precision was lined up to produce our molds. Alas, they decided the cut of the mold blocks would not work with their machinery. We had the Richmond Molds made instead. I don't know of anyone else who makes.
might be safer to use one of those wax warmers for scented wax cubes.
Some folks have tried, but they don't get the wax hot enough. As a result it tends to clump and make thick layers on the bullet..
Where did you find that sterno can holder/rack/dish setup?
That is actually an old Popori heater that I swiped from my wife. I have since gone to a different heating method. Look for my video on lubricating Kerr bullets.
I wonder if you can help I made some paper cartridges from coffee filters using a proper former these are 44 and I’m using .454 pure lead balls, but I must admit I had a hell of a job trying to seat them, even on a loading stand.any advice?
Are you sure you are using pure, soft lead? You might try .451s instead, but typically .454s will load with out too much effort.
@@erasgonehistoricalmolds2400 I haven't tried loading with the cylinder attached on the gun yet so may get better leverage doing it that way rather than the loading stand. So experimenting at the moment.
Use 451, not 454
You can use a small piece of tubing 8 or 10 inches long to slip over the ram lever to increase the leverage. A commercial one is available from one of the bp bullet suppliers.
Good vid.
Who currently sells Dragoon flasks and Paterson flasks?
Dixie gun works, dixie gunworks.com sells what you want.
So does Midway USA
@@denisdegamon8224 I know Dixie does, but I could not find authentic Walker/Dragoon or Patterson flasks on Midway's website.
I’m shooting smooth bore trade Gun with round balls. Tried out some paper cartridges no lube and it is fouling badly. After the 3 rd shot it’s difficult to load and shoots all over the target. Need to lube somehow
Should I lube the round balls before I put in cartridge? Or how about dipping in paraffin/ lard lube with the ball Tied in, let dry and then load powder? Any thoughts?
Great video. Thanks
Texas Gil
Round ball cartridges were not lubed. They were also cast much smaller than bore size to allow for easier loading. For example, .69 caliber weapons were normally loaded with a .64 or .65 caliber ball. You loaded in the paper until it was too fouled to load, and then you loaded the ball naked and kept shooting until it choked. Smooth bore guns are dirtiest guns to shoot unless you shoot a tight ball and lubed patch.
If you are loading the wrapped cartridge as they did luring the ball in the wrap will not work what I do on occasion is dip the wrapped ball cartridge in the lube this cuts down greatly on fouling. Just a thought to pass on.
...nobody used candle wax after the cartridge or normal load have been pressed? I'm thinking for hunting or long storage... Thanks..
As in dripping it onto the top of the cylinder from a lit candle? Never heard of it, & they were probably smart enough not to mess w/ an open flame near gunpowder...
Some recommend it but I have never used it. I do use small plastic sleeves slipped over the cap to help with moisture and cap retention to prevent jams as well as prevent the cap falling off prior to firing.
can i use 777 33gr. black powder propellant pellets in my 44cal. pietta sheriff mod 1858 n.a.m. pistol steel frame?
Anders, I don't have any experience with the pellots. 777 us a little hotter than Black Powder so 33gr might be equivilant to over 40 grains of black. The gun might handle it, but it wont appreciate it! I think that would be too heavy a load.
@@markhubbs1964 thank you for the info, I appreciate it very much
At the 5:05 min.mark you say that steric acid used to be added to paraffin to increase the melting point. Do you think we should do that, and how do we do it?
I think it's the other way around. Today, paraffin contains stearic acid but the old stuff didn't.
@@wdtaut5650 What I would like is to have a lube that has the highest melting point possible, and still keep the gun running.
I just re listened to the vid, and you are right the steric acid is added now. I just heard him wrong the first time.
@@markfrench2980 That might make an interesting study. The traditional lube was tallow, which melts pretty low (I don't know the actual temp) and stays pretty soft at low temps. I know shooters today who use Crisco. Again, pretty low melting point and stays goopy soft. Anyone have an idea what's better, high melting point or low, and does it make a difference, or is it just a matter of which is less messy?
Any ideas to keep it from melting in the Arizona heat?
George, I deal with the Alabama heat hear. No real cure. In the upper 90s it will smear. Below that not too bad. Keep a wad of paper towels handy for clean-up. Some folks from way up north asked how to keep the lube from cracking and flaking off in very cold weather :) Thanks!
@@MEHubbs The problem I've been having is it just melts and runs. (it can get up to 120 during the summer here)
Once you have 6 rounds, you need to bundle them in a labeled, paper rectangle package. Maybe the packaging contains the grease/wax mess?
Higher wax content. Beeswax melts at a nominal 140F & paraffin canning wax higher still, so just keep adding that to your mix until it remains stable at 100deg. Anything above that & you should be thinking about coming in out of the sun until things cool off... ;-)
I live in Ohio, while we don't have as many days of 100+ weather, we still get it; plus we have several months at or below freezing; so making a bullet lube that works in all weather here is a challenge. I use a Paraffin-crisco mixture (8:2 as I recall), but I add 2TBS of Diesel winter treatment (keeps diesel from gelling up in cold weather) per lb of paraffin. that makes a lube that is hard enough to hold up in the summer (it's tacky, but doesn't smear unless you mean to smear it), but doesn't get brittle in the winter.
Subscribed!
How do I lube non-combustible cartridges?
With just the bullets, put the bullets in a pan and pour the grease mix just a little about the grease groove. Pan lubing essentially
I'm curious why these guys call for lubricating the balls when colt themselves did not call for lubrication or wads
One could guess the parrifin dipped paper cartridges were more for waterproofing with reduced fouling being a side affect.
Are you using flash paper or rolling type paper?
Colt never suggested grease over the ball like modern shooter use. However, his bullets were lubricated on factory made cartridges. The same holds true for most other cartridge makers during the era.
Hi, How was the accuracy with them?
Adalberto, I didn't see any increase or decrease of accuracy. It seamed to remain about the same was with adding lube over the bullet. What I do not know is how well it would have done with sustained shooting before cleaning. More than 4-5 cylinders full.
Who wants to bet the explosion was sabotage.... every time I hear a man say do this when the wife is away you know exactly what I know about that man
You must be hen pecked !!!! Send your wife out & give her money. WTF !1
Great video