.31 armi san marco

Load the cylinder off the gun using a cylinder press.

Some loading presses may not have a rammer that will fit the .31 diameter chambers.
Something similar to a ball starter can be made from a piece of metal or hard plastic rod that can be used to ram the ball in by hand.
A mallet can used to help tap the balls in.

My RAI loader small plunger measures .290. I think that is small enough.

arcticap said:

Some loading presses may not have a rammer that will fit the .31 diameter chambers.
Something similar to a ball starter can be made from a piece of metal or hard plastic rod that can be used to ram the ball in by hand.
A mallet can used to help tap the balls in.

Click to expand...

Very crude

But effective, and substantially less expensive.

Here are the RAI loading presses:

http://richardsonairmotive.com/Home_Page.php

Here's a photo of what the portable brass loading tool looks like for an 1862 Pietta .36 subnose.
It extends past the muzzle & has a flat top for pushing it in with the palm, table top or mallet.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=161013&highlight=snubnose

Johnscash,

Someone posted this little gem on another forum, I am re-posting it here for an FYI.

I've always wanted to find one of these in my mailbox...


http://www.northamericanarms.com/naac&b.html
http://www.northamericanarms.com/bpform.pdf
Cali' don't need no stinkin' waiver form! Just sayin'...

I know it's nowhere near the pistol you have, but, it does come with a seperate loading vise, one you can purchase seperately from the company, for around $7.00 or $7.50, WAY CHEAP. It is designed for that small pocket pistol in the photo, so, it should work out well for your pistol as well. Just follow the link to the web site for their contact info, products, pricing, and ordering.

And... FYI...

Someone, in the same post, also posted this one too...

These are nice too, but you'll have to go to a store...


http://www.northamericanarms.com/breaktop_ranger.html
Nice. Always had a soft spot for top-breaks. Is it on "The List" in CA?

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David

being SA, it shouldn't need to be.

Loading in the field style

Johnscash,

The thread kinda took a turn here, but the traditional manner was to use the front of the basepin as a ram. It is not easy, but the oldtimers used to seat the ball by holding the cylinder in one hand and press (with a lot of wiggling) the ball into the chamber. Now that's the old manner.

My modified method (others may thinks it's not a good one, but I don't care) is as follows. I'll start the ball with a tap or two from a small rawhide mallet. Once its on the way into the chamber, I'll use the oldtimers method of the front of the basepin to get the ball to seat. (My main purpose was to carry as little as possible in the field). Once the mallet gets the ball started, seating with the basepin is not that hard.

So, using an elaborate benchmounted device is the easist method, a small mallet or the device shown by acrticap are far more portable. In the end, it's your choice. Enjoy your little weapon. I have 4" ASM Wells Fargo model and have shot it for many years and have had lots of fun with it. You will too!

Wade

+1 on what Wade said. You can use a mallet or block of wood to start the balls and tap them flush, the use the cylinder arbor pin (holding the frame in your hand) to drive them home. Install the cylinder and barrel, then cap & fire. Crude, but effective.
It's probably much easier (and safer) to buy a cylinder loading press from Cabelas, etc, but it means dragging more gear into the field.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shoo..._l=SBC;cat104792580;cat104701680;cat104218380

On the same note as the other last couple of posts...

A) Tap the ball flush with a wooden or leather headed mallet.

B) Get a "Bullet" starter palm tool, typically used to start loads down a rifle barrel, that will seat the ball all the way down without having to fuss around with using part of a pistol, not designed for bullet ramming. Seat the ball the rest of the way down tapping on the ball starter with the hammer.

Just my two cents...

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David

Get a "Bullet" starter palm tool, typically used to start loads down a rifle barrel, that will seat the ball all the way down without having to fuss around with using part of a pistol, not designed for bullet ramming.

Click to expand...

I agree using a mini/rb starter would be the easiest way to reload, the early 49'ers had the end of the arbor concave for ramming the round ball in the chamber. It was designed to be used as a loading tool.

If the frame has a hole for a rammer then a "mushroom tool" well work OK.

Madcratebuilder....

Does anyone still make that pistol you keep posting very enticing and nearly pornographic photographs of...

Or do I need to special order one from

"MadCrateBuilder Enterprises"...

I want one of those puppies, and if, you are a "Builder". ummm, may I ask what it would cost to have you build me one?

You can email me privately ya know...

Just a wonderin...

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David