Revolver cartridges and lube

If your speaking of metallic cartridges, very well if you use a waxed card, I cut them from milk cartons, tween the powder and wad and the wad is lubed with a harder lube such as a 50/50 beeswax and, in my case crisco, not the oil the solid stuff. The wad it’s self is 1/8 pure wool felt.
On paper cartridges I make they won’t work as there isn’t enough length to the paper tube.

I've had good luck dipping felt wads in pure bee's wax. To fit one in a paper cartridge, you'd have to cut it smaller in diameter than normal. Pure bee's wax will offer some lubrication, and will keep the powder dry.

I think the best solution is the Kid's method, with the paper-towel based lubed wad(s) sammiched (!!) between two milk carton wads. One to keep it from sticking to the base of the bullet, (that will/can hurt accuracy) and one to keep lube out of the powder. You could sammich a lubed felt wad between the cardboard/milk carton wads, but that will take up a lot of powder space.

Are you loading bullet or ball?

I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that a smear of lube over the ball once loaded is the easiest of all. But I’m shooting casual from a firing line. No carry, no hunting , no cowboy action, stuff like that.
I’ve got 96 paper cartridges loaded up for Wednesday’s range visit. Tomorrow I’ll try the old “ hold the cartridges by the tail and dip the ball in hot lube until it touches the paper”. My 50/50 lube mix works but too much cracks off under the ram. I need a softer mix.

What if...one dipped a felt wad in a very soft lube, and instead of the smear, just pressed that over the ball? I wonder if they would stay in place for all six shots? Or perhaps they would stay put better with a harder lube. ? But pliable enough to push it down well over the ball?

Dipping the ball end of the cartridge should work, just need to find the right mix.

I don’t think you’d want anything as substantial as a felt wad in FRONT of the ball. Could become a barrel obstruction. JMO.

That could be a possibility.

As we all know, one problem of a lubricated wad in a percussion revolver is that lube can get into the powder after awhile. So another wad underneath the lubed wad is a very good idea. By the way these are perfect for a '36' Colt, Remington, etc (Midway has only 2 of these bags full in stock). I suppose they might be found somewhere else. Midway free ships orders over $49 with code OFFER55555
Very thin 1/32". (harder to find wads in about .385" size, but these are, which is perfect in my colt and remington).
Walters Wads 38-55 Caliber (386 Diameter) 0.030 Thickness Bag of 1000
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010391437?pid=184120

For lubed paper cartridges, make powder column, cover it with waxed card wad as @whughett describes above, put a dollop of lube on top and close for separate powder and ball cartridges. Or top with another card wad if making up cartridge with ball or conical.

Below, paper cartridge, with dollop of lube over waxed card wad:

A note on paper cartridges. They are time consuming to make. At least for me. Right now it’s time I have to spare and more, in fact it’s about all I do for the winter and early spring months in Florida, that and yard work and trips to the range. Once we return north for the summer, fall and holiday seasons grand kids, family and wood shop hobbies take up that time, so I go back to pre-charged vinyl tubes for the range vista with cap and ball.

If youre interested here is a small write up on how i add a lube disk to my paper cartridges...

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...tridge-works-and-remington-36-conical.865212/

I played around for a while with un-lubed felt wads, dipped in pure bee's wax, to negate lube fouling the powder. I found they were a pain to start into my .36" chambers, but not bad in the .44. Since then I've switched to bullets, as a lubed bullet requires no wad or lube under the bullet, and makes for a faster re-load in the field.

Right now I'm loading up some of the Kid's custom Colt type bullets in his combustible cartridge hulls, for when I'm surrounded by rabid wolves, and those guys from deliverance are trying to flank me. (in cahoots with the wolves) But for target practice, or normal field use I'm sticking to my flask, capper, and cap pouch filled with lubed bullets.

I highly recommend reading the Kid's link above. His lube disc system ROCKS.

I have come to prefer bullets over round balls in paper cartridges. Cartridges with bullets are easier for me to make, and by dip-lubing the bullet of a finished cartridge (I use a mixture of beeswax and lamb tallow, melted in a small pot on a hotplate) I avoid the mess of dealing with liquid grease at the range, and the possibility of contaminating the powder.

I've come to using The Outlaw Kid's method of non tapered paper cartridges that contain a lube disc but no projectile. This way I can use whatever(ball or bullet) I desire for that day. The lube can be Gatofeo(or slightly stiffer) or several other mixes that don't bleed onto the paper. I have paper cartridges so loaded that are almost two years old and show no sign of bleeding/powder contamination. I don't resent the time it takes to construct these cartridges--in fact I kind of enjoy it--and spending time at the range goes so much easier when I show up with a box full of paper cartridges.