Loyalist Dave
Member
It is very fast, tear, pour, ram, cap. Yes the paper and ball are rammed down as one unit, hence the wax on the ball end. I use .490" ball.
I've never had burning cartridge paper on the ground after shooting, but that's probably a possibility. For sure, they are fast and easy to make.
I shoot a Brown Bess, and although I usually use patched 690" "chewed" ball, I keep some emergency cartridges of the same type for it in the pouch. Those are used just like the traditional Bess cartridges, and the ball is also rammed down in the paper. Unlike the pistol, these are not near as accurate as my usual patched ball loads, and 30 yards might be the maximum range I'd use them at. In the pistol, as mentioned, they are good out to at least 30 yards.
I'd like to see this work in a rifle.
I use paper cartridges for my Bess, and for my Serjeant's Carbine, as well as my trade gun. But these are smooth bore.
I've used bare ball in a speed loading target match out to 25 yards with my rifle, and won..., we had to cut a 2"x 2" stake, and the first stake cut in half was the winner. So using no patch the rifle is accurate, to a point....
But a pistol at 30 yards is not a rifle at 50-100 yards...., when using a patched, round ball, and I'd find it interesting that after all these centuries, a paper patched round ball working as well as a cloth patched ball at 40 yards and beyond.
The paper that is being discussed is not anywhere near as strong as cloth. The paper that is used for conical bullets in something like a Sharps Rifle [see Quigley Down Under] , is normally a very thick "rag", meaning it contains linen or cotton fibers within the paper.
The patching on a round ball actually contacts the ball/rifling point in a very small way, while a paper patched conical bullet, has much more surface area. So the paper must survive on a round ball the cutting action of the powder gasses, AND in the opposite direction, the cutting action of the friction of the barrel, even when mitigated with lube. Further, patched round ball do not obturate as a paper patched, conical bullet will. It's been tested, and not only does a round ball not obturate when fired, it also should not be smashed out of round during the loading procedure to try and get it to obturate. The weave of the cloth helps to grip a ball, which is not present in the paper. The strength of the cloth helps to resist "cutting" the patch during the firing, as well as the loading. I submit that if you're not cutting the paper when loading..., you're likely not tight enough in fit.
Here's an illustration
LD