i looked over my guns last year and was horified i had nothing in black powder. to solve that problem i went and got the coolest one i could find. of course after i got it i discovered percussion caps were made of unobtainium. shit. i found a 209 primer adapter,,, but it will take some,,,,, fitting. not just to install but even if i did the fire pin sits close to the frame and could chain fire. so not ready for 209 primers,,, yet. i did beg and scrounge about 80 caps. i think after the small tub of crisco i have all the stuff to fire it. i cast some 44 balls, but. they are not round and will free drop into the cyl if you turn them the right way. paper patch? i dont know shit about b/p. id love to find a conical mold for it. i saw a double end wad cutter i like that also may work. the buckshot came out ok. any b/p shooters on here? with 44 pistol experiance. this is gonna be fun.
When I retire, I'd like to improve my machinist skills (advanced layman now) to be able to start making guns. A Lemat is 2nd on the list, with modern cartridges. I can't imagine that without going the lemon squeezer route for the 20 ga. Yuck. First is that air rifle Lewis and Clark carried around to shoot injuns and wow crowds. Not much to play with there. A tiny compressor in the stock??...Additional reservoir in the foreend???...
LeMats are insanely fun to have and shoot, the ultimate in Black Power Cap n Ball pistols, still just as deadly today as they were when they were still state of the art! First thing I would do is find a properly sized mold,, you want it to cast TIGHT, so that when you go to load a ball or bullet, you shave or Swedge a ring of lead off as you start it in the Cylinder. Second, Find a pistol specific powder measure ( Looks like you might already have that one,) it's the nozzle on your blass powder flask. that has the snout set to a typical pistol charge weight, usually around 40 gr. or there abouts, you can check and tune with your little Traditions measure you have there, easy peasy! Finding proper caps, and or nipples so you can use all the different types of ignition, and NOT the #209 shot shell primers. Usually #9 or #11 caps is what you want. Next, to paper patch or not, that is the question! Here's the real truth on this, if you are using a proper sized mold, patching shouldn't be needed ( Unless your pre rolling paper cartridges, and I hope you get deep enough into it to find this a need) I can help here when/if you get there. The long and short of this, Paper patching isn't going to prevent chain fire, only a proper fitting cast projectile that shaves a little lead off the projectile when loading will prevent a chain fire. NOPE, grease will not prevent this, it may help, but shouldn't be relied upon to prevent it! When loading the 20 gau. under barrel for shot, use a couple shot cards over your powder charge, and ether use a shot cup, or hemp as a wadding, and finally a formed paper cap or felt wad to seal the open end of your shot charge! DO NOT USE STEEL SHOT, only lead! You can use modern Shot Cups and wads, and they are super easy to load and use, but you loose the historical aspect of shooting like this, and will have to learn different methods and work your loads up, but its easy enough to figure! Enjoy! Holy Black opens a whole nother level of firearms enjoyment, as well as offers a "Tactical Advantage" few others are able to utilize, chief among them is having components when no one else can get them. During the Covid, powder, primers, and such were impossible to find, it took nearly a year after before the Holy Black disappeared off the shelves, not completely, but nearly so! The other advantage in shootin Holy Black is being able to match a load to just about any need, from garage practice, to out right gun fightin power nearly that of modern magnum power levels, usually far more then "Cowboy" loads of today! I carry a Ruger Old Army as a woods gun, talk about POWERFUL, it's more then equal of 44 Magnum, yet is easier to shoot, and it's super accurate, plus, it shoots .45 Colt cartridges if I want to swap cylinders, mine is a highly tuned piece that is nearly .454 Casul power, it's crazy to think that Holy Black can actually make that kind of power, but the Rugers sure as hell can, as can the Original Colts of the period, but those are extra rare, and super spendy, though I seem to find them regularly, due in part to that fact that I collect them, folks know me and know I collect them, and so, I get offered opportunities few others ever get! Welcome to the cool world of Holy Black shootin irons, you will be hooked and on the look out for the next one, and I highly recommend a Ruger as your next one, you want tough, Ruger got ya! Wanna be the coolest guy ya know, look for a original Colt 1st model Side Hammer and you got a serious piece of history, not to mention a seriously powerful pistol!
Yeah, depending on the cylinder you may need .451 to .455 ball...it should shave some off, but you shouldn't need to really get on it to load it.
i think what im missing is use soft lead and go over size. thanks folks who actuallly shoot helps. thanks
