as a civil war reenactor, now and again i have occasion to shoot black powder blanks, often as many as 20 or 30 in an hour or so. because it is more or less Period Correct (PC), except for no bullets and no munition factories, we usually roll our own. some people buy pre-rolled cartridges, some pre-rolled tubes, but this can get expensive. it is part of my job as 2nd sergeant and Drill Instructor to help new recruits learn to take care of themselves, and one of the things i teach is how to roll cartridges.
you need:
black powder: the normal combat load during the war was 60 (+/-5)grains of ff (or fff) black powder. a 1-lb tin costs anywhere from $10-$15, depending on where you get it. that makes about 7000/60=116.666 cartridges.
powder measure: i've seen guys use a rounded teaspoon, or a spent brass case of some sort or other. mine's a more or less PC model in brass by CVA with removable spout.
paper: newspaper is too fragile, brown wrapping paper too tough. office supply stores sell 4"X6" notepads, 100 sheets, in ten-packs for under $10. that makes 2,000 cartridges with some sweat equity.
a rolling stick: for the springfield or enfield muzzle loader, i use a 1/2" wood dowel, cut 4&1/2" long, sanded and oiled. 1/2" sink line works well too, but not PC.
pocket knife: to cut paper. any sharp knife, or a pair of scissors will do.
that's it for the muzzle loader. the sharps paper-cartridge breech-loader is very sensitive to ammo construction, and requires slightly larger rolling stick, a funnel, and sawdust or similar lightweight, combustible material. fortunately, i have some woodworking tools, hence a steady supply of sawdust. i'll explain in greater detail later, after i cover the simpler, muzzle-loading case.
rolling your own (black powder blank cartridges.
1
Last edited by lurker on Mon Nov 30, 2015 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?