A minor update.
Here are a couple of the bullet molds:
The Colt bullet mold -
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=9061]](http://rogue-nation3.com/attachment.php?aid=9061)
The Richmond Laboratories Type III bullet mold -
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=9062]](http://rogue-nation3.com/attachment.php?aid=9062)
The Colt mold is the original bullet designed for the Colt 1851 Navy, in .36 Caliber.
The Richmond Labs mold is for the bullets developed by the Confederacy for use in Colt 1851 Navy revolvers and all of the many .36 caliber clones developed and manufactured by the Confederacy during the First American Civil War. That is the bullet that was generally issued to the Army of Northern Virginia Cavalry units, including Mosby's guerrillas... and including my great great grand dad's cavalry unit, the 22nd VA Cavalry. Another great great grand dad was in the 19th VA Cavalry, also attached to the Army of Northern Virginia during the Valley Campaign. Another was in a Yankee cavalry outfit from West Virginia (and doubtlessly used the Yankee Colt designed bullets), and yet another was in the 10th Kentucky Cavalry, a Confederate unit. You'd think with all those cavalrymen in my family tree that I'd own a horse, but I don't.
The Colt bullet has a gas sealing ring on it, and a lubricant groove just ahead of that ring to hold lubricant to prevent barrel leading and help keep the powder fouling soft for easier cleanup. The Richmond labs bullet has no such amenities. The bullet diameter itself is 0.15" larger in diameter to create a seal by shaving off the lead when the bullet is seated to match the diameter of the grooves in the bore, and they were just dipped in lube (made from a mixture of paraffin and tallow) to coat the entire bullet after the cartridges were made and allowed to dry.
So, I have the molds, I have some lead, but have not yet been able to mold any bullets to load up into cartridges. it's been too cold outside to mold them, and I ain't about to work with molten lead inside the house, so it will have to keep for a bit. it's not like it was when I was in junior high school and lead was completely safe, with teenage me molding lead fishing sinkers in a science classroom while the teacher was making moonshine in a complicated-looking science rig in a cabinet under the counter. Lead has gotten considerably more deadly in the intervening 50 years or so. Hell, I hear kids ain't even allowed to season their fruit loops with paint chips any more!
On the "make your own percussion caps" front, I need to figure out a way to fetch one of these:
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=9063]](http://rogue-nation3.com/attachment.php?aid=9063)
I'm not handy in a machine shop.
If I can manage to wrangle one of those, I can punch out my own pre-formed percussion cap cups (out of beer cans, of which I have no shortage of supply) to fire the charge. All I have to do then is make some priming compound and dab a bit of it in each cap and let the compound dry, and I'll be DIY on this pistol from tooth to tail, no longer reliant on the whims of the ammunition market to feed her.
==============================================================================
.
Here are a couple of the bullet molds:
The Colt bullet mold -
The Richmond Laboratories Type III bullet mold -
The Colt mold is the original bullet designed for the Colt 1851 Navy, in .36 Caliber.
The Richmond Labs mold is for the bullets developed by the Confederacy for use in Colt 1851 Navy revolvers and all of the many .36 caliber clones developed and manufactured by the Confederacy during the First American Civil War. That is the bullet that was generally issued to the Army of Northern Virginia Cavalry units, including Mosby's guerrillas... and including my great great grand dad's cavalry unit, the 22nd VA Cavalry. Another great great grand dad was in the 19th VA Cavalry, also attached to the Army of Northern Virginia during the Valley Campaign. Another was in a Yankee cavalry outfit from West Virginia (and doubtlessly used the Yankee Colt designed bullets), and yet another was in the 10th Kentucky Cavalry, a Confederate unit. You'd think with all those cavalrymen in my family tree that I'd own a horse, but I don't.
The Colt bullet has a gas sealing ring on it, and a lubricant groove just ahead of that ring to hold lubricant to prevent barrel leading and help keep the powder fouling soft for easier cleanup. The Richmond labs bullet has no such amenities. The bullet diameter itself is 0.15" larger in diameter to create a seal by shaving off the lead when the bullet is seated to match the diameter of the grooves in the bore, and they were just dipped in lube (made from a mixture of paraffin and tallow) to coat the entire bullet after the cartridges were made and allowed to dry.
So, I have the molds, I have some lead, but have not yet been able to mold any bullets to load up into cartridges. it's been too cold outside to mold them, and I ain't about to work with molten lead inside the house, so it will have to keep for a bit. it's not like it was when I was in junior high school and lead was completely safe, with teenage me molding lead fishing sinkers in a science classroom while the teacher was making moonshine in a complicated-looking science rig in a cabinet under the counter. Lead has gotten considerably more deadly in the intervening 50 years or so. Hell, I hear kids ain't even allowed to season their fruit loops with paint chips any more!
On the "make your own percussion caps" front, I need to figure out a way to fetch one of these:
I'm not handy in a machine shop.
If I can manage to wrangle one of those, I can punch out my own pre-formed percussion cap cups (out of beer cans, of which I have no shortage of supply) to fire the charge. All I have to do then is make some priming compound and dab a bit of it in each cap and let the compound dry, and I'll be DIY on this pistol from tooth to tail, no longer reliant on the whims of the ammunition market to feed her.
==============================================================================
.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’