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Paper-patched or paper-jacketed bullets are an interesting part of ammunition history. This is a Remington #1 Rolling Block, a short-range target rifle and it's chambered in 40-50 Sharps Bottleneck.
It has a great bore, and I'd like to take it to the range, but commercial ammo isn't available. The 40-50 bottleneck cartridge was introduced by the Sharps Rifle Company in 1869. Remington chambered both the rolling block and Hepburn rifles for this cartridge for short-range target use. It will also work as a short-range deer cartridge. 40-50 bottleneck ammo isn't that hard to make but I'd like to duplicate the factory round with a paper-patched bullet. Brass isn't commercially available today, but can be formed from 45-70 cases, and I have a mold that casts a smooth bullet designed for using a paper patch.
I'll also need paper of the right type and thickness, along with black powder and primers. The first step was to determine what size a bullet is needed. A chamber cast of this rifle shows the groove diameter to be .410, so I've selected a mold that cast a .401 diameter bullet. The paper patch will make up the difference.
Early rifles often had shallow rifling of only two to three thousandths, which worked well for paper-patched bullets but didn't always work with greased groove bullets. Without a patch, these bullets will drop right through the bore. Paper-patched bullets were introduced about 1870 and remained popular until about 1900. A paper patch combined with a fairly soft lead bullet makes a great hunting round. The paper patch works exactly like a metal jacket in that it prevents the soft lead from contacting the bore as the bullet travels down the barrel and higher velocities can be obtained without leaving traces of lead.
The first step in making ammo is casting bullets. I'm using a fairly soft alloy. The mold is slid in on the rails, and raising the handle on the casting furnace allows the molten lead to flow out and fill the mold.
It takes only a few seconds for the lead to harden, then a wooden mallet is used to knock over the sprue plate. The sprue plate cuts off the excess lead, even with the base. This bullet is straight-sided and comes out at about 330 grains. Once I have a supply of bullets, it's time to make the patches.
I'm using 10-pound cotton fiber-based paper and a metal template to cut my patches. A sharp razor knife along the edge of the template will provide a jacket of the correct shape. For cutting multiple jackets, a paper cutter is a little faster. The length is the critical dimension; it's based on the diameter of the bullet, the paper weight, and technique, so it's a bit of a trial and error to get it perfect.
Once all the jackets are cut, I apply them to the bullets. I've made a couple of marks on the bench to help align the patch. The first step is to lightly dampen the patches. The patches must not be so wet that it tears. The patch should wrap around the bullet exactly two full times. Since this rolling block has a right-hand rifling twist, I wrap the patches in the opposite direction. This allows the patch to separate from the bullet as it leaves the barrel. The patch should be far enough forward to cover the beginning of the bullet's ogive, and the excess at the base is twisted into a tail.
I place each bullet nose down in a reloading tray to dry overnight. The paper will shrink slightly and adhere tightly to the bullet. The last step is to clip off the tails and they're ready to load.
These bullets are right at .410, perfect for this rifle. Brass for this round is formed from 45-70. I need to reduce the caliber from 45 to 40 and form the bottleneck shape. This can be done with a standard 40-50 full length sizing die. First, I give the 45-70 brass a thin coat of sizing wax and force the brass into the die. It takes some effort, but the new case is formed in one pass.
The necks on the new cases are too long. I've set the trimmer up so I can use a cordless drill, although you can trim manually. I trim them to an overall length of 1.70. Then I deburr the case mouths both inside and out.
Since the case necks have been reformed, annealing them will remove any stresses and help prevent the necks from splitting when they're fired. Water keeps the base of the cases cool.
Next, I bell the case mouths. The expander plug expands the neck and allows the patch bullet to start easily without damage to the bullet or the case. These cases use a large rifle primer, and because I'm using black powder, I use magnum primers. A hand priming tool seats the primer just below flush.
The original cases were loaded with black powder, and I'm going to do the same. A Lee 2.5 CC dipper throws just the right amount. I'm using about 40 grains of FFFg, as the new cases don't allow as much powder as the originals. It's important to use the drop tube when loading black powder.
Once I verify that I've got the correct charge in each case, I place a thin fiber wad over the powder, seating it firmly. Because a paper patch bullet doesn't have any lube grooves, I need to add lubricant. A dipper made from a fired 32 Smith & Wesson case pours in just the right amount of melted SPG lube, which will keep the powder filing soft. The thin fiber wad prevents the lube from contaminating the powder.
The bullet is next. It should be seated to the desired overall cartridge length. I adjust the die so that the slight bell at the case mouth is removed.
Now, with plenty of ammo, it's time to head to the range. A wet patch followed by a dry one keeps the bore clean for each shot, and this gun lives up to its target rifle purpose.
--Larry Potterfield
