Blanks for Smith Carbine

[CavalryDave]

Does anybody out there have ideas on how to make blank cartridges for the Smith carbine? I've tried compressing cream-of-wheat over top of fffg black powder but can't get enough leverage with just pushing down on a wooden dowl rod. I have also tried tapping the rod with a hammer and it ends up bulging the center of the plastic cartridge. david.s.miller@usace.army.mil

[Greg Ogdan, 11444]

Dave,
I hate to sound silly, but are you using anything over the COW to keep it in the tube please? Have you tried just using a large wad of paper over the powder?

[Bob Seng, 10979]

Now Greg you know you left yourself open with that phrase so I guess I will be the first. Everyone in the midwest knows that silly is your middle name. And I am sure there is a long list of others whom will contest to that name and a few others.

On another note see ya at Centerburg in a week

[CavalryDave]

No, I have not put anything on top of the COW. Most reenactment communities frown on wadding or paper. Also, cream of wheat packs VERY tightly in a revolver cylinder with the solid steel walls and the extra leverage achieved with the loading lever. So I assumed, which is always a bad thing, that compressing COW over the powder in the Smith plastic cartridges would work. So far I have not been able to make that work.

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

I don't know but I am wondering if you would achive success using brass cartridges instead of the plasitc ones.

[Frog]

What would be wrong with covering the COW with """"LUBE"""" ??

[danajhanson]

Just a thought...How about filling the plastic Smith tube with powder, then top it with a few drops of "liquid bandage"?
I use the stuff to cover up the "flash hole" on the bottom end of the case. It burns up with a cap, I would assume the burning powder would burn up any you may use to cap off a blank. May have run a few test loads to be sure a "disk of bandage" is not flying downrange?

DJH

[Bron Wolff, 1492V]

We did something years ago with Smiths at the one and only re-enactment that I was ever involved in. We loaded and covered the top of the tubes with Scotch tape. Cleaned the tubes well, cut circles a bit bigger then the top (actually we use a metal stamp plate circle), cut slits on the overlap and taped to the side of the tube. Went off clean and nada came out except the power and little residue.

Mongo

[Michael Bodner]

What kind of tube are you using such that you're able to bulge it? My smith tubes are pretty darn hard and I would be hard pressed to bulge one...

With that said: Let's go back to the original post - What problem are you specifically experiencing? Are the rounds falling apart (ie the COW is falling out) or what?

I think there have been a few good ideas presented on how to 'seal' the tube end. Agreed that wadding is a 'bad thing' for reenactors 'cause of the projectile affect.

How about some of the blue painters tape (like masking tape). Should stick pretty well and its easier to handle than scotch tape...

-Mike

[threepdr]

I use PVC sections. Can't remember the size right off hand, but it is almost the same diameter as the black cases. I cut sections to the same length as the black cases.

Press a peice card stock cut a little wider in diameter than the outside of the case down into the case. I use a dowel rod in my drill press to push the card down. The dowel should be smaller in diameter to allow the card stock to crimp around the dowel as it goes in.

Fill the case with as much powder as will fit with another peice of card stock pressed into the top. Punch a pin hole in the bottom to allow the cap's flash to get to the powder.

They work very well and I've only had a couple come apart in the cartridge box.

If you arn't able to recover the spent cases it isnt a big loss.