.54 erma gallager questions?

[Bob Lintner]

I have a .54 Erma Gallager. Before I have it relined by Bobby Hoyt to .50 I want to play with it as it is. I want to use a Rapine 540-300, and 3F KIK and 2F Olde Enysford. I have a few questions and I'm open to comments and suggestions.

1) What BHN lead should I use? Please don't tell me "hard" lead because that could be anything harder than pure. Wheel weights-Linotype-Lyman #2 ?
2) Should I size 2 thousands over bore or shoot as cast? It's a small pill so there is not much to size there.
3) I hope RWS musket caps work as CCI 300 are long gone
4) I am cleaning the flash channel with USA made pipe cleaners with the metal bristles in them and a welding torch nozzle cleaner.
Thanks to all!
Bob

[Bob Lintner]

anyone have any suggestions or comments?

[bobanderson]

Whack a 540 round ball with a mallet, paint it with a magic marker, oil it up and drive it through the rifling from the breech end. Measure the groove diameter with a dial caliper. (If the grooves are still black from the marker, you need a bigger ball.)
Use a mix of 1 part wheel weights to 3 parts pure lead and cast to .001" to .002" over the groove diameter. That alloy is just a hair under Lyman #2 and is what I use for all breechloading black powder firearms, be they Maynard, Ballard, Henry and Sharps. I also use it for smokeless powder loads in pistols and low pressure rifle cartridges.

The only round balls I shoot have spit patches on them.

Can't help you on the caps. I'm sure no one will have any extra to share unless they are charging exorbitant markups. Good luck on that.
BTW - Don't turn your nose up at the Spanish made Schuetzen caps from Back Creek and other sellers. I've tested them and they are plenty warm enough to light black powder.

Isn't the Gallagher the one that was approved to use Maynard (Sorry, check that, I meant Smith) cartridges? If so, whatever works in one should work in another.

Most of all, have fun until the hoarders and flippers drive our sport into the ground.

[Bob Lintner]

Bob,
Thanks very much, I sure do appreciate the info!
Bob