Burnside Load?

[B-Davis]

I read the thread further down the page about Burnside casing, and I am curious.

I am acquiring a Burnside in the near future. I happen to have a Lyman 557465 (475 grain weight) mould that I think will work for the Burnside. I read a few skirmishers are using this bullet. What powder charges are they using? It has been several years, but I think I remember reading that the military charge was 34-36 grains of 2F?

Anybody have a good starting point for these carbines? I had two of them about 10 years ago, but I was suing round ball and I would love to be able to use the hollow based mini if I can. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Bryan Davis

[mdivancic]

According to Edward Hull's book the normal load was 45 grains of powder, toped with a wad made of paper over which the lube was placed.

[Carolina Reb]

Round Ball to Rimfire has an interesting correspondence between the Ordnance Department and the Burnside Company. It seems that the department thought the cost from Burnside too high at $25/1000, and were buying Poultney's patent cartridges at $19.50/1000 instead. That led to ammo problems. One of the several issues that Burnside cited was that the Poultney's cartridges contained 50 grains of powder with no card wad, which they thought was too much. Burnside loaded 45 grains with a card wad and grease cookie.

That said, your Burnside will shoot very high with 45 grains, and case life will be shortened. The load I have been using is 21.5 gr. Swiss FFF with 1.9cc of filler, no card wad and the Rapine bullet, which casts at about 360 grains. Accuracy is actually worse in my carbine with card wads.

[mdivancic]

That's strange, why do you think the cardboard wad would effect accuracy?

[Lou Lou Lou]

Mike/Ivan
pm sent

[ken s]

I just bought an original 1865 with an almost perfect bore. I use 1/12 swill at 37 grains. one veggie card wad, and a bullet 20 1 made from a cut down Lee mould that was 380 grains and is now 320 grains. I size to .521 and SPG lube

It's very accurate at 50, 3 inch groups, center, but really high. A new German silver front sight has just been put on and I'll file it down as I shoot. tomorrow I hope.
The round burns very clean, and remember, they are military carbines, not target rifles. I'll try FFg next then possibly FFFg,
I use lg piston primers and turn out the flash hole and ream the primer pocket. 1.62 TCL and function is perfect.
Don't forget to install a 'hollow point' mag tube follower in place of the rimfire if your gun is original.
shoot straight,,,Ken

[B-Davis]

I think you are referring to the Spencer carbine, not the Burnside carbine. But thanks for the info!

[Kenneth L. Walters]

I just bought an original 1865 with an almost perfect bore. I use 1/12 swill at 37 grains. one veggie card wad, and a bullet 20 1 made from a cut down Lee mould that was 380 grains and is now 320 grains. I size to .521 and SPG lube

It's very accurate at 50, 3 inch groups, center, but really high. A new German silver front sight has just been put on and I'll file it down as I shoot. tomorrow I hope.
The round burns very clean, and remember, they are military carbines, not target rifles. I'll try FFg next then possibly FFFg,
I use lg piston primers and turn out the flash hole and ream the primer pocket. 1.62 TCL and function is perfect.
Don't forget to install a 'hollow point' mag tube follower in place of the rimfire if your gun is original.
shoot straight,,,Ken

What I've always wanted to know about the Burnside is how many times you can reload a case? My gun is all original but the cases don't seem to last very long.