Confusing Rule

[Maillemaker]

I don't think guns like the Sharps are terribly susceptible to cook-offs, given the nature of the loading. In a Sharps, the fresh cartridge is pushed into the chamber bullet first. While not a tight fit in the Sharps chamber, this allows the lubed bullet to mostly push any remaining bits of cartridge out of the way on its way in, and possibly snuff them out also. I did, however, opt to not use nitrated paper with my Sharps cartridges, in part because the nitrated cartridges are far more susceptible to ignition from a spark than regular paper. Also I discovered that 17 pound vellum paper blasts to bits so well that the extra work of making nitrated paper was not necessary.

This is quite different from a revolver combustible cartridge which will be loaded with the most flammable portion first.

Steve

[efritz]

Would all this talk make my Greene bolt action illegal which is classified for single shot competition. For those that don’t know how a Greene load consists of bullet-powder-bullet. The under hammer percussion cap sets off the first bullet. With the bolt which has an inner bolt rams the back bullet forward into the chamber. Then a paper cartridge with a bullet behind the powder is inserted into the chamber and the bolt closed. Cap and fire.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

You need a range finder. AND, stop eating canned tamales just before going to bed!

You don't need a range finder. You just need to calculate the milrads for which there is a formula for determining range that everyone learns when they go through sniper school. Basically, if your target is 68-inches tall, and you read the angle as 2 mils, your target is 945 yards.

[John Holland]

Fritz - Your Greene is no different than a Sharps.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

The idea of shoving any type of combustible cartridge into a just fired breach/barrel/chamber gives me the willies. Wondering if Steve as yet has experienced a shooter pouring a powder charge down a just fired EMPTY barrel, and having the powder flash in his face -- with no discernible ignition source present. Possibly a hot clinker?? Anyway, most impressive. So now we add bits of smouldering paper to the equation. Us cynical old-timers just ain't going to buy it.
More specific - there's enough windage in the breach area of a Sharps for the bullet to completely bypass a burning ember -- wallah!!

John Holland and some of the others here who grew up with father's in the association can probably remember when before anyone began making metallic or even the early nylon cartridges for the Smith carbine, they were loaded from the muzzle and shot as muzzle-loaders.

[Southron Sr.]

Can anyone remember ANY COMPETITOR ever having a "Cook Off" while he or she was reloading his or her's revolver chambers during a revolver individual or team match?

After almost 50 years of Skirmishing, I can't recall this ever happening, NOT EVEN ONE SINGLE TIME....although, I can remember many instances of rifle-muskets having "Cook Offs" while being reloaded in team matches.

Revolver "Cook Offs" simply don't happen, So why not "legalize" the use of combustible revolver cartridges? It would make reloading revolvers much faster during revolver matches.

What is your opinion?

All comments are Welcome!

THANKS!

[jmiller]

My only problem with this fuss is that it will not save any time, as there will always be people loading with loose powder. The loading times will have to stay the same to provide these shooters time to load, so no time gain will be provided.

[Hal]

If it is safe (and I believe it is), then I have no problem legalizing it. It may take a while, but one day everyone might get on board when they see they are the hold up, and their team mates are loaded and ready to go and they are still spooning cream of wheat from a jar. Until then, at least the folks that enjoy a more authentic experience loading their weapon can do so.

[Maillemaker]

To me, the time savings is more of an issue at individuals, not team shooting. With cartridges, I might be able to shoot 2 targets in a 15 minute course of fire instead of just one. I have taken to shooting 2 targets with all my other guns now. Time is of the essence trying to get 4 guns done in a weekend, especially now that we often have revolver team matches first thing Saturday morning which eats into individual time.

But mostly, it's a convenience factor. I feel like I'm setting up a small laboratory at the loading table today. It would be nice to "load and go" with cartridges pre-made at home. About all I'd need to bring to the loading table is a cleaning brush and my capper, both of which I could stick in my pocket.

Steve

[Jim Barber]

FWIW, I recently got a bunch of extra 5ml plastic vials and pre-loaded them with cornmeal. It speeds loading considerably (not as much as a premade cartridge, of course) but bullet depth/charge compression is much more uniform vs. "spooning cornmeal from a jar" on the line. My few trips to the range thus far suggest measuring the filler (accurately, at home) increases accuracy a good deal, too.

Cheers
Jim B.
Grove City, OH