My First Burnside - Percussion Cap/Powder Selection

[Duigiud]

Hello everyone! Well just got my n?w/old Burnside and it?s in excellent condition. I went to chamber a cartridge case and it won?t allow me to close the breach completely. I even tried seating a bullet in the case to see if that made any difference, it didn?t. The breach block pivots up in place but won?t close or lock. It looks like it?s no more than 1/8th to 1/16th of an inch from closing and locking. That block where the nipple is in that slides was locked tight and would not move. This is the block that aids in the extraction of a fired case. I sprayed some WD-40 and Break Free on it and was finally able to get it to function. Everything else looks pristine. Could it be the cartridge cases? Are they too long? The cartridge cases were from Lockwood. I just ordered 4 from Dixie to see if that makes any difference.

[mgmradio]

I?ve been using the plastic cases for min as I ran into the same problem with the brass cases. The seal aria radius is wrong for the 5th model carbines.

[Duigiud]

I?ve been using the plastic cases for min as I ran into the same problem with the brass cases. The seal aria radius is wrong for the 5th model carbines.

When you say the seal radius do you mean the turtleneck looking bulge at the wide end of the cartridge?

Where do I get the plastic cartridges?

[Carolina Reb]

Another thing that can cause this problem is corrosion on the breechblock chamber walls. The way the tapered chamber is designed, it doesn't take much. If the chamber is a little rusty and you do get it to close and fire, cases will get stuck in the breechblock. The plastic cases are more forgiving if you have this problem.

[mgmradio]

Yes I mean the bulge. The brass ones I got (can?t remember from whom, maybe S&S) had the proper indent in the base, but the bulge was to big to allow the breach to close. A friend gave me some earlier mad brass with the flat base and they did fit fine.
I got my nylon cases from lodgewood. They are easy to load and last quite a long time.

When you say the seal radius do you mean the turtleneck looking bulge at the wide end of the cartridge?

Where do I get the plastic cartridges?

[Harry Gaul]

For me, 562 bullet leaves me cautious. I am a believer in use small, aim small, miss small. An unissued Burnside should have a tight bore unlike most of the well used Carbines in use in the organization. If I were you, I would start with the good old 535 round ball used in most 54 cal m/l. Make a plan and go to the range and shoot a few. You have the brass cases, bullets or round ball, real black powder and musket caps. Evaluate? If you do not like the result, evaluate, plan, modify and repeat until you are happy with result. If you live east of the Mississippi, post here and someone from the organization should respond. On site help is better than I do this and he does that and I am confused.

Harry in Pa.
03626v


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[Hal]

I could be wrong. Happens all the time. Just ask my wife. BUT......I'm thinking that without a sabot or other form of retention, a .535 round ball will have significant windage inside the case mouth and will likely roll out the bore.....

Just sayin'