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Thread: Burnside 5th

  1. #1
    Lee Willy is offline
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    Burnside 5th

    Have a nice Burnside out of my collection and would like to shoot it.
    Need advice on what i need to get this done?
    My bore is .0542 and would like to know what roundball i should buy?
    I was told buy f f black powder? I have purchased some of the nylon cartridges
    for carbine to see if it will shoot them. My Burnside is in excellent condition and
    have complete confidence it is safe to fire.
    I am in Winchester, Va. Looking for help

  2. #2
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    Try a .562 round ball and 40 grs FF to start. Then play around with adding grits and reducing powder to see what your results are. Keep every group you fire, with copious notes as to load, projectile, grits, distance, etc., in a file folder for that gun. This helps you not make the same mistake twice. Good luck, they are fun to shoot. jh

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    Lee Willy is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by John.Hayes View Post
    Try a .562 round ball and 40 grs FF to start. Then play around with adding grits and reducing powder to see what your results are. Keep every group you fire, with copious notes as to load, projectile, grits, distance, etc., in a file folder for that gun. This helps you not make the same mistake twice. Good luck, they are fun to shoot. jh
    Hello John,
    Thanks for the help, but what is the thing about grits? On you tube the person shows just loading powder
    in the casing and placing ball on top with wax and chambering it and them firing?
    If my bore is 0542 then wouldn't a .562 be too big?

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    Old Hickory is offline
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    Grits/Cream of Wheat, used as a neutral filler between the powder and ball/bullet to simply take up space to insure some compression of the powder, (you want NO air space between powder and projectile when using black powder).

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    Lee Willy is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Hickory View Post
    Grits/Cream of Wheat, used as a neutral filler between the powder and ball/bullet to simply take up space to insure some compression of the powder, (you want NO air space between powder and projectile when using black powder).
    They do not show that on youtube. They load their nylon cartridge with powder and set ball on top with their butter then chamber it and cap
    and fire. How was this loaded during the war?

  6. #6
    Old Hickory is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Willy View Post
    They do not show that on youtube. They load their nylon cartridge with powder and set ball on top with their butter then chamber it and cap
    and fire. How was this loaded during the war?
    It wasn't. John Hayes was simply telling you to use a filler when loading reduced loads. You don't want any air space in your cartridges due to the nature of black powder, it should be compressed with no air space. Same with a muzzle loading rifle or musket, ram the projectile down firmly on the powder charge, allow for no air space.

    Burnside, Smith, Maynard, Sharps, etc. The ammunition came preloaded in cartridges for issue, no air space. What the prescribed load was, unless a card or some other filler was used, the powder was slightly compressed by the bullet. This same rule stands for rim fire and center fire cartridges loaded with black powder, and any reduced loads contained a filler of some sort. If not, you risk bulging the barrel or worse. It essentially becomes a pipe bomb. John Hayes gave you good solid advice.
    Last edited by Old Hickory; 08-13-2021 at 08:08 PM.

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    Sorry, I should have given a fuller response. Some guns like FFFg powder also, so try every combination at hand before giving up. Burnsides are finicky at times. I have also rolled my .562 round balls between two files and dipped them in melted lube. I sit them down on an old washcloth to soak up the excess from the bottom and put that side (sprue up or down) toward the grits and have had good results. As to diameter, I have had success with round balls of that diameter and have been playing with an Accurate Moulds .562 bullet lately and have had no trouble, except loading the base of the bullets into the nylon case. I have slightly beveled the heel and now they go in much more easily. I ruined 3 cases before I figured out that obvious solution. The Burnside is an ingenious design. Have fun and good luck with yours! jh

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    Lou Lou Lou is online now
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    Lee
    Why not visit us a Ft. Shenandoah on Rte 522. The Saturday carbine match at Nationals will have many Burnsides competing. Jut a thought
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

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    Carolina Reb is offline
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    And many of those skirmishers shooting Burnsides will be happy to bend your ear about their loading tricks and techniques.

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    Lee Willy is offline
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    fort Shen

    Quote Originally Posted by Lou Lou Lou View Post
    Lee
    Why not visit us a Ft. Shenandoah on Rte 522. The Saturday carbine match at Nationals will have many Burnsides competing. Jut a thought
    I was planning on being there. Is that next weekend? May be i can get someone to load and shoot my Burnside if deemed safe?
    Thank you for the help and would like to see how the load is done.
    Last edited by Lee Willy; 08-14-2021 at 05:36 PM.

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