Earl cap and ball info

[TwoGunJayne]

I'm currently working on double-ball loads and "candy shot."

I'm waiting patiently for my slip-fit lead roundball to come in; I think I can fit two in the cylinder.

I can't seem to find that "Nerds" candy locally. If I can score some, I was going to try it just to see what happens. Is the stuff no longer sold?

This thread isn't dead yet. I'm not done screwing around.

[Maccab]

Now the cap n ball mini would be easy to turn into a Le Mat style revolver with a central barrel, a nippled barrel...

[TwoGunJayne]

Umm... wouldn't that require a complete redesign?

The Companion system uses a single piston that stays forward after the flat hammer drops to keep the cap on the nipple. You'd need to double the entire mechanism, and need a new frame right?

Hey, I'd absolutely LOVE a mini LeMat. .22 magnum with central .410?
-----------------

Today I learned that dry lentils fit the chamber of the companion. Still no candy shot found... yet.

[Maccab]

You'd have to enlarge the frame for sure, but maybe just do something with the hammer, like make it split... So one side of it like... Folds down and acts upon the same nipple design as in the cylinder, folds down and swing back until it strikes the cap, when the hammer is dropped on another cylinder, be a way he he.

[RiverRat9533]

It would require throwing the original companion in the trash and starting from scratch.

Btw, if anyone makes a ten shot black powder .22 mini lematt, put me on the list for the second one

TGJ, if you can't score nerds, email me and I will mail you some, can't stand seeing you suffering like this...lol

[Maccab]

There's a discontinued break top NAA revolver which might make a better platform for a central barrel model.

[RiverRat9533]

Finally got hold of some 4 buck. Did some highly scientific testing in my laboratory and these are my results:

Loading of 4 buck in a companion LR is a bear. As Doc stated way back, the loading tool for the companion just doesn't line up right. It can be done, but with risk of damaging either the loading tool, or the cylinder opening.
Firing of the number four, using I grain of smokeless black powder, produces higher velocities with the lighter weight projectile. This was confirmed by the highly sophisticated means of listening to the higher pitched crack compared to the 29 NAA grain conical when fired. (This was also confirmed by TGJ's chronograph, but that is a much less accurate testing method)
Side by side firing into 3/4 plywood, the higher velocities for the 4 buck actually provides less penetration, although it did penetrate a deflated basketball that happened do be left out. So if you are ever attacked by mushy basketballs, this load is for you.
The NAA conical, with the greater mass and easier loading, seem to be the best choice out of the short barreled companion LR, 4 buck will work if you run out, but seem so far to be best suited for the Earl with its longer barrel, bigger cylinder and larger loading tool.
If the Earl ever comes available in stock, I will repeat these tests as to have perspective from someone shooting both guns. Nothing like having a birthday present out of stock, although it doesn't matter because 777 is still not available in this area.
  Also shot a 22 pellet at the plywood, same load, just for grins, ended up doing it twice because I didn't believe the first shot. Second shot confirmed, the pellet, same one fired out  of the Beeman rx2 that penetrated a basketball at 150 yards, completely dissenigrated and just left a leaded smear on the plywood.

[TwoGunJayne]

...smokeless black? 1 grain?

The .3 cc dipper throws about 3.4 grains...

[RiverRat9533]

In the companion LR, the scoop is smaller, about 1cc, and give about one grain per scoop. Smokeless BP, more commonly known as Bxuxlxlxsxexyxe, is said by some to wonders in the companion because all you can fit is the 1 grain. There was a group of people that decided to do their own highly scientific testing on the super companions using the not so approved smokeless, and were running the supers with 3.4 grains of Bullseye!
Alas, their testing methods were not near as refined as my own, and many people reading on the Internet got some very bad advice.

[TwoGunJayne]

...ahh. Gotcha. I'm not so fond of trying out new black powder substitutes, but if you're having a bad time finding true black, pyrodex, 777, I could understand getting desperate.

[RiverRat9533]

Just got off the phone with the fine people at NAA and they confirmed the Earl will be available at the end of the month!   

In an edit to my previous post, the number four buck did not penetrate the deflated basketball, found it on the ground when I went out for a smoke. All the holes in the basketball were from my Beeman RX2 pellet gun at 150 yards, shame I can't fit that thing in my pocket
  So it would appear that the four buck is not a good choice when attacked by mushy basketballs.

  TGJ, thankfully someone posted pictures of a blowed up super companion some time back.

Looks like I am going to have a hazmat fee in the near future, gotta get me some triple seven and caps!

[TwoGunJayne]

If you can swing a 25 pound order,
http://mainepowderhouse.com/goex-black-powder-4f-25lbs/

It doesn't have to be 25 of just one powder, you meet the minimum with other grain sizes. They also carry "Swiss Null B" size powder. It's the leftover tailings from making all of the other grades. Some people consider it to be a "super 4f."

Good luck!

Also, I bet you'd find beefier performance of the #4 buck from an Earl. Shooting at soft things is strange. I was shooting my short at a soft "self healing" target and one bounced back and thwacked me in the chest. All it did was surprise me. I then went and checked the target, the bullets were being caught by the target! They blow straight through when you've got more powder and barrel, like a Black Widow. Bullets from the Earl go through it, too.

[RiverRat9533]

Looking forward to finally getting my birthday Earl. The companions are in my opinion, a good getoffme gun, as hitting man sized targets up close and personal are what a sightless short barreled gun like this does well. But for plinking or pests, they are lacking unless you either shoot at a coke can five feet away looking at it through binoculars backwards, or if the pest jumps and lands on the companion.
Looked at the Swiss Null B, it does look very interesting, some of the flintlock guys were actually calling it like a 7f equivalent, if such a thing were to exist. Smallest size it comes it is a five pound can, if I am looking at it right. That's enough for you, me, and the next three generations with about a pound and a half left over.

[TwoGunJayne]

Well I finally scored some "Nerds" candy and they are a lot bigger than I remembered. I can only fit two or three in the chamber and some in the box wouldn't fit at all. I can get about 8 of them if I shake the box and use the smaller ones that collect at the bottom.

No dice, this flat-out doesn't work. I'm going to try Tic-Tac mints next.

Well, Tic-tac mints are out, as well.

If NAA made a .32 companion, we'd be good to go. Also, Tic-tacs come in different "calibers." I noted that different flavors were differently sized. I also suspect that the sizing changes up over time. Guess I'll have to get a .32 Pietta to shoot tic-tacs. 

Wouldn't it be weird if classic candies were based on gun calibers? I strongly suspect that "good n' plenty" easily chambers with a patch in a .45 black powder revolver. Oh well, I've struck out several times so far trying to get candy to run through the NAA Cap and ball revolvers as ammunition. Maybe the problem was that I didn't try it in enough calibers of pistol?

Oh well. Drop me a line if you find a candy that fits in the NAA Cap and Ball revolvers. I'm interested.

Reminder: Dry lentils chamber, they're almost perfectly sized. They blow a huge pattern in little bits with low velocity, though. It didn't work either.

I'm not afraid to tell you guys my failures, so you know what works and what didn't.

[Maccab]

I had a Crossman triple strike airgun once, usual pump up arrangement but it fired .177 pellets or three BB's at once...

Maybe you could make a form of BB magazine running along the barrel which fed BB's into the barrel, a revolver barrel, load the chambers top with a wad, blow the BB's out the barrel... Possibly lead ones, with rifling in front to prevent roll out... Saying that they never rolled out the rifle.

How about a purpose designed cylinder, three lead bullets per chamber, rear charge - bullet - charge - bullet - charge - bullet, possibly lubed bullets, and maybe a wad behind each and/or the charges...

Then an offset nipple/cap with a port from it which has a U bend at the end comes back on itself with a port aligned with each charge, fire - sparks - ignite the front charge first this in turn ignites the middle and the middle ignites the back chain fire in one chamber, three rounds per shot...

Pepper box arrangement of a similar format only having more caps/nipples, and the offset ports would also be staggered, one cap first charge of one chamber ignites, rotate cylinder second cap first of the second etc, sixth cap second of the first chamber etc...

Getting a tad cumbersome, actually you know I remember seeing a percussion rifle with a lock that moved on a rail it was loaded as above but in one barrel, it had four nipples inline with each charge, you then moved the lock back to strike each cap from the front.