target wrote:well what I am asking is whether or not 20 grains will be sufficient and take up enough space so I won't have to use a wad before the bullet.
If that makes sense.
I'll probably just ball up a patch and stick it in there anyway. That way I know there is no air gap.
Jim would know the charge for that pistol better than me.
But..... if 20 grains is what you are supposed to use...then you put it in and then the ball follows and sits hard on the powder. Then you would put bore butter or crisco on top of it.
The bore butter is to lube the bore as it goes down the barrel. It also helps keep the bore clean. It also helps stop fire from any of the other loads from getting to the powder and setting off more than one load. If you look at the barrel end of your cylinder and the pistols frame, you will notice that there is always a way for every load in that cylinder to "accidently" go off and exit the pistol without blowing the pistol up.
So, either you use bore butter on the top of the ball, or you use a wade between the powder and the ball. That is the reason for a wade, it is not to "adjust" any thing in the cylinder. It keeps fire (from another load going off) from getting to the powder in that load. It also lubes the barrel.
There is never any air gap between the powder and the wad, or the wade and the ball. No air gap ever. Everything tight. How far the ball sits in the cylinder is determined by the powder load. More powder and the ball sits closer to the end. Less powder and the ball sits further in the cylinder.
I haven't fired mine in a while now. I will look up the powder charge I use a little later. But Jim will know, I'm positive of that.he loves these things.
Dolk
