WWW.LRML.ORG |
 |
INDEX |
|
Ammunition by Bill Roberts |
|
|
Wads A muzzle-loaded bullet of lesser diameter than the bore is susceptible to gas leakage when fired. To help assure that gas does not pass between the side of the bullet and the bore, a sealing wad is sometimes used. The original British target rifles were loaded using a paper-wax-paper wad under the bullet. Wads approximately 3/l6-inch thick and fabricated from pure hair felt may be used either dry or saturated in wax lubricant. Thin, solid cardboard wads may also be used. One of the best wad materials is 1/16-inch-thick, low-density polyethylene sheet. The wads should be cut using a press or drill press, as hammer-cut wads tend to be cut crooked. OxYoke commercial wads are excellent for bullet sealing wads. Wads should be of groove size or up to .004 inch larger to ensure sealing. Wad cutters made from heat-treated, oil-hardened tool steel work well when used in a drill press. Parker-Hale-manufactured Whitworth rifles were furnished with a hexagonal wad cutter to match the bore. Wads improve the gas seal; thus gas pressure is higher than without a wad. Consequently, bullet velocity is higher, and bullet impact at the target is usually higher. The plastic wads seal better than felt wads if they are sized properly for the bore. Bullets with recessed bases or cavities do not lend themselves to wad usage. The wad folds up into the base cavity and may not perform its intended function. |
||
© 2004 WA Roberts |
PREVIOUS I NEXT | TOP | INDEX |
|