How to Make Ammunition for a Musket

For those of you who would like join the fun of Civil War reenacting, you must have the proper ammunition for your musket. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to make your own ammunition, though care must be taken with the powder, especially. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Soak the paper you will use to make the cartridges that will be the ammunition for your musket in potassium nitrate. This will make the cartridge combustible.

2. Wax a dowel and wrap the paper around it to form a cartridge. In the Civil Warm, this dowel was wooden. Nowadays, this dowel is aluminum. You can buy it at a gun store or ammunition manufacturer's store. Make sure the dowel is slightly larger than the bullet's diameter.

3. Glue the edge of the paper so it will not unroll and spill out the powder prematurely.

4. Slip the bullet into one end of the paper cartridge and make sure that the rounded end is pointing out. Tie or glue the bullet in place.

5. Measure out the black powder you wish to use in your cartridge, and pour it into the other end of the paper cartridge when you make ammunition for your musket.

6. Bend the paper over and tie or glue it closed.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to take care when you load your musket and point it away from anyone else. Black powder is extremely combustible, so care must be made when handling it.