The most authoritative work on paper patched bullets. The current resurgence of single-shot and black-powder rifles creates a need for up-to-date and accurate information about paper patched bullets. This book presents today's most thorough, fully illustrated source of information for those who enjoy a taste of the past.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Background 2 The Bullet 3 Casting the Paper Patched Bullet 4 Sizing, Bumping and Swaging 5 The Paper Jacket 6 Applying the Patch 7 The Patching Board 8 Lubrication 9 Waterproofing the Jacket 10 Cutting Patches in Quantity 11 Loading the Paper Patched Bullet 12 Theory of the Paper Patched Bullet 13 Back to the Beginning
I was born November 4,1925, the fourth of seven living children. On April 1, 1925, my parents purchased the old Harvey Mallory farm and blacksmith shop, and it was here and in the surrounding area known as Sheshequin, Pennsylvania that I grew up and still reside with my wife of 63 years, Betty.
I graduated from Ulster High School in June 1943, and on the ninth of that month at the age of 17, started active duty in the Regular Navy. On October 2,1943 I reported aboard the U.S.S. Appalachian,an Amphibious Group Command Ship that took me to the Pacific and invasions of the Marshall Islands, Guam, Leyte, and Luzon. I participated in the occupation of the Japanese Empire and the first two atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946. I left the U.S.S. Appalachian on September 10,1946, and was honorably discharged as a Coxswain on October 31,1946.
I married my high school sweetheart, Betty Hotchkiss, on May 11,1946. After discharge from the Navy and a short stint at college in California, I returned to Sheshequin to get a job with Ingersoll-Rand Company, where I worked as a machine operator for seven years, before being transferred to the Technical Publications Department. Here I served as a technical writer and eventually as manager of technical publications.
During my spare time, I worked at writing articles about guns and hunting, two or three novels and embarked on a 3-year Famous Writer's Course. I wrote several articles for Gun Digest and other gun publications, as well as a series of fiction hunting stories for both Shooting Times and the Pennsylvania Game News. I still write for the Game News.
Since retirement in 1982, I have written several small books relative to rifle shooting published by Wolfe Publishing Company, and one published by Exchange Publishers, Inc. In 1992 at age 66, I became involved in black powder cartridge silhouette competition where I participated in 188 matches,setting four new national records and becoming a co-holder on two other national records. Now,at age 83, I still manage to get to the shooting range once or twice a week, weather permitting.
During the early years of my marriage, my wife Betty and I had four children. I always found time to write, with my first article published in the January,1949 issue of Field & Stream. Other articles, short stories and books have followed, and they are still coming!
This is a convenient 6"x9" paperback of which the appearance belies the quality of the content. On first impression the paper back (cover) is too thin, almost fragile, and the paper yellowish and low quality, while the 45 odd b&w photographs were clearly not taken by a professional photographer. Once you dig into the 140 pages of text however, this book's quality becomes apparent. In Chapter 13 Mr. Matthews covers the casting, hardness and sizing of the bullet intended for paper patching and how it can be bumped up or swaged as need be. This is followed by suitable papers for patching, determining suitable patch dimensions and the actual application thereof to the bullet. The tools used are also discussed. He then covers a few topics which jacketed bullet shooters may find quite esoteric. These include bullet lubrication, waterproofing the patch as well as how to load a paper patched bullet. The booked is wrapped up by two chapters delving into the theory underlying paper patches.
One reviewer mentioned that the book did not provide enough detail on how to apply a patch. In my respectful view this book does. You just have to read it cover to cover once. I learnt a lot from this book and consider it money well spent. My only criticism of it is that it is a book that will be used a lot initially by a novice paper patching shooter and, being a paperback, I would have liked it more durable. The solution is of course to buy two right from the outset.
Information wise it is an excellent and recommended publication.
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This is the best source of info on the subject I have found. It answered all of the questions I had about how this was done. The info on making and using the simple bullet swedge tool alone is worth the price of the book. Paul has written some other books and articals on this subject, but for this project (loading ammo for my M1867 Danish roller and Ruger #3 .45-70) this was a great help. The M1867 having extra deep rifling required some special work to make a proper bullet, and paper patching/jacket was the right answer. My thanks to Paul for putting it out there.
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Not quite what I was expecting. Info is out of date. Looking for more info on paper patching for long range single shot rifles for target and hunting. Wanted explicit info on how to cut patches,roll the patch on and seating the round in the cartridge. Out of the whole book only about 10% was devoted to the actual patching process.
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