Ball bag pattern question.

[Rt5403]

Anyone have or know where I can find a pattern or measurements for a molded ball bag? I need it to be able to dispense .72 cal round ball.

[Tim Crosby]

 Have you looked at this? It can be adjusted to what ever size you need.

   Tim

  https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=30238.msg289524#msg289524

[Daryl]

I bought this ball "bag" from Trackofthewolf many years ago, in the late 80's. It is formed like a powder flask and has a hard copper tube in the 'neck'. The tube
has an ID of .825", so any balls up to 10 bore, pass easily and the larger ones like .680" and larger, 1 at a time.
 There is an embossed or stamped name "October Country" on it's side.

[Rt5403]

So decided to just dive in and see what happens. This is as far as I got this afternoon. Next to wet it down and fill it with sand or rice and let it dry.

[RAT]

Years ago there was someone in our club that made them from rawhide. He used rawhide dog chew toys. He filled them with glass beads to mold them to shape.

[Tim Crosby]

So decided to just dive in and see what happens. This is as far as I got this afternoon. Next to wet it down and fill it with sand or rice and let it dry.

 Really soak it and PACK wet sand in, don't just push it in, using a dowel and a mallet. You'll be surprised at how big you can make it.

   Tim

[Hungry Horse]

 I have one I made from a rawhide dog chew and filled with warm sand to form it. I’ve had it for years. It has an antler powder measure for a plug. The outside is painted with acrylic flat clear coat, with chalk line chalk mixed in to simulate primitive paint, and serve as a sealant to keep the bag from getting moist and flabby.

Hungry Horse

[Rt5403]

I have one I made from a rawhide dog chew and filled with warm sand to form it. I’ve had it for years. It has an antler powder measure for a plug. The outside is painted with acrylic flat clear coat, with chalk line chalk mixed in to simulate primitive paint, and serve as a sealant to keep the bag from getting moist and flabby.

Hungry Horse

I've never dealt with rawhide. How do you mess with it and what type of chew toy do I need to keep and eye out for?

[Hungry Horse]

You will need a chew that is pretty much all one piece. You will need to soak it in water for several hours until it is pliable enough to untie the ends and unroll it. I just folded it over so there would be no seam in the bottom, and cut the top like the neck of a bottle. I then saddle stitched up the sides, and up the sides of the neck. Then packed it with damp sand rammed down with a stick, and let it dry for a few days.
 The chews come in all different thicknesses mine was about the middle of the road. Mine was for a trade gun that shot 20 gauge balls, so the capacity had to be pretty big, as did the neck opening. I did take one of the pieces I cut off to make the neck and sewed it into the neck seam and punched a hole in it so I could put a lanyard on my plug/measure.

Hungry Horse

[Rt5403]

Mine is a .12 ga. How do you stain it?

[RonT]

Rawhide dog chews, I use Fiebings leather dye, seen on the center seam sheath.  The ball/shot/powder/priming pouches were made by soaking, sewing and pounding sand , or #9 shot and are sealed with Shellac. 
Cheers,
R

[bigsmoke]

Daryl, That flask was made by the original owner of October Country, Mort Fadum.  I bought the business from him in late 1983 and ran it until 2005.  I believe he started it in July of 1977.
Mort's original process was to pack the flask with sand.  I continued that procedure for a few years until Dave @ Track of the Wolf commented that it took forever for the sand to work its way out of the leather and it could be an abrasive on the tubes of a shotgun.  After that little chat, I switched over to using #6 Nickle plated shot.
Do you need plated shot for this procedure?  Nope, not at all.  It just was what was available at the time.  Interestingly enough, that original 3 pound coffee can of shot is still being used to this day.
I found warm water worked best for me, but I think that was just better on my hands when doing a production run of a couple of dozen at a time.  I really don't think that the temperature of the water makes a difference.

Hope this helps,
John (Bigsmoke)

[Daryl]

Thanks John, good into. I think I might have bought it in 86 or 87.
I guess you could use it with shot and the powder measure off the horn for measuring it.