Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever loaded a CVA from the breech? It appears that the breech plug could easily be unscrewed by hand, a power belt type bullet pushed into the rifling and a pellet charge placed behind it. Then replacing the plug. It is essentially the way certain artillery and naval guns are loaded.

Yes, you could certainly do it that way. Artillery breeches have interrupted threads, and have an obturator built into the breech block. Tank breeches are sliding vertical blocks, but the obturator is a rubber band attached to the stub case base, about 4 inches long. The cartridge case is pressed propellent, painted silver so it looks like metal but it isn't.
If I was going to do what you suggest, I would bore the rifling out for 2 inches so I could seat the projectile easily. Some of the early H&R break down MLs did not have a threaded plug at all; just a plug with a rubber o ring; the frame kept the breech plug in. Except in one case when a guy had a hang fire and when he opened it up, it fired, sending the breech plug into his brain.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:

If I was going to do what you suggest, I would bore the rifling out for 2 inches so I could seat the projectile easily.

Thanks for your response! That is why I want to use the Powerbelt bullet. The slug itself is bore diameter and the poly driving band at the base is groove diameter. This allows the bullet to act as a pilot aligning it in the bore. I could take a bullet starter and trim it seat the bullet base at a point that would allow proper relation to the pellet charge. I guess I could even make paper cartridges out of nitrated paper to allow the use of loose powder.

I would also carry an electric screwdriver with the correct socket on it so I could zip the breech plug out quickly.
I would also use a center fire barrel and bore out the rifling at the breech, and use regular centerfire jacketed bullets in it; no need for special ML type bullets, sabots, etc.

Do you think the barrel could take the pressure from engraving a full length jacketed bullet, or do I need to use a cast lead bullet of groove diameter?

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I would also carry an electric screwdriver with the correct socket on it so I could zip the breech plug out quickly.
I would also use a center fire barrel and bore out the rifling at the breech, and use regular centerfire jacketed bullets in it; no need for special ML type bullets, sabots, etc.

Yes, engraving bullets doesn't take much pressure.
Notice I said to use a center fire barrel; muzzle loading barrels are made to load from the muzzle and don't conform to standard bullet sizes. For example, I would use a .45 or .50 barrel and then shoot .458s or .500 or .510 bullets in it. I know, all this is more effort than necessary but weird projects is us.
What caliber are you looking at?

I'm just looking at the standard CVA .50 cal. While fooling around with the breech plug I just had a thought to load the thing backwards.

Sure

I tested the theory today. It works fine. I can remove and reinstall the breech plug in only 7 seconds each way. A .50 Powerbelt slug was easily pressed into the rifling with a bullet starter. The trick is to measure the proper distance to just allow the pellet stack clearance.

I would also carry an electric screwdriver with the correct socket on it so I could zip the breech plug out quickly.[/quote]


You'll need a 6 gun holster to carry that and what happens when you drop the breech plug in the tall grass ?

Grizz

Sounds like a PIA.You can load pellets and powerbelts so fast from the muzzle.Why bother??

Where we hunt in SC many stands have a roof and it is problematic trying to use a ramrod.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
Sounds like a PIA.You can load pellets and powerbelts so fast from the muzzle.Why bother??