as seen with my post just below I am new to BP revolvers.  I have been doing lots of internet surfing and would like to try and make some of my own paper cartridges.  I am going to use cig roling paper.  I will make a wooden dowel to make the form.  The question I have is do you want/need to use the lubed wad in between the powder and ball like you do when loading the cylinders??  Thanks in advance....

No, you do not use a wad, just the powder and ball.  Ideally you lubricate the bullet.


When you buy rolling paper, look for a brand named "Raw", it's supposedly natural and doesn't have anything added to slow the burning.*  Also check out Duelist1954 on youtube for some other videos on rolling your own (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Duelist1954+paper+cartridges) as well as reliability mods. There are also videos on nitrating the paper.  I did it once but didn't really notice a difference, especially for putting in any extra work; I'm guessing the paper gets ruptured when you ram it all down.  DukeFrazierProductions and Guns of the west are a couple of other good BP shooting channels.

Paper cartridges are neat to make, but they take time and, in my opinion, leave the powder more exposed to absorb moisture.  If I were going to carry a Colt BP revolver for social work then yes, I'd carry a cartridge box (or better yet, a Remington with a loaded spare cylinder), but for occasional shooting I'm just too lazy.  I do not bother to slather grease or anything else over the loaded chambers either (I do use a wad when loading directly into the cylinder), Colt never recommended it in their manuals nor is it visible in the cylinders of any old pictures of loaded revolver pictures that you see.  As long as you're shaving lead it's not a problem- make sure that your caps fit snugly and are properly pressed on though!  Note that Ubertis will usually take a conical out the box while the Piettas and others may need to be modified, ex.

Try various powder charges; a few grains can make a noticeable difference in accuracy with BP guns.

* Funny side note, I went into a local smoke/head shop and was looking at papers. When I told the guy I wanted something with no additive that would burn quicker he asked if I was shooting black powder.  I admitted that I was and it turned out he was a BP shooter as well and he recommended the Raw brand and we talked BP guns for a bit.

Check out Eras Gone Bullet Molds. They also have videos on Youtube

I made some cartridges this week using "Raw" paper. I loaded in the powder, then some Cream Of Wheat as a filler. I used the same amounts as when I load loose powder. Accuracy seemed the same. I did note that the paper was not always completely burned.
 On some shots there was a slight, but noticeable hang fire. I think it depended on if a bit of paper covered the flash hole.
  I plan to try nitrating the paper to see if that eliminates the admittedly small issues.

Have you still got the factory nipples on the gun?  Make sure that they're open, clean and smooth inside.  Better yet, you can upgrade to SliXshot nipples. https://www.slixprings.com/proddetail.php?prod=SliXshot-Black-Powder-Nipples

ETA- You may ask at your local head shop to see if they have any faster burning papers, I haven't bought any in five years or so.  Kinda funny, I've got a pack in my box of BP stuff still.  I think some people were using coffee filters too but those seem thicker.  

Yes, factory nipples. I may replace them in the future, but for now they work fine with loose powder. These revolvers are fun at the range, but I have much better options for serious situations.