Long term storage of loaded revolver

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Running Man

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I am experimenting with keeping a C&B revolver loaded. If I load it with real BP without lube, I get chain fires. If I store it loaded with lube ( I have tried a wonder wad under the ball and alternatively, bore butter on top of the ball), the lube seeps into the powder. I notice significantly less recoil.

Has anyone had any luck storing a loaded revolver and not experienced a loss in effectiveness?
 
Have you actually gotten a chain fire, you may be using an under size ball. I keep one loaded, often for extended times. I use no lube. The main advantage to lube is controlling fouling. Can always add lube over bullet when you shoot out the "stored loaded" rounds.
 
+1 to what 44 Dave said. Lube over the balls or bullets isn't necessary for chain fires and the evidence you are getting chain fires AND contamination of the powder makes it obvious you don't have your chambers sealed properly with the projectile.

As to leaving them loaded I've left revolvers loaded from one deer season to the other and everything works as it should and that is with lube over the balls.
 
It's most likely chain firing due to poorly fitting caps, ball would have to be undersized to cause it from the front. What brand and caliber is this revolver, what caps are you using?
 
I have read that grease should be applied to the nipple threads to prevent rust on them. Has anyone had a problem with the grease contaminating the powder? I detail strip and clean, including the nipples, after every shooting session.
 
I use a speck of BP lube on the threads of my nips. It really helps the nipples come off easily after all day shooting.I use a very tiny smear on one side of the threads. Never had a problem.
All my Blackpowder revolvers stay loaded at all times
. I keep my BP lube smeared over all 6 chambers.
The longest one has stayed loaded is 2 years.
All chambers went off and all chambers have always gone off.
I won't use wonderwads for a revolver to stay loaded long term as they do render some powder inert, you can tell by the tiny recoil and reduced boom When fired.
I'd say if you use wonder wads dip them in A 60/40 beexwax/lard or tallow mixture.
 
Jackrabbit1957 said:
It's most likely chain firing due to poorly fitting caps, ball would have to be undersized to cause it from the front. What brand and caliber is this revolver, what caps are you using?
Click to expand...

Well considering he also said he gets powder contamination when using lube over the balls says his projectile is undersized which is why that was previously mentioned. He said he gets the chain fires without lube and powder contamination with lube, that makes it pretty obvious his issue.
 
A wool wad dipped in pure melted bee's wax under the ball will keep the powder dry, seal the chamber and provide some lube when fired. Long term the wax wad will tend to stick to the ball, but I've not noticed a noticeable loss of accuracy. With my .44 the wax wad is not hard to start into the chamber. With my .36 it is kind of difficult.

A bullet lubed with a stiff bee's wax lube, more wax than lube, and is a good fit in the chamber will eliminate any need for a wad, lubed or otherwise, and will keep the powder dry. I've come to prefer the bullet to the ball, and that is one of the reasons.
 
Lyle said:
I have read that grease should be applied to the nipple threads to prevent rust on them. Has anyone had a problem with the grease contaminating the powder? I detail strip and clean, including the nipples, after every shooting session.
Click to expand...

I put a tiny dab of my bullet lube, which is a very stiff lube, on my threads. Just guessing, my bullet lubes are probably about 75% bee's wax, and 25% some kind of natural grease, mink oil paste, bacon grease, coconut butter...whatever is handy. Tossing in a bit of Allox works well for me.
 
Hello Running Man,

I have a couple questions about your "chain fires",
Does the Cap on the chain fired chamber go off?
Is the chain fire always on the same chamber?
You might want to try paper cartridges with a card between powder & ball.

For anyone else experiencing chain fires, things to document.

If the cap has ignited on the chain fired chamber.
If it's the same chamber going off.
What type of revolver it has happened with, and condition of revolver.

Not trying to start an argument here,
but I believe true chain fires come from the front of the cylinder.
On a brass framed 1851, I do know some frames are badly damaged and
a cap can ignite from the ring on the frame. But this is not a chain fire.
If you do experience chain fires, please document what really happened.

AntiqueSledMan.
 
The research I ran across indicates the chain fire comes from the the back of the cylinder, usually due to loose fitting caps. Most likely gonna stir up a few folks by saying that, I go along with that particular theory. Loading a loose ball that drops in instead being a press fit would be a good way to test this, but it might provide some embarrassment if the gun is pointed down. I guess the main thing to point out is load the thing the way it was intended to be loaded, you know, proper sized caps, ball thats a press fit.
 
I kept my ROA loaded with Pyrodex P, wonder wads & capped with cci #11 caps for about 6 weeks before taking it out to the range. Only thing I noticed was a bit of lag from the time the cap fired to when the charge fired & threw me off a bit. Freshly loaded it was back to normal. Could have been some residual lube slowing it down but no other issues & I've never experienced a chain fire & never use anything but wonder wads under a .457 ball.
 
I've kept cap and ball revolvers loaded for months at a time with Pyrodex RS and Pyrodex P. I found that regardless of lube on top of the projectiles or the absence thereof the only problem I had is the CCI #10 caps seemed to go bad over several months. If I leave a revolver loaded with CCI caps for a few montha and go to fire it some of the caps are either duds or have some delay. If I change the caps with fresh ones I dont have any issues
 
Jackrabbit1957 said:
The research I ran across indicates the chain fire comes from the the back of the cylinder, usually due to loose fitting caps. Most likely gonna stir up a few folks by saying that, I go along with that particular theory. Loading a loose ball that drops in instead being a press fit would be a good way to test this, but it might provide some embarrassment if the gun is pointed down. I guess the main thing to point out is load the thing the way it was intended to be loaded, you know, proper sized caps, ball thats a press fit.
Click to expand...
SASS allows 6 charged and only 5 capped for a stage that requires a reload. Am running short of cartridge loading ingredients was thinking of using my cap guns. We often have a "reload stage".
 
My bud left a 36 Navy loaded for over a years and then test fired it. All 6 went off with one round sounding a little weak. I was impressed. I don't know if he sealed the balls or not. But it was capped and loaded just the same.
 
My Navy has been loaded for ~ 6 months now with real black, round balls, and capped. Sitting on top of my gun cabinet with no lube over the balls or sealer on the caps. I actually used it last night to dispatch an armadillo in the side-yard and the 2 shots I fired seemed to be as stout as if they'd been loaded yesterday. When I reloaded, I just wiped everything off, cleaned the two chambers a bit, and reloaded them. I've been testing this for a while now, to see what if any ill effects I can get by using the Navy as it was intended to be 150 years ago. So far, I've had good luck but that's subject to change of course.

Mac
 
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