actual chain fire?

Status
Not open for further replies.
44 Dave

44 Dave

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2012
Messages
1,157
Location
Northern Wisconsin
After watching Brushhippie's YouTube "Testing One Foots Homemade Percussion caps" and seeing his chain fire.
Wondered how many shooters have actually had a (or more) chain fires and what was it like and cause.
 
Im relatively new to BP, so none for me, but, during that video he mentioned that the caps were loose, kind of supports some peoples belief that the chain fire is caused by loose caps vice flame getting past a properly seated round ball.

d
 
For any of you to look up the video of the chain fire occurs at 13 minutes and 45 seconds. dude needs to learn how to edit his videos :)
 
OK I had a few in the '60s when I tried to use the balls cast with the under size mold that came in the cased set. Crisco slime all over but maybe not enough, The caps were those brass ones that fit perfectly.
The last ones (took 2 to figure it out) were 2 yeas ago when trying to find new nipples for My old Uberti with 6x.75 nipples. I tried some "Pietta ones" that were too long and the cap next to the barrel was against the recoil shield.
 
We were actually testing both home made paper cartridges and homemade caps at the time. Please tell me about my unsafe loading? I had no intention of editing out the chain fire, it happened during a test? What are we talking about?
Oh I get it conduit loading...lol....I can see why you are concerned. I shall endeavour.
 
Last edited:
I don't think Brush Hippie was being unsafe.

It was probably either the loose homemade caps he was testing, or the loose ball he mentioned in the video.
 
I don't blame brushhippie for using a extension on that short rammer! hell I would do it too! brushhippie I like your videos, thanks for doing them!! :)
 
Howdy

Yeah, I had a chainfire with my old Uberti brass framed 44 caliber 'Navy' way back around 1970 or so. Drew a bead on a woodchuck, pulled the trigger, and the gun almost jumped out of my hand. One ball went down the bore, the one next to it slammed into that big square part of the barrel and went who knows where. The woodchuck survived to tell the tale.

FirstPistol.jpg

Why did it happen? Search me. These were the days when we used to gob Crisco over the balls, which I always felt was useless, because the Crisco in the chamber ready to be fired always melted and ran out of the chamber. Yes, I always got a ring shaved off the ball when I rammed them in place. I always suspected there may have been a dent or scar on the ball, allowing an errant spark to reach the powder charge.

Once I discovered Wonder Wads I never had another chainfire.
 
I don't think Brush Hippie was being unsafe.
Click to expand...

It bothers me to have guns pointed at me (the camera) as I'm watching things like this. It probably doesn't seem like an issue to the guy simply standing in front of an inanimate object like a camera, but from a viewers perspective, it feels like theres no awareness of the gun handler pointing guns at the viewer.
 
Malamute said:
It bothers me to have guns pointed at me (the camera) as I'm watching things like this. It probably doesn't seem like an issue to the guy simply standing in front of an inanimate object like a camera, but from a viewers perspective, it feels like theres no awareness of the gun handler pointing guns at the viewer.
Click to expand...
As long as there is no cameraman (or anyone else) in front of the gun, it is not a safety issue. I can understand if it gives you an easy feeling, but you aren't in any real peril, and it doesn't mean he was being unsafe or careless at all.
 
I don't think the second video was a chain fire. It just looked like the rammer catch fell out of its dovetail.
 
On the first video, the cap to the left of the chamber in battery is seen to go off before the flame emerges from the front of the cylinder which suggests the cap hit the recoil shield and went off or possible flame got under it and set it off which I tend to doubt it occurs.
 
Malamute...you must not be able to watch any of the old western movies if having a gun pointed at the camera makes you nervous.
 
I use tripods when filming...there are no others on the range with me...I do try not to do unsafe things...but sometimes I make mistakes. Thanks for watching yall! and I endeavor to set a good example and always will! Thanks for the input!
 
Well Mr. Brushhippie yours are large and definitely made of brass.;)

As to the mention by post #5 for the "conduit" loading, if that refers to using a short extension for the loading lever, I do that on my Colt Police.
Short lever and hard balls, scrounged lead is not always pure.
 
Last edited:
ive had two actual chain fires. Once it dumped one extra chamber , the other time it dumped two. Felt like a 44 mag going off. Did no real damage to the gun other than I had to scrape lead off the cylinder pivot pin and the loading recess.
 
whughett said:
Well Mr. Brushhippie yours are large and definitely made of brass.;)

As to the mention by post #5 for the "conduit" loading, if that refers to using a short extension for the loading lever, I do that on my Colt Police.
Short lever and hard balls, scrounged lead is not always pure.
Click to expand...

Must be an old man problem as I've never faced that issue yet.:neener: But I do look forward to getting into BP one day soon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

F
  • Locked
chain fires and black powder loads
2
Replies
47
Views
4K
samcolt1860
S
T
  • Locked
When you experience a chain fire on a BP revolver what's it like?
Replies
24
Views
8K
robhof
robhof
W
  • Locked
Chain Fires
Replies
5
Views
661
Beartracker
B
D
  • Locked
Hey Chain Fire ???
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
Ferret
F
H
  • Locked
chain fire in black powder cap-and-ball revolver
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Rex in OTZ
Rex in OTZ
Back
Top