BP revolver is all you have and it's raining

[Twocanary]

Cats and dogs. Not trolling. Hoping for some good suggestions. I'd like to reload somehow in the wet.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Keeping your loaded powder dry?
Aquarium tubing or nail polish over caps
grease or wax over balls
keep the revolver out of the rain as much as possible.

Literally loading the powder balls and caps in a downpour?
get out of the rain, at least under an umbrella, tent or raincoat

 

[StrawHat]

Regarding keeping your charged cylinder dry, Sam Colt used to do demonstrations about this. He would charge a cylinder, per the written instructions on the lid of the case, remove the cylinder from the revolver and drop it into a bucket of water. He would continue his talk, 15, 20, 30 minutes or longer extolling the virtues of his revolvers. He would then retrieve the cylinder from the bucket, snap the excess water off , mount the cylinder into the revolver and fire all five or six chambers. No wax, no grease, no extra precautions, just following the written instructions on the case.

I thought I had a photo of the lid label but am not finding it. Nor did a search for one find a clear copy.

Loading in a downpour, wear a wide brimmed hat or raincoat.

Kevin

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

And use paper cartridges, but really try to keep em dry.

 

[MEHavey]

See full image here
https://i.postimg.cc/PqWgrX9J/860s-Colt-Instructions-sm.jpg

(Note also the number of cylinder loaded in the instructions)

 

[Lyle]

This is a copy of the Colt’s instructions that I have.

 

[J-Bar]

I had to load percussion revolvers in the rain at many cowboy action matches since 2003. Overcoat helps when guns are holstered without caps between stages. I also would slip a plastic sandwich bag over the holstered guns sometimes. Charge the chambers under my Stetson on the table. Rarely had a misfire. I probably had more trouble keeping sweat from dripping off my face into the chambers in the summertime than from rain!

 

[Captain*kirk]

And use paper cartridges, but really try to keep em dry.

^^^^^^^^^This, perhaps coated with paraffin or beeswax? You could probably experiment to see how they fare before actually using them in a real frog-strangler.

 

[1KPerDay]

Why are you reloading in the wet? Load in the dry, seal chambers with grease/wax, maybe seal caps with wax. Shoot if needed. Reload when it's not raining.

 

[Twocanary]

Why are you reloading in the wet? Load in the dry, seal chambers with grease/wax, maybe seal caps with wax. Shoot if needed. Reload when it's not raining.

Thought the reason for asking sounded facetious so left it out. It's for prepper/shtf reasons. I'm not a felon or trying to circumvent any laws. I (lawfully own) have modern stainless revolvers/pistols and load my own ammo. Long ago/far away I was asked in a roundabout way if I was a felon and then diplomatically told to get a shotgun.

 

[Captain*kirk]

Thought the reason for asking sounded facetious so left it out. It's for prepper/shtf reasons. I'm not a felon or trying to circumvent any laws. I (lawfully own) have modern stainless revolvers/pistols and load my own ammo. Long ago/far away I was asked in a roundabout way if I was a felon and then diplomatically told to get a shotgun.

Wait...so if the SHTF it's gonna rain all the time?
JK...enjoy! I would seriously try waterproofed paper carts.

 

[BoBo522]

Wear a large sombrero and reload under it!

 

[shoobe01]

...Overcoat helps...

Seen people (and read of accounts) handling guns under overcoats-slash-hats. Some of the big cloaks that are still used as ceremonial uniforms (mostly in europe) date from the very old days, to keep matches (matchlock) burning, light grenades, etc. etc. Cloaks and overcoats keep your whole body dry like a poncho, and anything else you keep on you, which mattered a lot more way back when; lots of things were not waterproof, no such thing as plastic bags to put it in.

It rains in the real world so worth knowing about, even though very often we don't even have matches when it's raining. When I am out in the woods, I try to be prepared enough I often do /nothing/ about it (unless a downpour or it's been a long time), as everything is already under cover or can handle it.

 

[1KPerDay]

Thought the reason for asking sounded facetious so left it out. It's for prepper/shtf reasons. I'm not a felon or trying to circumvent any laws.

I didn't figure you were. But I can't think of a realistic scenario that would require me to reload a cap and ball revolver when it's pouring rain. Carry another pistol, or change positions. It's simply not practical to try to reload in the rain.

 

[Twocanary]

Wait...so if the SHTF it's gonna rain all the time?
JK...enjoy! I would seriously try waterproofed paper carts.

Lolz. Didn't see that. Waterproofed cartridges... reminded me I have the plastic kind for a long gun. Might be halfway there for a single shot. Pic:

 

[hawg]

You could make cartridges out of foil. I don't know how much if any residue you'd have left in the chambers tho.

 

[Captain*kirk]

You could make cartridges out of foil. I don't know how much if any residue you'd have left in the chambers tho.

I believe there were multiple attempts at foil carts "back in the day"...

 

[hawg]

I believe there were multiple attempts at foil carts "back in the day"...

Yes there were. Here's a good read on them. http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/

 

[Captain*kirk]

Yes there were. Here's a good read on them. http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2015/11/

Thanks, Hawg! Very interesting read! I would assume with most modern foils one would need to pierce the foil through the nipple hole using a nipple pick or similar?

 

[hawg]

Thanks, Hawg! Very interesting read! I would assume with most modern foils one would need to pierce the foil through the nipple hole using a nipple pick or similar?

I would think just loading would rip it open like it does with paper cartridges but yeah piercing it would work as well as tearing the end off.

 

[C Younger]

Thanks, Hawg! Very interesting read! I would assume with most modern foils one would need to pierce the foil through the nipple hole using a nipple pick or similar?

I prefer running a pick through the nipples anyway over firing a cap on an empty chamber to clear oil and debris.

 

[brewer12345]

My bp revolvers are fairly heavy and made of steel. In the rain I would close the distance and clonk my assailant over the head.

 

[Twocanary]

My bp revolvers are fairly heavy and made of steel. In the rain I would close the distance and clonk my assailant over the head.

Colt Walker or Dragoon would make pretty good clonkers alright

 

[gtrgy888]

Beeswax and tight fitting caps work best. I use CCI #10, now impossible to find. You won’t make caps any more waterproof with nail polish, etc. Pool tubing is a better bet, but goofy and ahistorical. I tested tight friction fitted, hammer pressed caps in water for 8 hours. All went off except one that I tested with a fingernail, which slipped down the cone and let water under. Don’t touch these after seating and they should go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, this effect will not apply to #11’s or Remington #10’s, which are too spacious. Undersized caps and oversized projectiles, or the test is invalid.

 

[hawg]

Beeswax and tight fitting caps work best. I use CCI #10, now impossible to find. You won’t make caps any more waterproof with nail polish, etc. Pool tubing is a better bet, but goofy and ahistorical. I tested tight friction fitted, hammer pressed caps in water for 8 hours. All went off except one that I tested with a fingernail, which slipped down the cone and let water under. Don’t touch these after seating and they should go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, this effect will not apply to #11’s or Remington #10’s, which are too spacious. Undersized caps and oversized projectiles, or the test is invalid.

That would waterproof it while loaded but he was more concerned with reloading in the rain.