I have heard it is a bad idea to keep a black powder revolver loaded because moisture is drawn into it and causes failures. I did an experiment and loaded my 1851 navy and let it sit in my nightstand for 3 weeks. Pulled it out and fired all shots with no hiccups. I also live in a very humid climate but the gun still went off. Any reason I should not keep it loaded?
Keeping revolver loaded
- Thread starter ldlfh7
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J-Bar
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Someday you will forget it is loaded and put a hole in your workbench. Don't ask me how I know...
ofitg
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I've read that Sam Colt used to demonstrate the reliability of his percussion revolvers by submerging a loaded pistol in a tank of water for several minutes, then fishing it out and shooting it. Tight-fitting caps and properly-seated balls are a must.
If you want to leave it loaded for weeks/months at a time, you might want to avoid using a lubed wad between powder & ball.....
If you want to leave it loaded for weeks/months at a time, you might want to avoid using a lubed wad between powder & ball.....
45 Dragoon
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Kept a 44 Remy loaded for months at a time, never had a prob. Ditto about the over powder wad.
swathdiver
Member
If folks treated all their sixguns as loaded all the time they wouldn't keep going off accidently with the phrase in the police report, "I thought it was unloaded!"
What good are they unloaded? You can keep them loaded for years and they will shoot fine.
What good are they unloaded? You can keep them loaded for years and they will shoot fine.
RPRNY
Member
Black powders ignition properties are actually enhanced by a little moisture - ie humidity rather than Sam Colt's demonstration...
The reason to avoid leaving cylinders loaded with a lubed wad between ball and powder, or with a grease "cookie" over ball (unless absolutely certain of a liquid-tight seal) is that the lube will drip into the powder and quite possibly inhibit ignition. A tight fitting waxed over powder card can diminish this risk.
The reason not to leave a BP cylinder loaded for a long time, especially in humid conditions, is not the effect on ignition but rather that the hygroscopic qualities of BP attract and retain moisture and that when that moisture reacts with sulphur and corrosive salts, it will encourage rust and pitting.
Having said that, black powder was the main propellant in naval gunnery up through the end of the 19 th century (and beyond). It was often damp and guns were often left loaded with such powder for long periods.
Would I leave a cylinder loaded with BP or subs for any length of time? No, not if I could help it. Will your cylinder rust away into uselessness if you do so. Probably not. Will nipples be way more likely to get stuck? I bet they will.
In the end, leaving a BP cylinder loaded is not ideal. Fitted with those rubber save caps at both ends you can probably do so for quite some time without much worry. Just make sure everything gets a jolly good clean once it's fired.
The reason to avoid leaving cylinders loaded with a lubed wad between ball and powder, or with a grease "cookie" over ball (unless absolutely certain of a liquid-tight seal) is that the lube will drip into the powder and quite possibly inhibit ignition. A tight fitting waxed over powder card can diminish this risk.
The reason not to leave a BP cylinder loaded for a long time, especially in humid conditions, is not the effect on ignition but rather that the hygroscopic qualities of BP attract and retain moisture and that when that moisture reacts with sulphur and corrosive salts, it will encourage rust and pitting.
Having said that, black powder was the main propellant in naval gunnery up through the end of the 19 th century (and beyond). It was often damp and guns were often left loaded with such powder for long periods.
Would I leave a cylinder loaded with BP or subs for any length of time? No, not if I could help it. Will your cylinder rust away into uselessness if you do so. Probably not. Will nipples be way more likely to get stuck? I bet they will.
In the end, leaving a BP cylinder loaded is not ideal. Fitted with those rubber save caps at both ends you can probably do so for quite some time without much worry. Just make sure everything gets a jolly good clean once it's fired.
You mean you didnt see that shinny copper cap on the nipple before you pulled the trigger?
or was this with a different gun?
Only time i ever dry fire my C&B guns i have a rag infront of the hammer. I think of these the same way as my rimfire NEVER dry fire
J-Bar
Member
Well, since you asked...
My basic rule is to never take a loaded gun home from the range. If I am deer hunting with my muzzleloader and I haven't scored, I shoot it out, take it home, clean it, recharge the next morning before returning to the woods. Same for revolvers.
Except once when practicing at the range, a revolver jammed and I could not clear it at the range. I refuse to completely disassemble a revolver at a range to dig a cap out of the internals...too easy to lose the parts. So I took this revolver home with one chamber charged. I cleared the jam, wiped out the barrel and 5 empty chambers, and intended to write myself a note and tape it to the gun, reminding myself that it was charged. Something distracted me, never got around to writing the note, and I put it away as is.
Six months later, when I decided to take that revolver to the range again, I took it into the garage to charge the cylinders before driving to the range. Increases shooting time at the range don't you know. So I put caps on all 6 nipples to clear the chambers before loading. Pop, pop, pop, BANG.
No excuses, it was stupid. The only thing I did right was to follow the rule about never pointing a gun at anything you don't want to destroy. Not that I really wanted to destroy my workbench, but there were other things in the garage that would have been worse to shoot.
So, that's how it happened. In addition to never bringing a loaded gun home from the range, I have added the rule to always load at the range. The hole is a humbling reminder.
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DANG!
I have one right now loaded and ready because i had an issues that i couldnt resolve at the range. I need to clear it today so i can clean it.
Is that a good thing to do clearing the chambers with the caps? not loaded ofcorse but i mean clearing the empty chambers with the caps. What does that help?
I have one right now loaded and ready because i had an issues that i couldnt resolve at the range. I need to clear it today so i can clean it.
Is that a good thing to do clearing the chambers with the caps? not loaded ofcorse but i mean clearing the empty chambers with the caps. What does that help?
J-Bar
Member
The hot blast of air through the nipple and chamber ensures that the vent hole in the nipple is not plugged and that there is no residual oil or solvent or condensation in the chamber that might cause a misfire. Ideally you point the gun at a blade of grass or some dirt so you can see the puff of air come out of the muzzle. If you don't get air movement from the muzzle, better check the nipple holes.
So many of us "waste" a few caps to ensure ignition before charging the gun with powder and ball.
MCgunner
Member
I keep my Remmy on the headboard loaded. I seal it with clear nail polish, ball and cap, and it always goes bang.
I did an experiment once, left a loaded cylinder each for my '51 navy in the garage in hot and humid Corpus Christi for months, fired 'em in mid winter to test. One was sealed with paraffin, IE candle wax, the other with nail polish. The one with nail polish went bang like a cartridge revolver. The one sealed with candle wax had two slight hangfires, but all went off. Based on that, I have no more qualms keeping my remmy loaded and sealed with the nail polish. I do take it out and shoot the loaded cylinder now and then. I have 3 cylinders for the gun, so I can and do rotate them occasionally. I can't just let the thing sit there, it's too fun to shoot!
I did an experiment once, left a loaded cylinder each for my '51 navy in the garage in hot and humid Corpus Christi for months, fired 'em in mid winter to test. One was sealed with paraffin, IE candle wax, the other with nail polish. The one with nail polish went bang like a cartridge revolver. The one sealed with candle wax had two slight hangfires, but all went off. Based on that, I have no more qualms keeping my remmy loaded and sealed with the nail polish. I do take it out and shoot the loaded cylinder now and then. I have 3 cylinders for the gun, so I can and do rotate them occasionally. I can't just let the thing sit there, it's too fun to shoot!
MCgunner
Member
Well, it's not a "waste" if you really need it to go bang.
I use either ring caps, the plastic ones, or my caps made with the tap-o-cap for this, works fine. The plastic ring caps will often need the plastic to be pricked off with a sharp pick, though. But, it saves the good caps for the important work.Busyhands94
Member
There's been stories of people finding a gun in their attic and accidentally shooting themselves or others with "that old gun great great granddaddy used in the war."
I sleep better at night with my Remington .44 loaded, I have kept it loaded for long periods of time and it never has had a misfire due to humidity, nor has it rusted.
I sleep better at night with my Remington .44 loaded, I have kept it loaded for long periods of time and it never has had a misfire due to humidity, nor has it rusted.
EvilGenius
Member
In reference to the lubed wad.
I'm considering paper cartridges with lubed wads.
Would it be a bad idea to use two wads with each cartridge? Lubed one behind the bullet and a dry one between that and the powder?
I'm considering paper cartridges with lubed wads.
Would it be a bad idea to use two wads with each cartridge? Lubed one behind the bullet and a dry one between that and the powder?
dogrunner
Member
Longest I've ever left my '58 Remington repro loaded was just over one year.....hunting season to hunting season. When I touched off the cylinder all chambers fired normally.........black, wads, rb & bore butter to seal the mess.......BUT, on cleaning I noticed that some corrosion had occurred in several chambers.....
Now, all said, I am in the habit of 'over' cleaning my guns, I alcohol'd the chambers & dried 'em thoroughly prior to loading...still, there was apparently just enough moisture to enable that light rusting to occur....too, the climate I live in is to be kind, moist. By the way, that gun was stored in a climate controlled environment.
Now, all said, I am in the habit of 'over' cleaning my guns, I alcohol'd the chambers & dried 'em thoroughly prior to loading...still, there was apparently just enough moisture to enable that light rusting to occur....too, the climate I live in is to be kind, moist. By the way, that gun was stored in a climate controlled environment.
Zeke/PA
Member
All of the Black Powder corrosive stuff scares me to the point of NOT keeping a BP revolver loaded! Maybe I'm wrong in this respect but I really prefer my S&W 638 in .38 Special in the nightstand!
MCgunner
Member
Just dip the brush and slather that in each cylinder, paint it around the edge of the ball. Then I dip it and push it over each cap and rotate to get it around the base of the cap. I'll first do the balls, let it dry caps down, then do the caps and let them dry. It works well for me.
MCgunner
Member
Corrosion hasn't bothered me. Of course, I usually shoot the loads out before a couple of months have gone by because I shoot the thing so much. Even if it did corrode a tad, so what? And, well, a new cylinder's 40 bucks if you ever got THAT far with it, fifty if not on sale. That's actually as cheap as buying 6 nipples from Track of the Wolf. I do have my carry in my pants from the previous day laying nearby when I'm sleeping. I hung the Remmy there for the cool look factor. Wife liked it. And, well, if it's going to hang next to my head it's GONNA be loaded.
No kids around, just us.Wonder what the chamber looks like in my BP Hawken rifle? I've left it loaded all season, just de-cap to unload. I don't know, but it still shoots fine.
swathdiver
Member
No rusty cylinders from keeping them loaded, that's armchair chemistry, not reality.
MCgunner
Member
I agree. If it got moist enough to worry about rust, it wouldn't go bang when I pulled the trigger.
First off, J-Bar you made me grin. I could see this happening to me simply because I've been known on occasion to clear the nipples in my garage while I'm putting stuff together to head out and shoot. I can just imagine a round ball bouncing around my garage and hitting the motorcycle on one of it's rebounds.
If it hit me I'd probably recover but putting a ricochet into the bike would ruin my day. Thanks for the heads-up, I will discontinue the practice and learn from your wisdom.
Regarding corrosion and the hygroscopic nature of Black Powder. It's the residue that is hygroscopic and corrosive NOT the powder itself. Un-burned Black Powder will not turn your gun into a paperweight. Having said that, I've left more than a few revolvers loaded for extended periods of time (one up to a year) and had no negative results but.... as was stated above if you're going to do this don't use any lube either over or under the ball and all will be right with the world when you drop the hammer.
I could see this happening to me simply because I've been known on occasion to clear the nipples in my garage while I'm putting stuff together to head out and shoot. I can just imagine a round ball bouncing around my garage and hitting the motorcycle on one of it's rebounds. If it hit me I'd probably recover but putting a ricochet into the bike would ruin my day. Thanks for the heads-up, I will discontinue the practice and learn from your wisdom.Regarding corrosion and the hygroscopic nature of Black Powder. It's the residue that is hygroscopic and corrosive NOT the powder itself. Un-burned Black Powder will not turn your gun into a paperweight. Having said that, I've left more than a few revolvers loaded for extended periods of time (one up to a year) and had no negative results but.... as was stated above if you're going to do this don't use any lube either over or under the ball and all will be right with the world when you drop the hammer.
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