Long term storage of loaded revolver

[44 Dave]

Fired off my '51 Navy yesterday, had been loaded for several months. Now it is an Army's turn to be loaded.

ps: I put 6 rounds into an old tube type TV that is in the E-cycle dumpster.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I never thought of keeping one of my revolvers loaded that long, usually just loaded on the range for now, until I get my "accouterments" for going on walkabout. Usually I have slightly more modern firearms loaded long term, but I might try this with the 1851 just for grins and giggles. I also really need to not overstress it - the last time I fired it I was loading 25 grains of BP under a 454 ball, and she's a brasser. The 1860 is steel, and can take the job of "thumper".

I really like using a Cap-N-Ball for a sidearm when hunting, trekking, exploring, woods-loafing, woods bumming and/or going on a "walkabout". The cool factor is through the roof. !!! Just increases the fun-factor, makes me fine-tune my accouterments and loading techniques. Popping a couple of grouse for camp-meat with a black powder revolver is worth a ton of bragging rights! And, one or two shots doesn't foul the gun like a range-session. Field cleaning, or cleaning the revolver back at camp is a breeze.

If I don't shoot the pistol during the hunting season (normal, as I don't like making noise when hunting big game) it will remain loaded, but if grouse are on the menu I will shoot the loads off when I get home, give it a "real" cleaning and reload. I've never had a spot of rust on a pistol after a field or camp cleaning, even in wet weather. My '62 has been loaded since Sept. 23rd, I hope to pop her off today, maybe put a dozen of so rounds through it.

 

[gtrgy888]

I really like using a Cap-N-Ball for a sidearm when hunting, trekking, exploring, woods-loafing, woods bumming and/or going on a "walkabout". The cool factor is through the roof. !!! Just increases the fun-factor, makes me fine-tune my accouterments and loading techniques. Popping a couple of grouse for camp-meat with a black powder revolver is worth a ton of bragging rights! And, one or two shots doesn't foul the gun like a range-session. Field cleaning, or cleaning the revolver back at camp is a breeze.

If I don't shoot the pistol during the hunting season (normal, as I don't like making noise when hunting big game) it will remain loaded, but if grouse are on the menu I will shoot the loads off when I get home, give it a "real" cleaning and reload. I've never had a spot of rust on a pistol after a field or camp cleaning, even in wet weather. My '62 has been loaded since Sept. 23rd, I hope to pop her off today, maybe put a dozen of so rounds through it.

Keeping some oil, water, and patches works fine to clean them up. The way some people talk about these guns, you’d think they would rust shut minutes after firing!

 

[hawg]

IK

Keeping some oil, water, and patches works fine to clean them up. The way some people talk about these guns, you’d think they would rust shut minutes after firing!

IKR, I almost always leave mine uncleaned for a day or two and have gone as long as nine days after using Pyrodex.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Just get a conversion cylinder and load 45 colt

 

[Ugly Sauce]

If I'm home I'll always clean them the same day, or get a good start and finish the next day. When hunting-camping I'll just wipe the gun down, takes very few patches to clean the barrel . Yes, in the field I just carry a very small cleaning kit with patches and a tiny bottle of Windex glass cleaner. And of course a small container of oil, usually a small tube of sewing machine, hair clipper oil, those little tubes that come with such devices. But, I've never had to use it, "in the field" times I have shot a grouse I just waited until I got back to camp.

 

[Sburk1993]

I use antiseize from autoparts store, tiny amount applied with tooth pick, good for 1 yr or when really used alot..been doing it that way for 6 yrs with no problem or binding.

So you don't remove the nipples when cleaningtge pistol after you shoot it?

 

[hawg]

So you don't remove the nipples when cleaningtge pistol after you shoot it?

I don't.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I will after so many shootings and cleanings. not every time for sure. If I'm taking the pistol into the mountains on a trek, I'll give it the full works and take the nipples out and clean them. The important thing is to not over-torque them. Treat them like spark-plugs. Although...many guys will way-overtighten them. Snug, not tight.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

I remove them every cleaning and smear a tiny bit of lube on one side of the threads before reinstalling them.

All my guns wear stainless steel slixshot nips. They are pricy but worth every penny.
Though I will reinstall the OEM nipples to shoot my homemade caps.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Yes, always lube the threads. I have stainless nips on all my revolvers now, but that's one place I've never had any rust or corrosion.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Keeping some oil, water, and patches works fine to clean them up. The way some people talk about these guns, you’d think they would rust shut minutes after firing!

I've told the story before, but I know of a pistol that was shot, put in the underwear drawer, and six months later didn't have a spot of rust on it, looked dirty like it was shot the day before. I seen it with me own eyes, when a friend sold it to a friend. I was along as the "expert" !!!hahahaha!!! to help inspect the revolver.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

I've told the story before, but I know of a pistol that was shot, put in the underwear drawer, and six months later didn't have a spot of rust on it, looked dirty like it was shot the day before. I seen it with me own eyes, when a friend sold it to a friend. I was along as the "expert" !!!hahahaha!!! to help inspect the revolver.

Well to be fair.... Not many people shoot these old guns......
So..... You are a expert to your non BP friends

 

[5whiskey]

I've told the story before, but I know of a pistol that was shot, put in the underwear drawer, and six months later didn't have a spot of rust on it, looked dirty like it was shot the day before. I seen it with me own eyes, when a friend sold it to a friend. I was along as the "expert" !!!hahahaha!!! to help inspect the revolver.

While I haven´t gone 6 months, I have gone over a month before when life got in the way. When I finally broke it down to clean it (stressed that I was going to find a mess) I found just 2 small patches of rust on the face of the cylinder around the arbor. Nothing that bothered me at all. Of course, that was in the fall when humidity is less of a bear here. Coincidentally, I´ve also gone 9 days when it was fairly humid (even storing the gun indoors) and realized if I would´ve waited many more days I would have pitted rust forming. I use pyrodex and BP, I can´t tell much of a difference between fouling and corrosion. I can tell that BP fouling is easier to clean.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Well to be fair.... Not many people shoot these old guns......
So..... You are a expert to your non BP friends

True...the buyer and seller friends were certainly, positively, absolutely NOT expert. Don't think the buyer had ever shot one before, and the seller shot the thing once I believe, and into the drawer it went. So I guess I was "more" expert. !!!

 

[LoadingPirate]

I left my loaded 36 in the garage on the bench
For 4 months and all 6 fired.

 

[Don Van Winkle]

I have been where we do not talk about at Sunday dinner. I ALWAYS have my '58 Remington on the nightstand loaded, and ready to go, and take it whereever I drive around Phoenix. This is something that has become a habit with me ; Yes I am safe. It was loaded for about a year and a half and shot great with no hiccups. It has been loaded for about 6 months at this point and I will shoot it this coming weekend just to blow off steam. I do not have to seal the top of the chamber due to the heat here in AZ. I love this gun and will not use any other one ever. I know ehat is said about these guns for home defense and such but this is mine and I am very familiar with it. Not to brag or anything; being a retired Navy Chief I am very humble, but I can draw and fire very quickly so I do not worry coming up against any handgun out there.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

You make a great point Don. Practice with what's comfortable for you, gain the confidence from that practice and develop the muscle memory so the pistol becomes a part of you. Would not want to be on the receiving end of that ball, especially after seeing what one does to small game.

 

[piettakid]

I have twice loaded up my rem 1858 for extended periods. One was for a year and a half and the other time was 2 years. All chambers fired perfectly when i did shoot the guns. I used unlubed wads.

 

[gtrgy888]

I have been where we do not talk about at Sunday dinner. I ALWAYS have my '58 Remington on the nightstand loaded, and ready to go, and take it whereever I drive around Phoenix. This is something that has become a habit with me ; Yes I am safe. It was loaded for about a year and a half and shot great with no hiccups. It has been loaded for about 6 months at this point and I will shoot it this coming weekend just to blow off steam. I do not have to seal the top of the chamber due to the heat here in AZ. I love this gun and will not use any other one ever. I know ehat is said about these guns for home defense and such but this is mine and I am very familiar with it. Not to brag or anything; being a retired Navy Chief I am very humble, but I can draw and fire very quickly so I do not worry coming up against any handgun out there.

Speed to the first shot is what wins a gun fight. The element of surprise and drawing/holstering practice with 2 shot strings can make a person very deadly. Yes, capacity is important. Best to not miss. 2 bullets through the vitals beats 17 in the magazine every time. Be attentive to power loss over time too. I lose 200 feet per second after a month loaded. Still trying to nail down the cause by chrono testing different loading methods.

 

[LoadingPirate]

If I need my 1851's for defense somethings wrong already. I did upgrade all my revolvers with slixshot nipples. I have never had a failure to ignite on any of them.

 

[SomebodyMakeRiderRepro]

Speed to the first shot is what wins a gun fight. The element of surprise and drawing/holstering practice with 2 shot strings can make a person very deadly. Yes, capacity is important. Best to not miss. 2 bullets through the vitals beats 17 in the magazine every time. Be attentive to power loss over time too. I lose 200 feet per second after a month loaded. Still trying to nail down the cause by chrono testing different loading methods.

Triple Seven and Pyrodex are known to degrade over time.

Try pure black. It will last indefinitely with no loss in performance as long as you do your part - remove all moisture from the chamber before loading and seal the nipple / mouth.

 

[LoadingPirate]

I only use pure black in revolvers

 

[gtrgy888]

Triple Seven and Pyrodex are known to degrade over time.

Try pure black. It will last indefinitely with no loss in performance as long as you do your part - remove all moisture from the chamber before loading and seal the nipple / mouth.

I load only Old Eynsford 3f for carry, so powder degradation is not the issue. Still looking at solutions, since the only way to test is to make a change and wait a month at a time to see whether it helped.

 

[Dark Skies]

I wondered if you've fitted / someone has fitted different nipples with larger holes over standard? I had a second hand revolver that the previous owner had fiddled with and put in aftermarket nipples. Fine black powder would trickle out of them if a poor fitting cap fell off - inviting the possibility of a rear initiated chain fire. It never actually did - because I was lucky enough to spot what was going on. Worth a check to see if that's the case. It could also account for moisture intake affecting performance.