Old Dog learns another lesson with BP Pistol

[WALKERs210]

Chain fire has always been discussed by others and it has kept several people that I know from ever trying a Cap & Ball. I use a mixture of Crisco, bees wax and a tad of olive oil. After loading the cylinder it has always been time to pull out a wooden Popsicle stick and smear lube on top. After seeing something on TV I saw a woman using one of the old timer cake decorator when I had a brain farrrtt. I have used hypodermic syringes for may other uses, such as priming a carburetor on a RC airplane engine, precise application of glue in hard to reach places and so on so on. Yesterday while at my pharmacy I asked about the largest syringe that they had on hand, got one that will hold about 2oz with a fairly large opening for the needle. I came home with it, first started off with just plain Crisco with a small piece of fuel line and it works great to seal off the cylinders and not get your fingers all greased up. Next test is to try my mixture which is just slightly thicker than the Crisco.

 

[72coupe]

I have been using a drop of Break Free on each ball. Works great.

 

[Foto Joe]

Several years ago I found a couple of glass syringes at an antique store in central Texas. My thought was to use them for this purpose as they had quite a large opening, I guess the needles they used back then resembled fence posts. I never have used the things simply because I know that sooner or later I'm going to break one by having it running around in the bottom of a 50cal ammo box that I use in my ATV when I go out shooting.

There's a video somewhere on YouTube from a Brit that uses something similar that he "invented". Personally I think his "invention" is a bit labor intensive but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[BHP FAN]

I have a huge brass cake decorator style ''syringe'' sold by Dixie Gunworks for black powder grease application.

 

[samcolt1860]

Those ideas are good for lubricating, but chain fires occur from the cap end of the cylinder 99.99% of the time.

 

[Hellgate]

I use 12 cc curved tip irrigation syringes you can get from pharacies or medical supply websites. They are 10-20 cents each if bought in bulk. I cut the tips back so my automotive grease flows a little aesier. I have experimented with several "secret formulas" for over ball lubes and the problem with natural (bees wax, crisco, etc.) lubes is they harden in cold weather and soften when it is hot. I used to make a cool weather lube with 2 parts olive oil to 1 part beeswax with a little blue crayon to dye it bluish and a warm weather mix of 50/50 beeswax and olive oil. Either extreme, way hot or way cold or even afternoon heating from a cold morning would make them difficult to squeeze through the syringe of be too soft to work well. So I use cheapo tubs of automotive bearing grease. It is the same consistancy hot or cold. All the aformentioned lubes eventually swell the black rubber gasket on the syringe plunger and you need to toss the syringes when emptied if they sat around loaded for a few months. i.e. I generally use once and toss.

The brass cake decorator type from Dixie would be great but if it gets cooled it might be a problem.

As for syringes, you can also get 20 or 30cc with regular tip or 60 cc (2 oz) syringes with "catheter tip" tapered end for lubing too. Again, if your mix gets cold it is hard to syringe and could melt in the sun if hot.

Here in the Northwest it can start the day out quite cool then heat up and be sunny in the afternoon. I don't care to have to carry two different heat sensitive lubes in my shooting box. Hence, the automotive grease that works just fine in all temps. I've so far never had a chain fire after maybe 25,000 rounds fired but I am ANAL about loading and use both over ball grease AND a lube wad under the ball.

 

[kBob]

I have a few Vet syringes sitting around that I used to dose the horses with. They are available at tractor supply and farm stores like that. May have to open the bores up a little with a drill bit but sounds very do-able.

Biggest problems with using them to deliver goo to the front end of a horse was never the seals wearing out from exposure, but either the beasty bitting the darn thing or after several cleanings the rubber gasket got where it would not take the plunger any more.

-kBob

 

[kBob]

Foto Joe

Those glass syringes might have been vet syringes. My Grand father that had been a small town Black smith had a couple and indeed the needles were large enough bore to easily see light through and I once got in trouble for sticking a very thin broom straw through one. He sharpened his needles on a match box striker. There were threats of having our family Doctor deliver shots with the set up. Always got my attention.

-kBob

 

[Moptop]

I have a brass lube dispenser simular to a cake icing decorator thingy that came with my revolver starter kit. It works well but you have to remember to empty it or the brass container will cause the lube to turn green and smell horribly....well ok.. more horribly that the lube normally does!

 

[Lunie]

I don't bother with lubing over the ball, but if'n you were gonna...

As kbob mentioned, livestock syringes would probably be the right size, material, and price.

 

[[email protected]]

And if your going to use Crisco, be sure and use the Butter Favor

 

[Jaymo]

Speaking of big needles, I took my Basset Hound to the vet yesterday. I had her checked for heartworms (negative, yay), got her started on Trifexis, and got her microchipped.
DAMN!! That microchip needle was huge. I felt bad having her stuck with it.
BUT, it means she's much less likely to get the purple juice if she ever gets out.
Plus, it trumps anyone else's claims of ownership if she gets out.
You could pass a grain of rice through that needle.

I've been using lubed felt wads. When I use bore butter, I apply it with my finger. I use my patch material for the howdah pistol to wipe my hands. That way, I'm not wasting it.

I know, I'm kinda weird.

 

[[email protected]]

She should have Bit you

 

[Foto Joe]

Given how much Basset Hounds like to wander I don't think it's an "if" she gets out but when. I swear if the one I used to have would have been born in East Germany she'd have tunneled out before she was off puppy chow.

 

[WALKERs210]

I learned from my son's basset hounds- THEY ARE MASTERS OF ESCAPE- Also one of his will hear me shooting and here he comes as fast as he can. Grabs the barrel of rifle or my elbow.

 

[kBob]

Bit over a decade ago the hospital offerred to put a chip in our then new born. Thoughts of such a needle was one of the reasons I said no.

Fast forward and the same kid seems to believe my stories of visiting the East German border and tales of the horror on the other side of that "wall" are no more real than Mordor which as we were passing around the Ring Trilogy in my platoon at the time is what we called East Germany on that trip.

Though he recently got to shoot his first BP revolver....the smile almost met in back. He did think the grease over the chambers was messy until I 'splained chain fires.

-kBob

 

[samcolt1860]

So then did you tell him that almost all chain fires occur from improper fitting caps? I'll bet not.