Preventing chain fires, without alot of grease

[Elbert P . Suggins]

Actually, I've never noticed any smell from the cow s#$t filler. There is some that waffs off of bull crap but like I said in a previous post on another thread it just doesn't work as good as cow poop. Doesn't compress as well and the chronograph shows you lose up about 20 FPS.

 

[unspellable]

I usually use Pyrodex with a Wonder Wad under the ball and no grease. I occasionally use BP and skip the wad and put grease over the ball. I've never had a chain fire with one of my revolvers.

I did have a chain fire with a friend's revolver that had ample grease over the balls. I suspect more chain fires happen at the rear than the front.

Pyrodex is harder to ignite than BP, that might make it a tad less susceptible to chain fires, but not by much.

 

[NHSHTR]

Sounds like there would be a lot of fertile ground at the club after a cowboy shoot when Elbert P. Sluggins shot there.

I have a parakeet and usually use the 'keet droppings for filler. My groups tightened up considerably and if you're in a hurry, you can hold the cylinder under him and he'll fill it right up. I think every BP shooter should get a parakeet.

 

[Ginormous]

My daughter's freaking Sulphur Crested Cockatoo would be sufficient for an entire regiment then. Not to mention, he's large enough to "troop the colors" at special events, freeing up expensive manpower.

Best pecan cracker I've ever seen though, and willingly shares, until the bowl is half empty - all bets are off at that point, no quarter given, none expected!

 

[shotgunmessenger96]

Use pyrodex, Use cow crap.
I think i'll use pyrodex.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

I'd rather use cow crap... :O)

Die Hard shoot Black Powder...with lube pills.

 

[shotgunmessenger96]

paper cartritges

After reading more on the subject, I think that making paper catritges for a c&b revolver has to be the best idea i've ever heard! just one question though, what diameter ball to use? do you use an oversized ball still or just rely on the paper around the ball to seal the powder off?

 

[Ginormous]

Oversized ball, and tight percussion caps, even with the paper cartridges works for me. I do place a lube pill under the ball and over the paper powder cartridge however. The idea, for me, behind the paper cartridge is to provide faster reloads and more shooting while on the range, not protection from chainfires. That cigarette paper cartridge won't provide much protection from wayward hot gases or flame at any rate. In fact, you don't want it to, otherwise hangfires, and failures to fire would become a problem.

 

[rommer25]

Chain Fires

I have been using lube pills behind the ball for all my B.P. pistols, even my Kentucky 45. Before the lube pills, I used Crisco. Back when I was young I had a couple of chain fires on my Spiller & Burr. I switched to #10 caps and never had another one.

 

[shotgunmessenger96]

amatuer question here, what's a lube pill?

 

[shotgunmessenger96]

faster reload time is what im going for but I think by using pyrodex, paper cartritges, oversized balls, and tight fitting caps I could almost eliminate the possibility of chain fires.

 

[Ginormous]

A 50/50 mixture of melted Crisco and beeswax, used to keep powder fouling soft and manageable in a black powder revolver. Generally, the mixture is allowed to harden a bit after melting together, and then a brass tube of appropriate diameter (7/16 or so for .45 ca) is used to punch round pills from cooling morass of gooey goodness.

Here are mine in a fire blackened steel candle tin, ready to go to the range on a rainy day.

 

[Sagetown]

I stand corrected. Ginormous' answer is correct. I was thinking they were the same when I made the following statement. Quote: A lube pill is called a wad. Which is a piece of felt material soaked with a lubricant. When placed in the cylinder flute above the powder and beneath the ball it serves as a barrel lube after it has been shot.

 

[AdmiralB]

A 50/50 mixture of melted Crisco and beeswax, used to keep powder fouling soft and manageable in a black powder revolver. Generally, the mixture is allowed to harden a bit after melting together, and then a brass tube of appropriate diameter (7/16 or so for .45 ca) is used to punch round pills from cooling morass of gooey goodness.

Exactly how I do it, except I use 1/3 paraffin, 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 Crisco.

I keep an electric deep-fry kettle with a 50/50 mix of beeswax and paraffin for potting guitar pickups (paraffin has too low a melting point, and beeswax by itself is hydrophilic). I take that and mix it 2:1 with Crisco in a little quart crock pot.

Then pour that into the bottom panels of springform cheesecake pans (teflon-coated); the rolled edge gives me a depth target so that I get repeatable thickness.

I've got some 7/16 and 3/8 ID stainless tubing, for the two calibers I use - after the discs cool, I start punching (use a dowel to push the pills out of the tube).

 

[Ginormous]

Sagetown, I just use the name everyone else calls these things. I really don't think anyone cares whether it's a lubed felt wad, or a pill of crisco firmed up with beeswax.

There are commercial versions for both schools of thought:

Cabela's offers Ox-Yoke Wonder Seals, and several other stores offer lubed felt wads.

Both methods I believe have their proponents and detractors, just like anything else. Neither is likely inherently better than the other.

 

[madcratebuilder]

A 'lube pill' or 'grease cookie' generally refers to a concoction of beeswax, paraffin and mineral oil, blended together, then cooled and cut to fit the intended chambers.
A wad is generally a piece of felt material cut to fit and soaked with a concoction of lube/wax.
Both well help seal the powder from hot gases that can cause chain fires.

When placed in the cylinder flute above the powder and beneath the ball it serves as a barrel lube after it has been shot.

sagetown, I'm sure you meant to say chamber, flute is the indentations on the cylinder. The metal is removed to reduce weight. A perfectly round cylinder is referred as a 'unfluted' cylinder and one with the weight reducing cuts is a 'fluted' cylinder.

 

[Sagetown]

madcratebuilder: sagetown, I'm sure you meant to say chamber, flute is the indentations on the cylinder. The metal is removed to reduce weight. A perfectly round cylinder is referred as a 'unfluted' cylinder and one with the weight reducing cuts is a 'fluted' cylinder.

madcratebuilder; yep; I yer right. I picked that erroneous cliche up from some oldtimer and it stuck with me.

Sage

 

[Wolfebyte]

ok.. we have a lube pill..

and compressed by product of the female bovine.

I wonder if dried goat/sheep/deer/rabbit pellets could be a viable filler as well..

Just drop a couple of pellets in the cylinder before loading the ball..

*shaking head..

I've used out of date cream of wheat, corn meal, and some instant oatmeal that I ran through the coffee bean grinder and they have all worked well.. I don't think I need to have any dehydrated cow manure in the kitchen area.

 

[Sagetown]

Just drop a couple of pellets in the cylinder before loading the ball..

Wolfebyte; I had the same thought, but wasn't willing to share it. Don't think I'll ever have to resort to such tactics.