shooting in the rain?

[moooose102]

i just had a thought, and since i have not done this, i thought i would ask. if you shoot in the rain, would the powder you measue and pour down the barrel get wet enough to cause problems? i wouldnt do this except while hunting. i can see where with flintlocks, it would be almost impossible to shoot in the rain, but i have an inline, so ignition should not be a problem (209). but wet powder might be?

 

[nicholst55]

The system is sealed completely, otherwise firing it would be a very hazardous proposition. Your powder will only get wet if you expose it to the rain. Real BP is very hygroscopic and will suck moisture out of the air; I don't use any substitutes so I can't comment on them.

And FWIW, a well fitted flintlock is nearly waterproof. One can take precautions to make it much more reliable in the rain or an extremely humid environment.

I've had more trouble when hunting with percussion rifles in the rain than with flintlocks - moisture kills percussion caps, too.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Getting a few drops of rain on your powder sure would not do it any good. I think more than two or three drops would have to hit it before you had a problem. You can seal your cap with candle wax to keep it dry, but that's no help on a reload.
I have never reloaded in a rain unless I was under cover of some type. I'm sure some of the guys who spend more time hunting can give you a better answer.

 

[hockea]

FWIW

Blackpowder is not hygroscopic; blackpowder residue is hygroscopic.

You might peruse this journal article:

THE C H EMICAL EDUCATOR h t t p : / / j o u r n a l s . s p r i n g e r - n y . c o m / c h e d r
© 1 9 9 6 SPRI NGER- VERLAG NEW YORK, I NC. S 1 4 3 0 - 4 1 7 1 ( 9 6 ) 0 2 0 2 2 - 5
I SSN 1 4 3 0 - 4 1 7 1 1/ VOL . 1 , N O . 2
"The Application of Scientific Methodology to a Contemporary Sports Journal"
RICK VENEDAM

The author does a multiple laboratory comparisons of Black vs. Pydrodex propellents under 100% humidity conditions over many hours of exposure.. The findings; non-statistically different. Clearly not hygroscopic.

 

[arcticap]

I stretch a balloon over the end of my muzzle and secure it with a rubber band to keep rain and other elements from getting in. It helps just in case.

 

[mykeal]

Yeah, this myth about real black powder being "very hygroscopic" pops up every once in a while. It does not do well when in the presence of water, but it is NOT hygroscopic.

 

[Phantom Captain]

Hi,

I have been involved in reenactments in the pouring rain, one in particular this past summer at Hastings, Michigan. I mean it was a complete downpour. I continued loading and firing my rifle (just blanks of course, ) through the entire event as did the rest of our boys in blue and those in gray on the other side. No one it seems had any problems whatsover. We kept biting cartridges and just pouring it down the barrel and it would fire everytime. The nice things was the rain was helping cool our barrels and that was a bonus for our hands!

It was really one of the cooler events I've been involved in. The rain and wet air knocked all the powder smoke down to the ground and it was really something to watch a volley and then watch all the smoke go down and spread along the ground instead of it's usual blowing away.

Dispelled alot of myths in mind about rain and blackpowder. There are many accounts of troops fighting in downpours and thunderstorms during the Civil War and obviously it didn't have too much effect as long as your cartridges stayed dry in your box or you didn't somehow like pour water down your barrel off the rim of your hat or something.

The battle of Chantilly right after Second Bull Run was fought in a violent thunderstorm and downpour. Men were firing at each other by the lightning flashes.

And by the way, wet wool dryed out in the sun after a downpour tends to uh, shrink. Big time. Learned that lesson for the first and last time. Hehe.

 

[moooose102]

i was thinking about this yesterday, speed loaders should almost eliminate this problem, right?