To all the "How long can I leave it loaded" folks

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I'm sorry but as someone who has access to modern firearms and metallic cartridges I'm not leaving my BP cartridgeless firearms loaded beyond their use at the range. Just seems like asking for trouble in m book. If the BP goes crud/dud on you it's a PITA to get the ball and powder out. And then storing a loaded firearm with a primer ready just seems like asking for trouble.

Cool facts, but I'll save my BPs for visits to the range. One day I hope to do Flintlock hunting in Florida but I've yet to really investigate it.
 
Looks like it and it was not that long ago as I remember it. All the steps that can be done sealing with a felt over the powder charge and another over the ball and then grease around the edges and finally wax around the nipples and caps a BP firearm can be kept that way for deckades with BP substitute and still be ready if needed.

Such prepared I have dropped one of mine in a puddle and it fired off just fine.

Sealed right is just as watertight as a cartridge gun with sealed military cartridges.

I have had one of mine charged for five years without the wax on the nipples bang every time.
 
Well, some people don't like to have or own modern firearms and prefer the black powder firearms. I'll leave the reason for that choice alone.
 
Cannons in Central Park were recently fired after having been loaded at least 150+ years ago.

It's no trouble at all to keep/carry/use a cap and ball revolver in place of a modern pop gun.
 
Well I have, as I am sure most here do, have the option of either. Waiting on a Sneaky Pete for my LCP. Us urban dwellers have to be somewhat discreet and a BP, like my 1862 police, while powerful enough to get the job done is just too big.

Wonder what a Sneaky Pete for a 1849 Pocket would look like, some what like the leg o mutton gun case for a shot gun.:evil:
 
Safety always first and foremost but, what about the possible corrosion from years of the powder sitting in the cylinder?



Karl
 
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What about it? Black powder isn't corrosive in the sense you're apparently thinking. Burnt black powder is very hydrophilic - it attracts moisture and holds it in and obviously that's no good in terms of rust. But unburnt black powder isn't going to do anything.

If tomorrow somehow my modern firearms became unavailable I'd load up my Howdah and my 1858 and I'd be able to deal with most realistic threats. Maybe attach a weapon light with a little duct tape...
 
Thanks...virtually non-corrosive then I guess you're saying? I'm not quite sure about the other reference though, merely inquiring about possible degradation of the cylinder. :D


Karl
 
zimmerstutzen said:
I would never store the gun loaded but I routinely store the gun with loaded cylinder removed.
not much different than having a loaded clip next to the empty gun
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Well, yeah, but what's the point of leaving an empty magazine next to an empty gun? It's not safe enough for kids, but not ready enough for bad guys.

If you really want to keep a cap and ball revolver around ready you would either leave it hammer down on an empty cylinder or make use of any kind of notch or post system to keep the hammer between cylinders for those guns that have them. Then you just have to cock the hammer and pull the trigger, but it's drop safe.

If you have kids around you would then put it in some kind of safe or vault that can be opened quickly, just like any other defensive weapon.
 
karlthev said:
Safety always first and foremost but, what about the possible corrosion from years of the powder sitting in the cylinder?



Karl
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just my opinion based on some long ago read fact i think?

but load a cyl up with BP properly and it is airtight I would venture to say even
watertight to some degree.

but leave it unloaded after fireing and you have the residue from the BP and the caps
playing merry hell with the steel unless you thouroughly clean and relube
 
I've had some MOHs loaded for 25 years that work fine. As far as BP guns, it wouldn't even cross my mind to leave one loaded. Unless it was still in the 1800's
 
Just as a "for instance" some people leave their BP rifles loaded during hunting season until they fire it - often recapping or removing priming powder (on a flintlock) when they get home.
 
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Or maybe teach and train children to handle and shoot them, to submit to their parents authority and follow their instructions regarding firearms in the home? They may have to use them to stop a bad guy too, especially if the parent is unable to defend them.
 
I dont rely on a loaded gun for home defense although my guns can be loaded in seconds.

If I take my cap and ball for ground hog patrol and dont get a shot there is no reason to fire it to empty the chambers. The cylinder is removed and stored separately just like I store ammo separately. I dont have young children any more but in the event some immature individual finds the gun they would have to find the cylinder AND know how to put it together.

My home defense involves electric fences, a couple of curious bulls, an inner fence with motion detectors and a pack of 5 dogs
if they get that far, I had time to load some buck
 
I just use an R&D cylinder loaded with 45 Long Colt or 45 Schofield and leave it at that. For everything else I use loose powder and ball.
 
swathdiver said:
Or maybe teach and train children to handle and shoot them, to submit to their parents authority and follow their instructions regarding firearms in the home? They may have to use them to stop a bad guy too, especially if the parent is unable to defend them.
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Sure, I'll get right on that with my three year old.
 
Cannons in Central Park were recently fired after having been loaded at least 150+ years ago.

and now for the rest of this story... "In theory you could have fired that cannon, because the powder was still working," the NYPD's chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, told The New York Times.
 
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