What clever little things have you come up with

[ThomasT]

I worked all of my young life in a machine shop. The coolant we used was a water soluable oil. It is supposed to be mixed 20 to 1. I mix it about 15 to one and no longer remove the barrel to clean. The fouling wipes off with a patch, nipples and clean out screw are dropped in a small amont of cleaner and wiped off. The nipple and clean out screw are greased and put back in. No other lube is needed. I haven't shot my guns in 5 years and there is no signs of rust. When the water evaporates the oil is left behind.

This also makes an exelent patch lube. Every time a bullet goes down the bore it is wiped clean. I never have to stop and wipe out fouling. I use a round plastic snuff box for the patches. Several are placed in the box and the lube squirted on them. Last all day without drying out. I store it in dishwashing liquid bottles.

You can buy this at tool supply stores that carry industrial tools. Not home repair centers.

 

[Pancho]

Ratshooter, What about the 'old saw' that says that petroleum products cause bp and pyrodex to gum up? Have you noticed any of that happening. I'm familiar with your machine shop collant and use it at work too.

 

[bigbadgun]

I just ordered 500 testtubes from http://www.testtubesonline.com/12x55.../207-0006w.htm these are not glass they are Polystyrene Plastic they meassure 12mmX55mm which is .472X2.16 inches the tubes and caps 500 each and 2 50 tube holders cost me $32.00 this should speed up loading at the range conciderably.

 

[ThomasT]

Hello Pancho,

I have never heard the old saw and maybe thats why i have never had a problem. I didn't know it wasn't supposed to work. In the quantities that i use it nothing is sopping wet. My patches are wet enough that powder is wiped from the bore with each shot and the clean up phase only leaves a light coat of oil.

We used to run cast iron parts and you know how fast dry cast iron will rust. That and the fact that the Hoppies NO9 black powder solvent seems seems to be the same thing is what made me try it.

I bought a gallon of the water soluable oil for $20.00 years ago. It seems like it will be a lifetime supply.

I used to drive about 40 miles to where my BP shooting partner lived as there was a gravel pit near his house we had permission to shoot in. The owner was his across the street neighbor. It was such a long drive that when i went to shoot i intended to shoot a lot.

We could back off to about 90 yards with a rock wall backstop. I don't think that i ever went and shot less than 100 rounds per session. I had no issues useing this solvent for a patch lube and no gumming up.

You just can't believe every rumor that you hear. Go out and do your own experiment, you'll like it. Thanks, Thomas

 

[Pancho]

I think we get ours from ZEP. I'm going to give it a try. What the heck if it gums up I'll just clean it.

 

[Rachen]

How about a picture...

How did you do that????? How did you change the gun from an 1860 to an 1851? You gotta tell us man! Come on, tell us, what spell did you use, did you have to recite any ancient phrases?



Actually, I made something clever too. First thing, they got speedloaders for revolvers right? Right. Then, how about a speedloader for PERCUSSION REVOLVERS?

My first prototype was paper tubes glued to a plastic plate and arranged in the exact cylinder face layout of my ROA. Fill tubes with ball first, then a premeasured charge of powder. Then, insert cylinder so that tubes enter each chamber. Then flip em' over. Presto, six loaded chambers, although you have to ram in the balls though and cap the cylinder.

 

[jimrbto]

Water soluble oil.
I believe that this type of oil is NOT petroleum based and should work O.K. .

 

[dwave]

I don't think that it can be a petroleum product if it is water solvable. Water and oil doesn't mix too well.

 

[hildo]

speedloaders for percussion revolvers

Rachen, think you'll like this.


6 shot loader (4 euro)


6 shot double chamber combination loader for powder & filler (10 euro)

They say 'reloading in seconds'. Personally have no experience with it. Offered by a German blackpowder shop, but can't imagine these would not be available in the US.
http://stifters-gunflints.de/shop/index.htm

Hildo

 

[Mike 56]

The old standard was Napa soluble cutting and grinding oil but the old timers i shoot with say they change it now every one i know uses Ballistol. My rifle likes 5 parts water and 1 part Ballistol. I cut prewashed pillow tacking in 1 inch wide x 36 inch long strips. soak them in my lube then lay them flat on wax paper to dry. I cut my patches at the muzzle so my patches are lubed and ready to go.

Mike

 

[ThomasT]

Yep it's water soluable oil. Wynns 301 coolant. Just checked the label. Unless the manufactuer doesn't know what they are talking about.

Try some. I bought my gallon in 1997. Ten years later i still have 80% left. I have not cleaned my BP guns with hot water since then and have no rust or other problems from BP or Pyrodex fouling.

 

[Mike 56]

I still clean my guns but after 4 or 5 trips to the range using that patch lube there wasn't much left in the bore to clean. Every time i used this lube my rifle got easier to load and clean.

Mike

 

[ThomasT]

Mike 56 i still clean my guns but i use the same water soluable oil mix that i use for a patch lube. See my earlier post.

 

[Duncaninfrance]

I noticed at the start of this thread that Eric F is using old film canisters to carry pre measured loads in.
Above you see the plastic powder tubes that I use for pre-measured loads. They are available in 30, 50 (shown), 75, 100 and (I believe) 180 grain capacity in boxes of 20 and 50. Cost for the tubes and holder as shown is 5 euro's, around $7 US, and they last a long time. In Germany and Holland basicly all black powder shooters use these, for safety reasons as well, but I see people in the USA talk about powder horns all the time, never have seen these mentioned. Are these not available in the US?

I use the same thing Hildo but I buy them from my local Pharmacy. They are plastic tubes for sending blood samples for analysis and cost less that 5€! I pay 2€ each for them.

 

[Duncaninfrance]

Nipple Cleaning Holder

I got fed up with trying to hold nipples while scrubbing them so I made this. I have posted it before but it might interest someone.





The loader is also home made. I have an 1858 NMA so it is easy to remove the cylinder to re-load.

This invention also helps BP nuts to enjoy the 'flavour' of the sport more

 

[Hutt]

My simple remedy for keeping your nipple dry in extremely wet conditions is to flatten the top of a #2 slip-on pencil eraser and slip it over your #11 nipple. Makes a nice snug watertight seal and a soft rest for my sidelock hammer to rest on.

 

[bigbadgun]

Check it out

I just got my test tubes in and am getting ready for a day at the range.

 

[Roswell 1847]

A relative who's medical condition required a machine which vaporized a fluid which he would breath in and out several times a day, had hundreds of small plastic tubes with water proof tops that he gave me to use to store both powder charges and small parts and such.

For my .36 I use a fired .38 casing full of FFFG with the ball taped over the case mouth. Just untape the ball pour in the powder then seat the ball. Not very fast but convenient and many loads can be carried in a shirt pocket ready to go.
I use an old Cap Tin filled with crisco for over the ball lube. Keep it wrapped in a cloth and you'll avoid getting grease in your poxcket plus have something to wipe your fingers on.

Years ago I used paper straws rolled up at one end filled with the measured charge then the ball taped over the open end, but .38 casings are better, they hold exactly a fullhouse load.


PS
The Patterson revolvers had loading stations which allowed you to load all the chambers at the same time, and a flask with the proper number of nipples which threw all the charges at the same time with the first stroke of the lever then dropped a ball in each chamber mouth with the return stroke.
These are of course extremely rare accessories which cost nearly as much as the revolver itself.

 

[K.A.T.]

Test tubes

Bigbadgun, I just ordered the same blocks and tubes, thanks for the info. I've had this kind of thing on my mind for awhile. Should help a lot.

 

[bigbadgun]

took 5 days to get it delivered here in the swamp but took me like 1/2 hour 45 min to ready 100 precharges so there you go

 

[bigbadgun]

Well the test tubes are the bomb they increase reloading time by alot probly 1/2 the time best investment for a C&B pistol. Also made a couple nasty looking loading stands that really help so between the test tubes and the stands it is the way to go.

 

[patentmike]

My loading tubes look a lot like Hildo's. My wife got them from a florist. Not knowing any better, the florist uses them to stick individual flowers in. I guess some people like to pin a live orchid to their buckskin shirt or something.

 

[.44walkersabot]

I'vd got one little thing that might help. I don't have a picture of it but I guess I could take one.
I took a piece of Gore Tex membrane and sewed Velcro fasteners on the ends. The piece is about 5 inches wide and about a foot long. It's real good to wrap around your cylinder and caps if you're going to be in the rain. It will keep the nerve center dry. It's easy to undo the Velcro fasteners and remove it so you can shoot.
I don't guess it has to be Gore Tex. Well, anyway, it works. I use it...Okay...