|
Post by armedandsafe on May 27, 2016 16:41:24 GMT -6
That is the proper size then. Remember that forcing a ball through the bore with a rod will not expand the ball as does the pressure from the igniting powder. You expect to see some groove light when manually pushing the ball through the bore with a rod. Full engagement with the lands is the important factor in that test.
Pops
|
|
|
Post by shooteruk on May 29, 2016 0:00:48 GMT -6
I spoke with my old partner in the gunntrade. Like most here, he knows far more than I do about BP shooting. One of his observations was guns produced in the US during the Civil War often varied in exact calibre, bore, chambers etc would vary as production stretched to meet demand. The .44 would mostly take a .454, mine seems to need a .480. This would it seems also help explain the contemporary complaints of inaccuracy in the Starrs.
Another issue I have thought about is lubrication. Is it necessary to grease over the chambers?
|
|
|
Post by armedandsafe on May 29, 2016 19:09:40 GMT -6
Chamber grease and bore lube is performed by the Wonder Wad. You can make your own, but only if you like fussing with messy is that worthwhile. There are those who clean the bore of any old lube before the first round is fired. They then fire one wad only to lube the barrel. hmmmmmm Pops
|
|
|
Post by shooteruk on May 30, 2016 15:13:44 GMT -6
On the BP Revs I have fired, I was told to grease over the ball to prevent a chain fire. Has anyone ever seen a chain fire? I always thought a tight ball fit would do the same job. Maybe not, dont know. Whats lube in a BP for? To lube the bullet, or help clear fouling? I dont know? In centrefire as we all know oil in the barrel is dangerous. They need to be dry.
|
|
|
Post by Alpo on May 30, 2016 17:42:59 GMT -6
Saw a chainfire on TV once. Pepperbox. They went off one after the other, like a slow-fire machine gun. Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow.
It was so pretty, and with them "accidentally" catching a RARE incident like that, I figger it was faked for the show.
The late Tom Ball (Ball Accuracy, gunsmith that worked on cap and ball revolvers, turning them into target pistols) told me that he had seen exactly one chainfire in his time working with them, and it was caused by a cracked cylinder. It was not flash around the muzzle end. It was going through the cylinder wall.
Said that in his professional opinion, chainfire was BS. If you used a tight fitting ball, it just did not happen.
|
|
|
Post by piney on May 30, 2016 20:00:00 GMT -6
I was told it was a myth, too.
|
|
|
Post by shooteruk on May 30, 2016 23:58:14 GMT -6
Always sounded a bit unlikely to me.
I have a blown cylinder. Stainless S&W. I use it as a pen holder. I also have a blown 1911A1 barrel, I have the blown part, a smige behind the muzzle on my keyring. I did have a couple of others but they got lost over the years.
|
|
|
Post by Alpo on May 31, 2016 0:18:29 GMT -6
I igger what happened, is that when people started PLAYING with cap and ball, in the 50s, and there were very few people around that actually knew anything about it, they did stupid shit like using 44 caliber balls in the 44s, and 36 caliber bslls in 36s. These extremely undersized balls probably did allow muzzle flash to get by. But when you consider that people went to war with these guns - I'll shoot my gun dry on the battlefield, recharge all the chambers, AND GET OUT MY CAN OF CRISCO.
|
|
|
Post by armedandsafe on May 31, 2016 16:19:39 GMT -6
Chainfires are rare, but still possible. A potential cause is starting the ball off-center, so a flat gets scraped on one side.
Testing shows that chain fire can be much more likely by leaving a cap off or having a cap fall off during carry or firing. Still very rare.
There are two advantages to using Wonder Wads. One is that the compression on the powder is much more even, leading to more consistent pressures being developed. The other is to calm those who are insistent that greasy, messy, dirty, stinky paste MUST be used to cover the ball in the cylinder.
Pops
|
|
|
Post by shooteruk on May 31, 2016 23:22:05 GMT -6
I have sourced some wonder wads, but they are dry ones. Any suggestions of what to lube them with? I do keep two types of machine grease. Common vehicle type and a high moly type (Black one).
|
|
|
Post by Alpo on Jun 1, 2016 2:35:21 GMT -6
You don't want to use any petroleum-based product in a black powder gun.
Petroleum and black powder fouling set up like concrete.
Animal or vegetable based lube. Tallow, lard, beeswax, vegetable shortening. You use the wax like you'd use tin in casting. To harden the grease.
|
|
|
Post by armedandsafe on Jun 1, 2016 16:26:40 GMT -6
Ballistol
|
|
|
Post by Luckyn'nooga on Jun 1, 2016 19:01:17 GMT -6
Chain-fire in a properly loaded and maintained revolver is a myth. I've used both w-wads and lube over the years. There is a difference in point of impact. The lube tends to make the 'char' must softer and easier to clean, so I use lube. Sometimes our team shoots in inclement weather, and I'm more confident with lube as a sealer.
I remove the firing cones and boil them with the cylinder, in a frothy mix of liquid dish soap & water. After cleaning, a VERY light coating of balistsol prevents rust. While the parts are on to boil, I totally strip the frame and clean it. Gives me an opp to check the prawl, etc. Gorilla Grease lightly smeared on the threads will make removal of cones on revolvers and muskets MUCH easier.
I use .457 Hornday balls, the equivalent of 18 gr FFF Goex, compressed behind corn meal, on a worked '58 Remington copy. I use a cylinder loader, shimmed to provide equal loading spaces, giving less stress on the frame components. See if you can get the forcing cone beveled a tad more than the factory issue, as that will improve the effects of imprecise indexing on non-Ball issues. German wingless caps finish the prep, capped IMMEDIATELY before firing on the line. I sanded the finish from the grips, as the finish made the revolver too slippery on hot days or rainy events. I've a copy of Hell I Was There, it's a good read, from a firearm aspect, an outdoor aspect, and a life honourably lived. They just don't make men like Mr. Keith anymore. (I ran on - too many words, sorry.)
|
|
|
Post by shooteruk on Jun 2, 2016 0:24:12 GMT -6
'Too many words' Lucky, seemed just about right to me. Some tips in there I will surely use, thanks.
|
|
|
Post by eddien on Jun 8, 2016 21:01:06 GMT -6
Can somebody tell me how much of what powder to use?
|
|