How do you prep your C&B revolver for an outing?

How do you prep your revolver for an outing, hunt or backup to your long gun?

I prep as if I will be in a rain storm and want the revolver to function no matter what.
With grease already packed in the internals, I usually load 5 of 6 cylinder chambers with powder, then over powder lightly lubed, tight fitting felt wad & then ball on top. Then I cap the 5 cones with a good fitting percussion cap. Once capped, I drip candle wax around each cap on the cones filling up the space around the cones to completely seal them.

I have found that this technique works in any weather situation that I am exposed to in my area.

How do y’all prep your revolver?

Happy Trails, DanL

DanL said:

How do you prep your revolver for an outing, hunt or backup to your long gun?

I prep as if I will be in a rain storm and want the revolver to function no matter what.
With grease already packed in the internals, I usually load 5 of 6 cylinder chambers with powder, then over powder lightly lubed, tight fitting felt wad & then ball on top. Then I cap the 5 cones with a good fitting percussion cap. Once capped, I drip candle wax around each cap on the cones filling up the space around the cones to completely seal them.

I have found that this technique works in any weather situation that I am exposed to in my area.

How do y’all prep your revolver?

Happy Trails, DanL

Click to expand...

That procedure for the caps was pretty much what I did for blanks when doing ACW living history, and we'd use kidney tallow over the powder, as it had a high melting point. I used to carry a single shot pistol for backup shots for deer, and my procedure for those was the same except I used a dry wad over the powder, then the patched ball..

BUT, since we've had mountain lion seen very close to where I hunt, yes the edge of Washington DC Suburbia, since I'm an LEO I carry something modern in a revolver. I'll be fully retired when I'm in the woods this year and a big kitty and I don't need to tangle, and if we do, I need to come out the winner, fast.

LD

Here in Texas it’s mostly dry so there’s no need to do anything special. But I’ve often thought about a hunt in the mountains of New Mexico or Arizona, and hadn’t put any real thought into dealing with snow/wet.

I guess the wax after shooting isn’t a mess? I’d be afraid it’d get into the action and that it might be undesirable when reloading. For my revolvers I’d likely use paper cartridges. For my rifle I have several options for measured powder charges.

I have punched lots of cereal boxes to make pistol over cards for longer term loads, but I’ve had a pistol loaded for I think 6 years and Gatoefeo didn’t do it any dirty deeds, but then I’m also using bullets and the grooves I created are rather small as I just haven’t seen the need for big lube grooves.

You can buy some rubber pieces cut from a rubber hose or something that you can slide over the cap and nipples to help keep moisture out. Would maybe work even better if you put a bit of bees wax softened with a bit of oil or tallow in the hole in the rubber before applying to the cap and nipple. I bought some but I’ll be darned if I can find them!

I left my Remington capped, loaded with paper cartridges, and in a leather holster for a year. I finally took it out a fews days ago and it shot 100% in all cylinders.

Nothing different, really. Rem Oil is synthetic, won't get gummy in cold weather as do the kerosene/petroleum-based lubricants, so a wipe-down of excess works for me. If the gun gets wet, it gets thoroughly cleaned at the end of the day. I have yet to shoot an entire cylinder on any deer hunt b/c it's a backup, not my primary hunting iron. Stainless Ruger Ol' Army.

sheriff john said:

Rem Oil is synthetic, won't get gummy in cold weather as do the kerosene/petroleum-based lubricants, so a wipe-down of excess works for me.

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Rem Oil is NOT synthetic, at least according to Remington. Have personally found a tar like mess in bores that were a PIA to remove after using the stuff. Per Remington, it is 95-99% distillates (petroleum), light paraffinic…. It decomposes on heating and produces incomplete burned carbon compounds. Avoid reaction with oxidizers.
Here is a screenshot and a link to their SDS.

https://www.remington.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-RemingtonSharedLibrary/default/v800530b8088e3d8f0bd4a0bfb8210fb95599e3e9/productPdfFiles/SDS US - Remington Rem Oil LIQUID Original Rev 4 - 2021-03-23.pdf

DanL said:

How do you prep your revolver for an outing, hunt or backup to your long gun?

I prep as if I will be in a rain storm and want the revolver to function no matter what.
With grease already packed in the internals, I usually load 5 of 6 cylinder chambers with powder, then over powder lightly lubed, tight fitting felt wad & then ball on top. Then I cap the 5 cones with a good fitting percussion cap. Once capped, I drip candle wax around each cap on the cones filling up the space around the cones to completely seal them.

I have found that this technique works in any weather situation that I am exposed to in my area.

How do y’all prep your revolver?

Happy Trails, DanL

Click to expand...

Nothing out of the normal but carry in a flap holster. If balls, bullets, wads and caps fit as designed and the gun properly lubed it will operate reliably in in-climate weather without further help.

SDSmlf said:

Rem Oil is NOT synthetic, at least according to Remington. Have personally found a tar like mess in bores that were a PIA to remove after using the stuff. Per Remington, it is 95-99% distillates (petroleum), light paraffinic…. It decomposes on heating and produces incomplete burned carbon compounds. Avoid reaction with oxidizers.
Here is a screenshot and a link to their SDS.
View attachment 324710
https://www.remington.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-RemingtonSharedLibrary/default/v800530b8088e3d8f0bd4a0bfb8210fb95599e3e9/productPdfFiles/SDS US - Remington Rem Oil LIQUID Original Rev 4 - 2021-03-23.pdf

Click to expand...

SDSmlf said:

Rem Oil is NOT synthetic, at least according to Remington. Have personally found a tar like mess in bores that were a PIA to remove after using the stuff. Per Remington, it is 95-99% distillates (petroleum), light paraffinic…. It decomposes on heating and produces incomplete burned carbon compounds. Avoid reaction with oxidizers.
Here is a screenshot and a link to their SDS.
View attachment 324710
https://www.remington.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-RemingtonSharedLibrary/default/v800530b8088e3d8f0bd4a0bfb8210fb95599e3e9/productPdfFiles/SDS US - Remington Rem Oil LIQUID Original Rev 4 - 2021-03-23.pdf

Click to expand...

My bad. 25 years ago, I completed the Remington L.E. armorer school where the instructor touted Rem-Oil's benefits. My post, is, obviously, in error. My apologies to all. Now that I think more about the issue, it had to do with my experience with another canned lubricant that did not withstand sub-freezing conditions during a wade-and-shoot late season duck hunt. My 10 gauge pump gun became inoperable due to the temp and congealed lubricant. First the safety, then the action release. Miserable day. Decoy hole kept freezing shut. Anyway ...

The instructor (Lyle Wheelock) said it was due to some lubricants being kerosene-based, unlike Rem-Oil. I stand corrected on this matter, but still use the stuff on moving parts and to prevent rust. Many problems are due to using too much lubricant and allowing foreign matter to accumulate without a thorough cleaning in a timely manner. Thanks again for the information.

DanL said:

How do you prep your revolver for an outing, hunt or backup to your long gun?

I prep as if I will be in a rain storm and want the revolver to function no matter what.
With grease already packed in the internals, I usually load 5 of 6 cylinder chambers with powder, then over powder lightly lubed, tight fitting felt wad & then ball on top. Then I cap the 5 cones with a good fitting percussion cap. Once capped, I drip candle wax around each cap on the cones filling up the space around the cones to completely seal them.

I have found that this technique works in any weather situation that I am exposed to in my area.

How do y’all prep your revolver?

Happy Trails, DanL

Click to expand...

I rarely feel the need to waterproof anything on a percussion revolver, but when I have, wiping a small amount of vaseline around the upper part of the nipples with a toothpick or Q-tip before seating the caps seems to do the job. I also use the vaseline to seal around the pan cover on flintlocks with perfect success.
I only carry percussion revolvers in military full flap holsters, which helps.
But truthfully, very few BP shooters venture out in rainy weather for any length of time anyway.

smoothshooter said:

I rarely feel the need to waterproof anything on a percussion revolver, but when I have, wiping a small amount of vaseline around the upper part of the nipples with a toothpick or Q-tip before seating the caps seems to do the job. I also use the vaseline to seal around the pan cover on flintlocks with perfect success.
....
But truthfully, very few BP shooters venture out in rainy weather for any length of time anyway.

Click to expand...

Two great suggestions I hadn't considered before. Thanks!! I guess I'm just a fair-weather shooter.

Well, I carry my 1860 Snub Nose a good bit. I grease the ends of the chambers with the lube I use for every thing ( Lambs Tallow & Beeswax) The nipples have the proper fitting caps with the little cap keeper rings on them. I don't know the brand I bought quite a few packs of them years ago and still have plenty. You could do the same with a slice of the proper size clear tubing. I leave it loaded 2-3 weeks carried in all sorts of weather, dust, sweat, etc. I'll then fire it dry, clean it, reload it. Its never failed to fire.

1stnamebassist said:

You can buy some rubber pieces cut from a rubber hose or something that you can slide over the cap and nipples to help keep moisture out. Would maybe work even better if you put a bit of bees wax softened with a bit of oil or tallow in the hole in the rubber before applying to the cap and nipple. I bought some but I’ll be darned if I can find them!

Click to expand...

Buy a length of aquarium hose from Wally world and cut it into pieces.

smoothshooter said:

I rarely feel the need to waterproof anything on a percussion revolver, but when I have, wiping a small amount of vaseline around the upper part of the nipples with a toothpick or Q-tip before seating the caps seems to do the job. I also use the vaseline to seal around the pan cover on flintlocks with perfect success.
I only carry percussion revolvers in military full flap holsters, which helps.
But truthfully, very few BP shooters venture out in rainy weather for any length of time anyway.

Click to expand...

Many don’t, some do… after the rain, and I didn’t shoot but I could have…

Nothing different in my loading technique, bit I do use a full flap holster.

my new go to lube is baristol. no more rem oil. I have noticed that rem oil leaves a shelac over time. keep any kind of lube way from caps as many lubes can render the caps inert.

I like balistoll well enough, except it stinks. Eezox is my preferred preservative.