How long can you leave a revolver loaded with powder, wad, and ball?
Revolver loading
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KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
If it's dry, probably several hundred years.
Even with a lubed wad?
It depends on your climate, your loading technique and your capping. I have had much better luck for some reason with conicals than RB. Some folks have tricks to seal the caps on the nipples that seems to help. Personally I shoot my 1858 fresh once a week and sometimes every two weeks. very occasionally three weeks.
Black powder
So un capped it should be good for a couple of days in Idaho
No problem.
ThanxNo problem.
un capped in Vermont in the summer with real BP and it would missfire and hang fire after one day. Capped with waxed conicals and T7 I have had great luck and reliability after several weeks. longest about 3 weeks. Usually cant go much longer than that without getting the itch to shoot it.
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Depends on the lube. A waxed wad probably won’t affect the charge much and in that case the blackpowder will remain viable virtually forever assuming it remains dry.
Trev
36 Cl.
I left mine loaded (black powder & capped & wonderwad) just about a year once and when I shot it empty, everything about it looked like it had been loaded that day. Left it loaded for a week or two many times.
KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
Wouldn't be dry if there was lube involved. Dunno why you'd want a lubed wad anyway.
Does it gain you anything on the first 6 shots of a firearm that's been stored for a very long time?
Well one member report Lee had wax over his bullets so maybe he was going to fire it in 2030?
Trev
36 Cl.
Do you think it would gain anything if used right now?
I've always just used them because it was once recommended and to take up cylinder space so the rammer would seat the ball
KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
Doubtful, though I've never used them. Can't come up with a reason why I would want to. I only use real black powder, and I generally stick with full power loads so space is not an issue.
Maybe it does something for someone who shoots one gun all day long. I don't generally fire more than 5-6 cylinders out of a single gun in a session. If I were wanting to go longer, it seems like running a brush down the barrel after a bunch of cylinders is less time and money than fiddling with wads and lube.
Guns are made for killing stuff, and practicing with lighter charges doesn't do me any favors. If I want to use less powder, I'll shoot a smaller gun.
Trev
36 Cl.
Well mine with full chambers made a lot more soot and not much gain otherwise. I suppose that if I used conicals like the soldiers that the loading lever would seat them better than with ball. 18-20 gns. seems to be the sweet spot for me
I read someplace that the wad acts as a gas seal behind the ball.
I read someplace that the wad acts as a gas seal behind the ball.
ArmorerRoy
40 Cal
I left my pistol loaded with paper wrapped cartridges and capped for a year. All six chambers fired as they should. There was no grease above the balls either. I also left it in a leather holster with no damage to the blueing.
FWIW I left a clearly marked "LOADED" perc rifle with a lubed Maxi over 3f in the safe for 10 years. No humidity control and I live in a humid climate. When I finally got around to firing it that thing fired like I loaded it 2 minutes ago. don't worry about it.
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Though this has probably been covered dozens of times and having the honor of growing up while some of the actual full-time users of C&B revolvers were still around, I was told that dripping candle wax on the nipples would seal the cylinders and prevent powder degradation. Research (google it.) has proved too that this works. the theory being that the cap will burn off the wax and ignite the powder. Too. 'real' black powder should last for years if properly sealed against moisture. Not so sure about Pyrodex and other so-called artificial powders. Too, have carried a C&B revolver weeks at a time without firing and never notice any drop in the potency.
