Years ago, living northern Idaho, I loaded My Colt 2nd generation 1851 Navy. Kept the cylinder on the veranda, not exposed to direct rain or snow but certainly to moisture.
The load was Goex FFFG black powder, lubricated felt wad, .380" ball over wad, and cap pinched into an elliptical shape and then seated on the nipples.
Kept it out there for about a year, just to see what the effect might be.
Temperatures ranged from 100 Fahenheit (38 Celsius) to around 0 Fahrenheit (-18 C).
In the late fall, I finally took it out: all chambers fired, no problem. No sign of rust in the chambers, where the powder lay against steel.
Some years ago, I read an account of a Union officer who crossed a river with his troops in a boat. They ran into a much larger Confederate force, got soundly thrashed, and had to retreat hurriedly. He and other Union soldiers swam to an island in the river, hid there during the day, and swam the rest of the way back to Union lines that night.
So, his revolver was twice immersed completely. Between those immersions it sat for some hours in a humid or wet environment.
When he was back safe at camp, he tried the gun. All chambers fired, without a problem.
In the account I read, he had sealed the front of chambers and around the nipples with wax. I believe it was sealing wax (used for closing envelopes) but it may have been beeswax.
Wish I could find that account again.
I have nearly 1,000 issues of the American Rifleman, an unbroken set from 1929 to last month's, and I believe it's in there somewhere.
Kind of a problem finding it, though. :grin:
