Chainfire on 36 Remington

[renovato]

I don't remember exactly how much offhand, but it was very inexpensive. Something like $25 as a seperate service. They also have a couple service packages that include it. One is about $75 if I remember right and they also lap the barrel, adjust cylinder gap and forcing cone, etc.

What I like about them is fast turnaround. They usually have it out of the shop and heading home in a matter of days. I can't type out the link or it gets censored, but you can check them out at "big iron barrels" (one word) dot com.

 

[Rebel]

Thanks Plink i will check them out.

 

[peashooterJoe]

Just out of curiousity what is the cylinder to barrel gap? I have found some excessive and that could lead to blowing by the ball if loose. If so I would consider returning or exchanging it if under warranty.

 

[crockett]

The heavier powder charge may have deformed/upset the ball to engage the rifling a bit better.
I have found in my shooting that heavy charges are often the most accurate- both on the Cap N Ball and cartridge guns- IMHO.

 

[TFoley]

IMO that is a seriously large load of Pyrodex P for a .36cal. Way over the Hodgdons loading manual recommendations, IIRC. I shoot less than that in my Ruger Old Army with the big .457 conicals, and it is still a moving experience.

There are many factors at play here, but the one that crops most is the possibility of a cracked cylinder....check it out before you shoot it again.

As I noted on this forum a while back, they have pretty convincing rubber hands these days, but have yet to perfect the working rubber eyeball.

tac

 

[gooddw]

I was wrong. I did not load 30 grains of Pyrodex P. I filled the cylinder to the top last night and then poured it into a measure. It was only 25 grains. So the charge was not as strong as I lead you to believe.

 

[Rebel]

I thought that was a bit much of a load for a .36 cal..

 

[Zonie]

If you weighted the powder and you were using Pyrodex, your results is NOT what you think it is.

With Black Powder guns, when we talk about loads, we are talking about the volume of powder.

When a person is loading Pyrodex, they are supposed to use the same volume of it as they do when loading real black powder.

Pyrodex is lighter weight per any given volume. In fact, it is about 2/3 the actual weight of black powder.

A given volume of Pyrodex has about the same energy as the same volume of black powder.

What this all means is a container that holds 30 grains (weight) of real black powder if filled with Pyrodex will have the same power but it will only weigh (on a scale) 2/3 as much, or 19.98 grains.

Knowing this, if your .36's chamber held 25 grains (weight) of Pyrodex, that much Pyrodex powder has the energy of 37.5 grains of real black powder.

The bottom line in my opinion is either load is too much for a .36 cap and ball pistol.

zonie

 

[crockett]

The combustible cartidges used in the Civil War had 17 grains of FFFg. 30 is really pushing it. Some of the Western gunmen crammed as much powder into a "Navy" as they could but 25 grains seemed to me about maximum, even then you have to crunch down the powder.

 

[gooddw]

I have no way to measure grains in weight. It was a volume measure.

 

[Smokin6Gun]

I have shot 28gr of Goex fffg in my 1851 Navy, now that's using a powder flask and 30gr spout. A 30gr spout with your finger over it throws 27-28gr of BP do to your finger pressing atop the hole. If you pour that in to an adjustable brass powder measurer you'll see it's well below 30gr.
My Navy didn't like 28gr...17-20 very accurate, I usually shoot 24gr with a lube pill on top of the powder and no need for grease on top the ball. If ya wanna know about Lube Pills let me know.

 

[cougarmagnum]

Smokin Gun, Tell me about lube pills, Thx.

 

[gooddw]

Thanks but I already tried that with 20 grains. I think the only thing that is going to work is to go to .380 balls instead of .375.

 

[Rebel]

If you put lube over them with 20 grains and still got a chainfire, then once again i think that your problem has to be from the rear via the nipple holes.

 

[gooddw]

You must have missed some of the earlier posts. I have tried 20 grains with lube over the ball. I have also tried 20g with a wad and no lube. This has not improved my accuracy at all. As far as the chainfire, that happened with 25 grains with lube over the ball. The cap was tight and when I removed it, it had not fired but was still green inside (Remington).

 

[Smokin6Gun]

This is what I use. The lube pills are a mixture of Bolwax(camode seal rings)they were handy local, or bees wax, parafin, and Olive or Soy oil. Melted down and mixed to a stiff enough consistancy so they aren't sticky. Poured into cake pans and cooled in the freezer after mix has set up. About 1/8" to 1/4" thick, I have tubes with cutters to punch out .36 or .44 cal pills. The waxes hold the lube and when fired (placed between the powder and ball as I prefer or on top) splatter enough between the forcing cone and cylinder keep fouling soft and and arbor/cyl. pin lubed to keep shooting wioth out binding up. Same goes with the barrel lands and grooves stay soft and or clean after each shot, depending on your mixture of lube pills. Also acts as a gas check for round balls and conicals. When you press the ball down on the pills and powder it adds to sealing the chamber. The wax carries the lube so it won't contaminate the powder like a wet wooly wad would. I have had Revs loaded for a month with these pills pressed on top of the powder with zero ill effects.
Got a friend selling them if you didn't see the posting here you go:
Contact Junk Yard Dog ([email protected])

 

[cougarmagnum]

Thanks, I'll give them a try!

 

[Rebel]

I didn't miss any, i just don't see how you could get a chainfire from the front if the balls have grease over them. No matter what the powder charge was. I just think that it is highly unlikely that the flame came in from the Front. But, we may never know for sure.

 

[Smokin6Gun]

You're very welcome Coug...hope this adds to your shooting fun and gets you tighter groups on targets. Helps me get more balls down range in a day of shootin'. Downside is then I have to cast more balls...LoL!

 

[Smokin6Gun]

Stars&Bars alot of strange times can happen with a chainfire insodent. But in the cases I have run across it's hard to tell which end the chainfire came from.
1)cylinder is full a powder, ball is seated, cap is seat or on.
2)powder goes of as a chainfire from cap or ball end.
3)explosion occurs when powder ignites causing flame and pressure.
3)Evidence left as to which end it started is gone no ball and a blown off cap.
Now that's in cases I have witnessed or heard of. I'll have to add this one to the list and see if it comes up again.
I'll add that I did have a guy with a chainfire with a chamber still capped. But he found it was another chamber that went off and the capped one was empty, he hadn't loaded it.
Alot of things can happen when shootin' C&B Revs...I never discount any thing I hear about. And always keep in my mind what I read and learn.
I'll probly never happen to you again and hope it don't. Enjoy that Rev I'm sure you'll have it dialed in to your liking in no time.
Keys are the right load of real black powder fffg to start with. a tight fitting ball that cuts a ring when you load it, that are propely seated/fitting caps. (Not Rem Mags) And alot a shootin'.
Have fun.