Chainfires - the skinny? Maybe....

[Mogadishu Meanderer]

I do the same with a vegetable based oil, just a drop or two that seals around the ball. Most grease gets blown out of adjacent cylinders on the first shot anyway. YMMV

If the lube is soft it will blow away id it’s of the right consistency it will stay put until firing of that chamber, for the most part. But that is kind of the point and that’s why others have come to the same conclusion, shoot longer because it “blows away” and gets where it’s needed as lubricant as well. Also, most people go to the range and shoot 4-8 cylinders, for that you can use anything as lube or wad and probably won’t be able to see any difference on anything. It’s different when you get high mileage, 100-150 shots in one session without wiping or cleaning.

 

[Mogadishu Meanderer]

Could you please tell us what the amounts and ingredients you use for your wad lube, how you put it on your wads, real black or the other stuff and the temperature outside at the time of the failure. Maybe someone here could suggest an alteration to your process that may solve your problem of hard dry fouling.

2# of lamb tallow, 1# of beeswax, 16 fluid ounce of coconut oil, all food grade so I can use it as lip, hand and wound balm in a pinch. I make 12 pounds at a time. Not cheap!!It never goes rancid and last forever. I melt it pretty warm, almost hot, in a “baño de Maria” and soak the Duro felt sheets in it thoroughly, let them drip the excess and when dry cut the wads the appropriate razor sharp punch. I used as lube for everything black powder and sometimes add more oil when it gets to minus 40 here.

 

[Eutycus]

You must disavow that 5% caveat until you find evidence to support it.

I think as long as the words "probably , possibly, maybe, and might" are being used,I'll leave the 5% in. Heck my guess at the low percentage is as good as yours.

 

[1861colt]

2# of lamb tallow, 1# of beeswax, 16 fluid ounce of coconut oil, all food grade so I can use it as lip, hand and wound balm in a pinch. I make 12 pounds at a time. Not cheap!!It never goes rancid and last forever. I melt it pretty warm, almost hot, in a “baño de Maria” and soak the Duro felt sheets in it thoroughly, let them drip the excess and when dry cut the wads the appropriate razor sharp punch. I used as lube for everything black powder and sometimes add more oil when it gets to minus 40 here.

OK. HELP us out here, folks. Mogadishu has hard dry fowling after 100 shots with these wads. Anyone have an answer as to why it happens?

 

[azmntman]

He shoots to many times w/o wiping?

 

[45D]

He shoots to many times w/o wiping?

Can't believe you can even say that around here!!!!

 

[azmntman]

wiping swiping gripeing.

 

[M. De Land]

wiping swiping gripeing.

Just like life when I was in the service, moral is high and all is well when the troops are Bitching !

 

[Dark Angel]

Putting lube on top of the bullet it just messy and serves no purpose. A tight fitting bullet and clean powder management will keep you from getting chain fires.

Lube behind the bullet is best for fouling management, though. In accordance with a recommendation from the writer of the article excerpt I posted earlier, I smear a small amount of lube around the chamber mouth before I seat a ball, and I use cork disks to keep the lube from contaminating my powder charge.

If I can ever find some pure wool felt, I'll make some lubed wads to put behind my bullets like others do here.

As stated on this forum before, grew up around and old, old man who used C&B revolvers, (in real life.) He always greased his chambers after loading. Said it cut down on fouling and ring fires. It did. Followed his advice and after firing hundreds of rounds from C&B revolvers, never had a ring fire. Said bear grease was best, but growing up in rural Oklahoma, it was a little difficult to come by. Found a product that claimed to be as good, GREASE BALL. Came in a tan colored tube with brown 'Old West' style lettering. Haven't seen it or been able to find it in Years, though. Even as a Cop in an Okla. University town, knew a OHP (Okla. Highway Patrol Officer, that carried a .36 cal. Navy (of all things) for his back up pistol. He used Vaseline to grease the front of his chambers. Perhaps, lubing the front of your chambers is 'messy' but as far as I've seen over the years and hundreds of rounds through a C&B revolver, it does work, at least for me and a few other 'Old Timers.'

 

[TrapperDude]

As stated on this forum before, grew up around and old, old man who used C&B revolvers, (in real life.) He always greased his chambers after loading. Said it cut down on fouling and ring fires. It did. Followed his advice and after firing hundreds of rounds from C&B revolvers, never had a ring fire. Said bear grease was best, but growing up in rural Oklahoma, it was a little difficult to come by. Found a product that claimed to be as good, GREASE BALL. Came in a tan colored tube with brown 'Old West' style lettering. Haven't seen it or been able to find it in Years, though. Even as a Cop in an Okla. University town, knew a OHP (Okla. Highway Patrol Officer, that carried a .36 cal. Navy (of all things) for his back up pistol. He used Vaseline to grease the front of his chambers. Perhaps, lubing the front of your chambers is 'messy' but as far as I've seen over the years and hundreds of rounds through a C&B revolver, it does work, at least for me and a few other 'Old Timers.'

There's actually little record of anyone greasing over their bullets in historical literature. The practice came about in modern times.

Of course, people didn't rack up the round counts at a range session the way we do, so that would be understandable. With that being said, if a method that creates less off a mess is effective, then there's no reason not to use it.

I don't punch paper with my BP revolvers much but shoot steel primarily. It takes time to reload, so 48 rounds is the most I've shot in a session, but without punching the bore at all, the 48th round hits a 6" plate on the rack as well as the first round when lubing behind the ball. Experimentation and evolution of processes is part of any activity, and lubing behind the ball is an evolution.

 

[Snooterpup]

I believe it can happen from either end as I have seen still shots of percussion revolver fire and flame could be seen at both ends of the cylinder. What I believe to be a factor in preventing rear ignited chain fire is two fold. Nipples with correct orifice's not burned out and full power hammer springs. If the hammer stays down on the spent cap at ignition and is not blown back to half cock then the fire channel is blocked/sealed so even a cap-less charged, adjacent chamber, would not fire.
I also don't have much faith in lubed wads to prevent front end chain fire especially with round balls as the wad is pressed into a cup shape under the ball not a flat plane which means the diameter is reduced and the edges of the perimeter no longer seal off the chamber wall.
A flat base conical would be an entirely different story as the wad would be pressed into a flat plane and the full diameter swaged beneath the bullet base to fully seal off against the chamber wall.

I think you’re on to something. Never thought of the wad/ball scenario.

 

[tomm9903]

Four pages of input on this subject so far and many reasons postulated and a few insults posted, so here is my theory. It has happened three times to me in the span of 40 years of shooting. Since no one has mentioned it yet, mine occurred during a new moon. So, perhaps the combined gravitational pull of the sun and moon had something to do with it. Just my two cents.

I have found that when I shoot my bow, as the the day progresses and temperatures rise that thermal expansion takes place and affects the trajectory of my aluminum arrows causing many misses. That’s my theory

 

[TrapperDude]

I have found that when I shoot my bow, as the the day progresses and temperatures rise that thermal expansion takes place and affects the trajectory of my aluminum arrows causing many misses. That’s my theory

It even happens indoors with fiberglass arrows with my bow. I think the repeated flexion of the bow and string create micro changes in the thermal properties that make the bow wobble more when I draw after a few hours.

 

[CaptainVane]

If the lube is soft it will blow away id it’s of the right consistency it will stay put until firing of that chamber, for the most part. But that is kind of the point and that’s why others have come to the same conclusion, shoot longer because it “blows away” and gets where it’s needed as lubricant as well. Also, most people go to the range and shoot 4-8 cylinders, for that you can use anything as lube or wad and probably won’t be able to see any difference on anything. It’s different when you get high mileage, 100-150 shots in one session without wiping or cleaning.

Yes, my range is 40 miles away, when i go, im there a minimum of 3-4 hours, i can go thru 75-100 balls a day and multiple pistols, being retired allows me the luxury of nothing better to do. Often i am first there and last to leave.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I have found that when I shoot my bow, as the the day progresses and temperatures rise that thermal expansion takes place and affects the trajectory of my aluminum arrows causing many misses. That’s my theory

Just be thankful that two (or more) don't get sent downrange at the same time.

 

[Pratt]

I use Crisco on my Navy.

 

[tomm9903]

Just be thankful that two (or more) don't get sent downrange at the same time.

That would make for an interesting day

 

[tomm9903]

I have shot my B&C for over 40 years and have as yet to experience a chain fire. I use a .454 RB in both my 1858 Rem. and 1851 Colt. I check to make sure I have shaved off a nice ring of lead then too it off with Crisco. Never an issue.

 

[Bad Karma]

Just like life when I was in the service, moral is high and all is well when the troops are Bitching !

Think it was Omar Bradley who said that. “Don’t worry about the soldiers bitching. When they stop, you’ve got a problem.” Or something like that. Seems applicable to Internet forums too.

 

[CaptainVane]

Yes, my range is 40 miles away, when i go, im there a minimum of 3-4 hours, i can go thru 75-100 balls a day and multiple pistols, being retired allows me the luxury of nothing better to do. Often i am first there and last to leave.

Just got back. Beautiful day. 3.5 hours, about 100 rounds. Not once had to stop to clean fouling, i do wipe outside down occasionally with shop rag cause outside does get get a little greasy. Shooting at 40 yards, put many in the bullseye. The rest would’ve been fatal. This Colt Navy .36 (Uberti/Cimarron) is amazingly accurate, other shooters had lots of compliments. I got a darn good one out of the box.
We wont discuss my Colt .31. It was not having a good day.