Crisco alternative

Today I was trying to come up with a better, cheaper and quicker alternative to buttering Crisco over the balls of my Ruger old Army and by George, I think I have found it.

I tried several drops of Murphy's oil soap over each ball but it was too runny. I then tried to think of something to thicken it up and find a squirt bottle for dispensing, I ended up killing two birds with one stone. The bottle of powder graphite was $2.29 at the hardware store. To get the thickness just right I removed half of the graphite and filled the bottle up with Murphy's oil soap.

When using it I found that the best way was too put one big drop on the cylinder pin side of all the balls and then give the cylinder a spin the centrifugal force and pulmonary action does the rest.

I've been using Crisco for the last 25 years, after your third shot the viscosity of the Crisco has disappeared and the front of each unfired chamber is nothing but sloppy mess. But after applying the Murphy's oil and graphite stuff it sets up with the consistency of cake frosting.

I have not mentioned wonder wads because of their prohibitive cost, but I have used them .

Today when I was out experimenting with my new concoction, I fired my Ruger 60 times (10 reloads) I only used 1/6 of the bottle and the gun was no messier than if I was using wonder wads (so unlike Crisco).

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

Interesting idea... does there seem to be any buildup of graphite in the barrel after shooting that many times? Sure bet it shines inside!

 

I have seen the light, I'll never go back to Crisco :winking:

 

Instead of Wonder Wads, order some .455 nitro card wads by Circle Fly from Track. They work VERY well cost 1/10 as mush and it you want they are cheap enough to double up, or cut in half as you desire.
Murhpy's and graphite huh? Gotta try it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's the spirt! Experiment.

Offhand, I can't think of any problems with using graphite (just a matrix of carbon). An old timer taught me to use a pencil to rub along the slide guides and hammer pin of my .45 ACP if I plan on being out long in really cold conditions as a non-galling lubricant. I have been very pleased with my use of Murphy's Oil Soap in blackpowder guns.

Might be a tad messy to clean up, but at least the cylinder should spin pretty easily regardless of how much firing you do.

 

[riarcher]

errr, should I mention.....
I used to be the toolmaker for a place called Carbon Technology. We did all sorts of seals / bearings and non-sparking pump parts for industries like Maytag, GM, Housier pumps, etc.
Anyways, to my point,,,,,
Graphite against a rotating shaft (stays in same contact all the time) IS a great friction fighter by getting into the grain of the metal thereby being grapite to graphite with a honing action.
However (isn't there always a however) graphite is easily washed away by most light liquids (water, light oils etc.) and when new particles get re-introduced the first thing that happens is wear of parts to be anti-siezed) while crushing the graphite into smaller particle size to fill the pores of the steel (or whatever) to "lubricate".
Example; One of the greatest "boons" to the lock industy was graphite for the houshold lock lube. Wouldn't take long before the stuff would send the buyer back to the hardware store to replace the wornout lock. (Check with a locksmith for knowlegable verification) Now, White Lithium Grease (with alcohol base in spray) is a common replacement for the graphite.
Point being, beware, this stuff going down your barrel and getting into other moving parts,,, and then a good cleaning,, and repeating, may prematurely wear your parts (and barrel) out.
Not for nuthin' moulds / punches / dies etc. kept me buisy for years by needing replacement while working with graphite and carbon compounds. And this was in some very hard materials like A-2, Stelite, chrome flashed, and carbide. Mild steel is like putty in comparison.
Just thought I'd mention this. Ain't saying "don't do it", just BEWARE.
Gary

 

Thanks for those warnings. Another is that graphite doesn't mix with BP, but perhaps does no damage as a bullet lube - this was found out years ago when graphite was tried in bullet lubes.
: What's been done above seems to work, but Riarcher's warnings should not be taken lightly. I for one, can resist trying the oil soap/graphite mix due to this. Now, oil-soap/beeswax or beeswax/neetsfoot oil might be another proposition.
: Of course, the wads do make things easier and less messy.

 

but Riarcher's warnings should not be taken lightly. I for one, can resist trying the oil soap/graphite mix due to this.

Your thinking of this backwards, I was not trying to figure out away to moisten up graphite, I was doing the opposite trying to increase the consistency of Murphy's oils soap. If you put my concoction in between your left thumb and forefinger and put anti-seize on the right you could not tell the difference. Remember the best anti-seize on the market you do not buy its vasoline mixed with graphite.

I have used factory made, natural lube wonder wads, after 60 shots with my concoction my gun was no dirtier than if I used wonder wads and actually the barrel cleaned up easier. When coming out of the squirt bottle it has the consistency of the ranch dressing but after applied it has the consistency of anti-seize.

Graphite is cheap and so is Murphy's oils soap, mix some of this concoction up and test it .

 

Roaddog - I'll have to try it just due to your recommendation & persistance. It's consistancy is about perfect & for the amount of shooting I presently do with the cap-lock, it probably won't wear anything out in the next two decades. With Form 6 Import Licence, I'll be able to go to Miles City to shoot ground squirrels and PD's with it, on a friend's ranch.
; I understood what you were making and why - it's why we add beeswax to neetsfoot oil(not compound) for a ctg. BP lube that works without having fouling buildups. Those formulae took many years to come up with, yet were normally used back in the late 1800's. It merely took some time to re-try them after finding very few lubes FOR SALE today worked as well. Surprisingly, Vaseline and Beewax works just about the same (with slugs) & will allow much shooting before having to run a patch out the bore or the ctg. rifle. A single patch removes ALL of the fouling - that's what the lube is supposed to do - no dry caking of powder residue as it is kept moist to be cleaned each time it's shot, whether it's a ctg. gun or a ML. A lube that allows caking of the residue isn't working properly, even if it shoots well when sqabbed between shots.
: Myth or general practise - I'm not selling anything other than the fact that cleaning between shots isn't needed. Knowledge is.

 

[riarcher]

"Your thinking of this backwards, I was not trying to figure out away to moisten up graphite, I was doing the opposite trying to increase the consistency of Murphy's oils soap."

Doesn't matter,, still acts like a "medium" (heavier/courser, base/compound).

Doesn't matter. like adding fine sand to anything (automotive oil?) eventually it'll take it's tole. ::
Do what you may, just don't say, "you've not been told".
20 + yrs. working with this stuff,, thought I'd just mention my "profesional" experiances. ::
About the last thing I'd consider though. :shake:
Gary

PS; may sound stupid, but have you tried flour or cornstarch as a thickener? :blah:

 

20 + yrs. working with this stuff,, thought I'd just mention my "profesional" experiances.
About the last thing I'd consider though.
Gary

I will heed your warning and test the graphite concoction on some soft steel, like I said it wasn't graphite that was important, it was the use of Murphy's oil soap. I have some natural lube here, I'll try mixing it into the concoction (leaving out the graphite) hopefully I can achieve the consistency of the first batch.

The most important thing was the way it was used.

When using it I found that the best way was too put one big drop on the cylinder pin side of all the balls and then give the cylinder a spin the centrifugal force and pulmonary action does the rest.

In the time someone would take to butter on the Crisco in two holes, using my method you would be finished. (With less mess) :winking:

 

[riarcher]

Having had a couple of revolvers, I can understand what you're trying to do. (and why)
I don't know if they make them in the right size for you, But it would seem that a heavily prelubed "Ball-ett" would be just the ticket (if they made 'em).
I remember trying several different things with mine and gave up. Everything was a pain one way or anouther. Ball-etts were not invented then. Still got a 1858 Army,,, maybe I'll check it out. :winking: (or have you already been there?)

 

[riarcher]

Weeell I'll beee.
Been a long, long time since I've played with them revolvers I guess.
http://thunder-ridge-muzzleloading.com/buffalo.htm#balls
Them folks have Ball-etts!
.451 @137 gr. $8.82/100
.454 @142 gr. $8.87/100
.457 @144 gr. $8.93/100

Dixie has Buffalo Pistol bullets;
.451 @180 gr. $13.50/50
.457 @190 gr. $14.25/50

TOW has Lee Revolver Moulds, for Conical Bullets;
.450 @200 gr. (perhaps smaller than I'd like)
.456 @220 gr. (perhaps bigger than I can use)
"ONLY $13.25 single cavity, and $16.95 double cavity (with handles)

WOW things have changed! When I was "playin'" with them, you either shot RB or nothing. (and weren't easy finding either!)

Now what would you think? The grease grooves in any of these enough to prevent the proverbial "chain firing" of other cylinders? (that I've not a clue on,,, but would tend to think ,,,,, probably (?) :: )
At least as much as Murphy's and Graphite? :shocking:

Nice to have all these options (as compared to about 30 yrs. ago), but the variations in weight have me puzzled.
Seems like the .44 BP has almost as many options as the centerfire .44 Mag! :shake:
Me feels like a "newbie" again! ::

Dang! one of them 200 grainers with about 28 grains of that super triple 7 stuff and some Magnum caps and I should scare a squirrel into submission at 100 yards!!! What do ya think! :nono:

Well, maybe hits the target at 25 ft.,,,, cleanly and quickly? ::

 

I have the Lee 220gr. HP mold and .457 RB mold but in matches its roundball only ( at our club, rifle and pistol )

 

When using it I found that the best way was too put one big drop on the cylinder pin side of all the balls and then give the cylinder a spin the centrifugal force and pulmonary action does the rest.

Well I've tried every different combination of Crisco, Murphy's oil soap, olive oil and natural lube but I've been unable to match the (one big drop and then spin technique that graphite and Murphy's offered).
I'm still using the graphite bottle (minus the graphite) but the concoction I'm currently using is 2/3 Crisco, 1/3 Murphy's oil soap. When you mix the two together it becomes a soupy mess, using a coffee tin on the stove I bring the mixture to a frofhy boil then cool in icewater while stirring vigorously, as your cooling the concoction it will become the consistency of mayonnaise and will stay in that state from 120

 

Something we all can do to increase our revolver acuracy is to measure the cylinder throats and measure the groove dia. of the barrel.
; We have greatly increased the accuracy of every revolver we've measured, as every one had deeper grooves than the dia' fo the cylinder holes. We bored the cylinder throats out .001" to .002" larger than the groove dia. of the barrel and now have revolvers that hold into 1" to 1 1/4" at 25yds. off the bags. This is why I have to use .454 and .457 balls in my 1860 Army. We bored the holes & they came out .4515, while the groove ida. of the barrel is .450. Originaly, the holes were .448/.449 for the use of a .451 ball & the pistol shot into around 3" or larger at 25yds.
; Only the ball's seat has to be bored, or roughly 1/3 of the way down the cylinder, so strength isn't compromized in the slightest in the bolt cuttouts at the rear of the cylinder.

 

Daryl,

Did you ream them by hand or use a machine tool? A couple thousandths is not much to remove.

 

We used the big drill press with end mills, reaming only 3/4" deep. Luckily, out of the 1/2 dozen or so that I had, one was the correct size. Everything was clamped to the table. The drill press used is a heavy floor mount model.