Crisco over the chambers, pros and cons

[Pete453]

Stan, I bought a pietta 60 army last fall. Pretty gun, tight lockup, good fit and finish. Polished the internals, put a taller front sight on it and it was a shooter! I sold it when I found I couldn't load conical on the gun and bought an uberti. Got it sighted in and ready for deer, but I miss that pietta, it was a great round ball gun.
As for lube, I've been lubing felt wads with equal parts beeswax and deer tallow with a splash of olive oil to creamy it up a bit. Even with full loads the bore is clean with a dusty look. There's pics for those interested in the HOMEMADE WADS thread. Right now I'm experimenting with paper towel wads instead of felt for their thinness compared to felt. This is all great fun, paper cartridges are getting attention this winter. I love me some gun tinkerin!

 

[Stantheman86]

Stan, I bought a pietta 60 army last fall. Pretty gun, tight lockup, good fit and finish. Polished the internals, put a taller front sight on it and it was a shooter! I sold it when I found I couldn't load conical on the gun and bought an uberti. Got it sighted in and ready for deer, but I miss that pietta, it was a great round ball gun.
As for lube, I've been lubing felt wads with equal parts beeswax and deer tallow with a splash of olive oil to creamy it up a bit. Even with full loads the bore is clean with a dusty look. There's pics for those interested in the HOMEMADE WADS thread. Right now I'm experimenting with paper towel wads instead of felt for their thinness compared to felt. This is all great fun, paper cartridges are getting attention this winter. I love me some gun tinkerin!

I played around with conicals for a while, but it's just easier to use round balls

The lubed over powder wads were big with Skeeter Skelton and he said a revolver will "shoot clean all day" with them

Colt's loading instructions say to not put any wads between the powder and ball , I assume because people were leaving them loaded and ruining the powder charge

Honestly I mostly just shoot with nothing, just powder and the ball. It's easier just to strip the gun and wipe it with a baby wipe after 4 or 5 cylinders

Pietta has redeemed themselves for me, both the guns in this pic are very accurate round ball guns

 

[No second place]

View attachment 172118

I figured , after shooting with nothing over the chambers all summer, I'd give this old tub of Crisco I found in my garage another shot

View attachment 172119

Mastering the right amount of "finger dab" takes a little practice. It's sloppy and it gets all over the gun. Plus , luckily I wore "range pants " for constantly wiping my hands off on.

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30 grain charges in both of these guns, they kept going through 5 cylinders each with the Crisco but still got a little gummy. It did keep the fouling softer. The bore was way easier to clean after shooting too.

View attachment 172121

As a plus it gets all over the inside of holsters and will condition them as you reholster the guns.

I honestly don't know if it's not just simply easier to take a break after 3 or 4 cylinders of "dry chamber" shooting and take a minute to break the guns down and wipe the cylinder face , forcing cone and arbor with a baby wipe. Then relube the arbor.

I have used Tallow before and it's easier to work with, but I only use it with Walkers and Dragoons that foul up quicker

1 part beeswax to 2 parts crisco is my match revolver lube over ball from 60-90 degrees FH. 90+ 50/50. below 60-45 degrees 1 part beeswax to 3 parts crisco. applied with a dulled knife. No issues. Just gold, records and good times. By my observation and research most those in the winners circle use similar lubes for match shooting at the NMLRA nationals. As long as some lube stays on each ball accuracy is good enough to win championships. Never had to consider other types. Helps to use a filler on top of the charge so you can keep the ball as high as possible in the chamber also. About 0.05 inch below top of chamber...c

 

[Bunk]

Or use American Pioneer Powder and don't bother with lube at all. As a bonus the bore stays one shot dirty because that the fouling is concurrent not cumulative.
Respectfully
Bunk

 

[sleepingbulldog]

……Colt's loading instructions say to not put any wads between the powder and ball , I assume because people were leaving them loaded and ruining the powder
……

I once let a revolver sit for a year, loaded with lubed over powder wads. All 6 cylinders popped off on the first try. It was stored inside, though. Maybe being exposed to hot weather for an extended period would cause the lube to leach out.

 

[Pb Mark]

Tried most of the cylinder lube methods. Do not grease my cylinders.
Decided simply to purchase multiple Pietta cylinders, a good loading stand and oversized round balls that shave when installed in the chambers. No lube, just powder and a ball. Actually, load the cylinders at home minus the caps prior to the shooting matches - best way to get consistent powder charges and ball seating pressures. Place them in individual little leather bags. Wife does complain because I bang off caps to clear the cylinders in the garage. Probably make some folks gasp but has worked for me for years. Only cap them in the gun. Give the gun a quick wipe when changing cylinders. Clean the barrel after the match is over.

 

[Vtmountaindeerhunter]

Lubed felt wad over powder, and sometimes use a qtip and a dab of I know don't start . Bore Butter just a swipe on the top of my balls . Or my buddies beeswax and whatever stuff he adds. I don't always do this and often shoot with just wads. However when I apply the little smidgen it helps keep things spinning longer. Ps I had to use the bore butter for something. I have been given old tu

 

[Stantheman86]

Or use American Pioneer Powder and don't bother with lube at all. As a bonus the bore stays one shot dirty because that the fouling is concurrent not cumulative.
Respectfully
Bunk

I found a new , sealed can of American Pioneer 2F in my garage that I bought a few years ago, but somehow it clumped up into a solid mass . I may break it up with a screwdriver and try a test shot to see if it still works

I believe the Shooters World BP substitutes are AP

 

[Pete453]

I played around with conicals for a while, but it's just easier to use round balls

Me too, my plinking and target shooting are with balls, they're easier loading, accurate, less lead used. But for hunting I use flatnosed conical. They hit way harder than a ball could ever hope to. Right now I'm finishing up sighting in my uberti 60 army for deer season. During the winter I'm going to work on a sighting method to shoot balls through the same gun for target shooting. Eventually I may fit another barrel to the gun sighted in for round balls, it's cheaper than another gun and I really like this one.

 

[Bullit]

I used to use a wooden popsickle stick to put my lube on but now just use Ox Yokes. Still, I would not throw out an old can of Crisco unless it starts reeking to high heaven.

 

[smoothshooter]

It seems a 3-way mix of Crisco, Lard, and Beeswax would work pretty good.

Bee’s wax and cooking oil works perfectly.

 

[Andreas Jager]

I have always been fond of bear grease/bees wax lube.

 

[TDM]

Where do you get your bear grease?

 

[Brokenbear]

So what are you counting on sealing the adjoining loaded cylinders ..the lead ring when you swage the ball into the chamber for on I would hope
How did you lube before your windfall of Crisco ??? to give you an idea of just Crisco on the chamber faces ..load your cylinder full and shoot and look at you cylinder before each shot an you will likely find much of the Crisco AWOL about as soon as you start shooting ..
The pictured "cartridge" is simple curling paper with powder and ball encased by the paper to just short of center on the ball ..then the cartridge is dipped ball first and to the depth of just where the powder starts in 50/50 bees wax and olive oil
WALLA fast loading,prelubed, sealed individual chambers and eazy clean up no splatter involved

Bear

 

[Stantheman86]

So what are you counting on sealing the adjoining loaded cylinders ..the lead ring when you swage the ball into the chamber for on I would hope
How did you lube before your windfall of Crisco ??? to give you an idea of just Crisco on the chamber faces ..load your cylinder full and shoot and look at you cylinder before each shot an you will likely find much of the Crisco AWOL about as soon as you start shooting ..
The pictured "cartridge" is simple curling paper with powder and ball encased by the paper to just short of center on the ball ..then the cartridge is dipped ball first and to the depth of just where the powder starts in 50/50 bees wax and olive oil
WALLA fast loading,prelubed, sealed individual chambers and eazy clean up no splatter involved

BearView attachment 172532

We know that lube does nothing for chain fires. But to keep the fouling in the bore , on the arbor and forcing cone soft to keep the gun running

 

[dmattera]

I used it on a couple percussion revolvers and it was ok, but very runny and messy in 80 degree heat. With bore butter, I’d sometimes find “wads” of it intact down range after shooting. Crisco would almost liquify just in sealing the chambers. I didn’t realize at the time that crisco had anything acidic in it, but by just good luck I also removed all of it during cleaning.

Can confirm this. I covered my target in yellow goop the last time I had it out with Bore Butter. Everyone else was very confused as to what jello had just hit the target.

 

[45man]

I agree wads are most likely the best for fouling but like conicals, they take up powder room. Now that is fine for target shooting where a ball shoots better slow because of twist rates and corn meal or cream of wheat is a good filler. However I hunt deer with mine and want more velocity rather then a cut charge. Not good for distance of course.
You guys should try peanut oil to mix with beeswax, etc. Accuracy should get better.

 

[Pete453]

[QUOTE
Where do you get your bear grease?
[/QUOTE]
From bears!
Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[nkbj]

Later in life changed over to a creme made with lanolin - olive oil - beeswax.

 

[1861colt]

I bought some lanolin once by mail. Don't see how you folks can stand to use it because when I opened it I about gagged. Twarent gonna oblige that stuff. Gave it away to some gal that looked like a '60s hippy who said it was great for her skin. Well, that and her patchouli oil perfume ought to attract some guys for sure.