Getting back to shooting black powder now that I am retired

[mkpatrick]

Hello,
I have recently retired and want to get back into black powder shooting.
I have .44 calibre Colt Navy and Walker replica revolvers that I used to shoot a lot. I'll need to get them cleaned up again and oiled well.
But I am rusty in my knowledge.
I also have a Pennsylvania .50 calibre rifle too.

So here is my question;
We all must be frustrated as I am with trying to find primers for these.
I do find some odd primers here and there but I can remember which ones are for my guns.
I thought my revolvers take #10 primers.
I found some primers called 777 209 primers for muzzleloading rifles.
Will those work for my Pennsylvania?
Will they work for my revolvers?

Whats even more frustrating is calling places to see if they have primers in stock and getting rude responses from the people that work there.
Anyway, good to be back in the forum, I hope to find some primers soon so I can start shooting again.
Thanks for any information,

Mike

 

[rafterob]

209 primers are for modern inline muzzleloaders. Typically revolvers use # 10 and Your rifle should use #11 caps.

 

[sportster73hp]

To avoid confusion or laughter please call them percussion caps. Not trying to be rude.and yes to what rob said

 

[bang]

The navy should use #10. My walker uses #11 and rifles
209 is a number for shotgun primer. How that relates to 777 I'm not sure. Sounds like modern inline.
Some that I shoot with keep the red cap gun caps on hand just in case. They do work but burn a bit dirty.

 

[mkpatrick]

Thanks, just getting re-oriented with it all.
I need to field strip and clean all my guns before firing them.
With modern firearms ammo so short, I may have to use these muzzle loaders for a more practical means. I have a serious coyote problem. I have chickens and these coyotes this year are just brazen.
From a tree stand and with a good call, I might be able to get them into range from my Pennsylvania .50.

For now, its time to get them shooting again, I did find #10 and #11 caps. I will start with my Navy, the Walker and the rifle. The rifle looks like it has corrosion. Its been sitting for some time.
I'll be looking for suggestions on how to properly clean out the barrel well before snapping some caps.
I'll likely need to run a brush in it.
It got put away in a rush when we had some family medical emergencies. Then work got very busy and then I retired and moved. So its been 2 years sitting.

Thanks for replies and the advice.

One more question, someone gave me a half a canister of FFG. I have FFFG for my pistols. FFG OK for the rifle?

Mike

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, FFg is fine for your rifle.

 

[TexasAndy]

The RWS 1075 caps while considered to be #11's actually fit the Italian made reproduction revolvers quite well.

 

[leadhoarder]

I would bet that the folks that are being short with you are doing so because they get multiple calls a day for people looking for reloading primers which are completely unavailable right now and the folks that are callin FM know that too. Calling them percussion caps may get you some leniency.

 

[mkpatrick]

One guy at a shop told me to never clean my rifle with any petroleum based oils or cleaners.
I have citrus based cleaner I'm using.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The injunction to never clean with petroleum based oils or cleaners is another of those mythical theories that have little support in practice. No I don't clean with oils because the fouling is soluble in water and is the best cleaner especially with a small amount of dish washing soap. Your citrus based cleaner is a good leaner. So much of cleaning has to deal with the local conditions such as humidity, additives to the water (chlorine, fluorine, etc.) WD40 does a good job of water displacement after the cleaning with water and it is petroleum based. Ballistol is mineral oil based and one of the most used lubricants. Our favorite storage lubricant is Birchwood Casey's Barricade, also petroleum based. I do recommend an alcohol patch to clean out the barrel before a shooting session or loading for hunting primarily to clean out the flash channel of thickened oils at the breech.

I get a crud ring at the breech with the lubricants I use.

 

[smoothshooter]

The injunction to never clean with petroleum based oils or cleaners is another of those mythical theories that have little support in practice. No I don't clean with oils because the fouling is soluble in water and is the best cleaner especially with a small amount of dish washing soap. Your citrus based cleaner is a good leaner. So much of cleaning has to deal with the local conditions such as humidity, additives to the water (chlorine, fluorine, etc.) WD40 does a good job of water displacement after the cleaning with water and it is petroleum based. Ballistol is mineral oil based and one of the most used lubricants. Our favorite storage lubricant is Birchwood Casey's Barricade, also petroleum based. I do recommend an alcohol patch to clean out the barrel before a shooting session or loading for hunting primarily to clean out the flash channel of thickened oils at the breech.

I get a crud ring at the breech with the lubricants I use.

I do most of my cleaning with 70% ( not the 90%, not enough water in it ) Isopropyl Alcohol, and oil with diluted Ballistol or Break-Free oil.

 

[smoothshooter]

BTW, I use the oil AFTER cleaning with the alcohol.
I do not mix them.

 

[mkpatrick]

I've got some corrosion on this rifle, I was thinking brass brush and the alcohol like was mentioned?
Also could I be reminded how to clean the flash channel with the nipple off? If I remember right, is it pipe cleaner?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Pipe cleaner is what I use to do the final cleaning of the flash channel.

If the rifle has a hooked breech, I pull the barrel and the nipple and with the breech in a bucket of water and a squirt of soap, I flush the barrel with the water and all the fouling is removed.

 

[mkpatrick]

I do have somewhere, I have not found it yet an apparatus that connects a tube to where the nipple threads in, and the other end of the tube goes into a bucket of soapy water. Then plunging a patch from the muzzle it ends up drawing the soapy water up into the barrel and that's how I used to clean it. But I just need to find that again. I can't even remember what that's called.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Track of the Wolf calls them flush nipples. You do need your own tube and a weight to keep the loose end in the cleaning bucket.

Flush Nipples, for flint or percussion - Track of the Wolf

If you want to find your flush nipple set up, order one from Track and the next time you are looking in you muzzle loading supplies, you will find it.

 

[mkpatrick]

If you want to find your flush nipple set up, order one from Track and the next time you are looking in you muzzle loading supplies, you will find it.


LOL, aint that the truth!!