Keeping your powder dry?

[kodiakk]

Been raining the entire bp season so far. Tried to fire my hawken percussion cap off while leaving the woods yesterday and it wouldn't go off. I had clipped the end of a surgical glove and put it over then end of the barrel. Kept a cap on the whole time to keep the water from going in that way. Still got wet, however we did get a ton of rain.

How do you all keep your powder dry?

 

[Little Wattsy]

Keep your barrel pointed DOWN and a put a cows-knee over the lock. Dont know that THAT is bullet proof but its as good as can be done I believe...

 

[S.Kenton]

I keep my muzzle pointed towards the ground and use chapstick or vasoline around my cap and nipple thread area to keep moisture from entering the flash hole.

 

[roundball]

CAPLOCK HUNTING IN THE RAIN
This is what I settled on as it works for me:

1)Double layer of masking tape on the muzzle

2)Keep the whole lock region up under my coat or rain gear at all times

3)Use a “Kap Kover” (photos)
Special Hot Shot nipple with O-ring in a groove around it's base up under the brass bell.
Seals out all moisture and is also a positive safety.

 

[Britsmoothy]

As daft as it sounds I prefere paper cartridges for individual charges in wet weather,,,, then kept in plastic bags!

Yep, keep that barrel down and the lock under the arm.

B.

 

[kodiakk]

Thanks for the pointer guys. Took three caps for it to go boom today, but at least it went boom. Yesterday it wouldn't fire.

 

[George T.]

Isn't it the pits when a MLR will not go off. I tried a bunch of things over the years. With my flint lock leaving it home until the rains quit worked the best. :wink: When I am doing these things I always think about the days when these were all that they had! Geo. T.

 

[Little Wattsy]

When I am doing these things I always think about the days when these were all that they had! Geo. T.

Dare we even try to imagine what their lives might REALY have been like with all the conveniences we have so redilly at hand... :hmm: :wink:

 

[elkslayer]

Use wax or something similar to seal around the nipple and cap. Then keep the muzzle pointed down.

 

[Mad Professor]

Use wax or something similar to seal around the nipple and cap. Then keep the muzzle pointed down.

+1

Make sure every thing is spotless clean and dry before loading.

Then with a caplock wax works great to seal up around the nipple and around the cap. Also I neversieze or lightly grease the nipple threads after each cleaning.

Some duct tape to cut into a circle seals the end of the barrel.

I always carry a candle and a few feet of duct tape when hunting. Candle has lots of uses as does the duct tape

 

[stinkyfeet]

Use a portable ground blind works great...

 

[BrownBear]

If in fact you're on Kodiak, you're on the right track with the finger from a surgical glove. I've been using electrical tape for years because I can put it on without getting in the way of the sight. Does the same job though, which is mandatory in the rough terrain, mud, snow, rain and brush. The standard advice of keeping your muzzle down just hasn't experienced Kodiak. It only takes a single instance of trying to get a big plug of snow or mud out of your gun to break you of the muzzle-down habit once and for all.

Roundball's link and pointer is a goodun for the other end of the barrel. I've also used Chapstick, smearing a little on top of the cap, then rubbing it down the sides to seal. Even sitting out in the rain in a duck blind for hours, I've never experienced a misfire on my 12 gauge SxS using the Chapstick. Vaseline would probably work as well, but Chapstick is handier.

I use a cows knee on my flinters, but can't quite form the habit of using them on cappers, even though I should.

 

[kodiakk]

Thanks again folks. I don't have Chapstick on me, but I put borebutter around my nipple which I think is about the same. I messed up and forgot my musket caps which I prefer so I robbed my back up number 11 nipple so that also might have something to do with it.