Lube wad over ball?

[ernbar]

Why is it acceptable to use lube on top of bullets after loading the cylinder or dipping the paper cartridge projectile being either round ball or conical in liquid lube but lubed wads are said to be used under and not over the projectile? The way I see it it’s the same to put a lubed wad over as to using lube after loading a cylinder or coating the projectile in lube, either way the lube is in front and not behind the round ball or conical.

 

[Cliffdweller]

Why is it acceptable to use lube on top of bullets after loading the cylinder or dipping the paper cartridge projectile being either round ball or conical in liquid lube but lubed wads are said to be used under and not over the projectile? The way I see it it’s the same to put a lubed wad over as to using lube after loading a cylinder or coating the projectile in lube, either way the lube is in front and not behind the round ball or conical.

Hmmm , never thought of it that way , hell .......why not! Have you tried it? Now I want to see if it gives any negative results.

 

[Stantheman86]

Why is it acceptable to use lube on top of bullets after loading the cylinder or dipping the paper cartridge projectile being either round ball or conical in liquid lube but lubed wads are said to be used under and not over the projectile? The way I see it it’s the same to put a lubed wad over as to using lube after loading a cylinder or coating the projectile in lube, either way the lube is in front and not behind the round ball or conical.

I have tried putting the wool wads over the ball but I had this weird thought that it might be bad to put an obstruction over the ball.....I thought that if the wad enters the forcing cone at some wonky angle it might obstruct the ball or something

Plus the wads can help accuracy by helping the powder push on the ball more uniformly or whatever science is behind it

Ox Yoke makes these pre formed plugs of lube I'm going to try over the ball on my Walkers

I also just slop Crisco over the balls and I've run revolvers all day without cleaning doing that. Just bring baby wipes for your hands or wear old pants

 

[rusticbob]

I tried that also, did not work well. Gasses from neighboring chamber blew the lubed wad out and they jammed the cylinder.

 

[Cliffdweller]

I tried that also, did not work well. Gasses from neighboring chamber blew the lubed wad out and they jammed the cylinder.

Well then that would be a reason not to......

 

[ernbar]

Well then that would be a reason not to......

It so happens I wanted play with this yesterday at the range, got there and set up my stuff then I realized I forgot to take the .454 balls!!!!! It was close to the end of the day so I shot my other toys. They are closed for maintenance till Thursday so Friday will like to try this out and compare.
Regarding the wads blowing out of the adjacent chambers, how tight fitting are yours? Mine are slightly oversized giving a tight seal.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I tried that also, did not work well. Gasses from neighboring chamber blew the lubed wad out and they jammed the cylinder.

It's either that or the recoil is popping them out as there isn't enough friction to hold them in. Not sure which, but I do know it's a bad idea.

 

[necchi]

I'm with @StanTheMan on this one, it's a possibility of becoming an obstruction, that's a bad thing.

The way I see it it’s the same to put a lubed wad over as to using lube after loading a cylinder or coating the projectile in lube, either way the lube is in front and not behind the round ball or conical.

Well, after 175yrs of these things being in use it's interesting to see new and innovative ideas still being tried.
I just wonder why in all that time that they never did that,

 

[ernbar]

I'm with @StanTheMan on this one, it's a possibility of becoming an obstruction, that's a bad thing.

Well, after 175yrs of these things being in use it's interesting to see new and innovative ideas still being tried.
I just wonder why in all that time that they never did that,

These wads are something used in modern times and not back then.
I was reading somewhere that Samuel Colt said it was recommended not to use lube on these projectiles?

 

[alcessapiens]

I'm with @StanTheMan on this one, it's a possibility of becoming an obstruction, that's a bad thing.

Well, after 175yrs of these things being in use it's interesting to see new and innovative ideas still being tried.
I just wonder why in all that time that they never did that,

Your doctorate in smartassery is showing

 

[necchi]

These wads are something used in modern times and not back then.

Ok, then just go back to when modern wads became available,,
It's simple, if the folks that made them then and make them now would have found it to be safe and effective,, we would have marketing for that use,,
They could sell twice as many,,
I still think the chance of a bore blocking obstruction is too high a risk.
You go ahead, but I won't be standing near enough to "hold your beer" while you do.

 

[necchi]

Your doctorate in smartassery is showing

I'm just tryin to get the guy to think,,

 

[Stantheman86]

These wads are something used in modern times and not back then.
I was reading somewhere that Samuel Colt said it was recommended not to use lube on these projectiles?

The original instructions that came with a Colt revolver said not to use anything between the powder and ball

But back in the 1830s-1860s people weren't shooting like we do, for the most part, using lube to keep revolvers going for lots of cylinders.

Then here comes Skeeter Skelton saying that the Confederate vets he shot Colt Navies with used felt wads under the ball. So it's at least been done since the 1930s. He never clarified if these guys used wads during the war, I'm gonna say likely not.

I basically feel, I use what's convenient and what works so I can enjoy a range day blowing smoke and slinging lead without constantly taking guns apart to clean when they get gummy

Lubed wads do an ok job of getting lube where it needs to be , I've fired 100 balls through 1 revolver without cleaning using Crisco or wads. It depends on what I have or feel like using

Out of wads? Stop at Dollar General and get some Crisco

 

[alcessapiens]

Consider that in addition to wedging in the barrel and blowing your thumb off an over bullet wad is an obstruction that the ball must move on it’s way to the target. Chances are that the muzzle blast might clear it away but, if it doesn’t, it won’t leave the bullet’s path uniformly so accuracy will suffer. Personally, I would never try this but, they’re your eyes and fingers.

 

[Stantheman86]

I did it for a few cylinders and survived, until my primal brain kicked in and told me I probably shouldn't have stuff in front of a bullet

I had used paper wadding in front of loose musket balls but that's a whole different ballgame

 

[bobbymoon]

The Target Load I used my Ruger Old Army was 17 g 3F, an Ox Yoke Fiber Wad, lighty seated, corn meal filler, and a .457 lead ball that seated just below the cylinder mouth. I would wipe the bore after 5 rounds with a patch damped with Windex with Ammonia, followed by a dry patch. When I was active in CAS, I used '51 Navies, with powder, home made fiber wad, and then ball. Never had an issue with the wads becoming an obstruction. Most seemed like they were consumed in firing, hardly any found down range.

 

[ernbar]

Ok so I’m glad I had a senior moment and forgot the round balls to shoot at the range. You guys know a lot more about BP stuff than yours truly so under the ball it will go. The reason I was investigating is because I noticed that the chambers loaded with my home made wads with beeswax and coconut oil partially weakened the charge when fired. The powder has to have been contaminated by the lightly lubed wads I made. I read about punching discs out of a waxed milk carton to isolate the powder from contamination. I haven’t noticed that happening with the commercially made wads I have which appear to be much dryer.

 

[TreeMan]

I’m gonna turn this thread around and admit I don’t use lube under the ball or on top of it. Powder, cream of wheat and ball for targets. Powder and a ball for everything else. It’s messy already without making everything slimy with lube. Don’t be bashing me over those nasty chainfires without lube. Shoot almost every day or at least weekly for 30+ years. Never a chain fire. Over sized ball that shaves a ring and tight fitting caps. Zero chainfires.

 

[Pete453]

These wads are something used in modern times and not back then.
I was reading somewhere that Samuel Colt said it was recommended not to use lube on these projectiles?

In SIXGUNS, Elmer Keith talks about old civil war vets teaching him to shoot his navy. He also talks about punching wads from old tallow soaked hats. Someone taught him that in the early 1900s. That was likely something figured out and used by the old timers because it worked.
There's nothing new under the sun....

 

[ernbar]

I’m gonna turn this thread around and admit I don’t use lube under the ball or on top of it. Powder, cream of wheat and ball for targets. Powder and a ball for everything else. It’s messy already without making everything slimy with lube. Don’t be bashing me over those nasty chainfires without lube. Shoot almost every day or at least weekly for 30+ years. Never a chain fire. Over sized ball that shaves a ring and tight fitting caps. Zero chainfires.

Well I don’t use wads with every shot. I usually shoot 6 with wads and the next 6 without and so on. I have shot well over 30 rounds without wads or any lube and the bore just looked like a sewer pipe but it kept on working. A rinse under the utility sink faucet washed away a lot of the gunk, the brush removed the rest.