I sharpen the outer edge as it is easier to hold the saw edge against a fine Arkansas stone to get a sharp edge.
Lubing patches with mink oil ?
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Historical Armsmaker
32 Cal
This is a little dangerous. Bear grease is what the forefathers used. However, there's another step. If you take the time to do this right, you'll make enough to last a couple years even if you shoot every weekend. I said dangerous, only because legally, bear grease cannot be sold. But the process is a pain in the ass. First, here's why it's worth it.
1. No salt in the fat, and is multipurpose once melted/rendered down & strained. As both an edible (no taste) and lubricating oil, with NO shelf life! Our forefathers used it to cook with, to lubricate mechanisms, and as the first step in patch lube.
2. Melt down some bees wax and slowly mix in room temperature bear oil. You are aiming at a paste mix which occurs when the mix cools. You can't mess up unless you use up all your oil or wax; so make a little batch first.
3. There are 2 mixes: one for winter which is thinner (less wax), the second is a bit more wax for summer.
4. BENEFITS: Naturally lubricates continuously the barrel both inside and out; As Well As, the Stock!
You should see my shooter. The barrel bore shines, with NO solvent cleaning since I built this .38 cal early Lancaster in 2006! My stock is as beautiful as it was when I completed the build. Seems the rifle has benefitted from the switch.
And my 3 No.10 tin cans of my patch lube made from the raw fat of a neighbor's bear harvest is finally down to an inch. So it's lasted me that long! The rifle still performs flawlessly and no other lubricant but bear oil and the patch lube has ever touched it.
We'll; that's one of my 'secrets' that's never been one since I learned it! And few believed, but it's historical.
Bear, for their grease and oil, were harvested by the hundreds in the 1700's.
HistoricalArmsmaker
instead of cutting patches I use Walmart mink oil ( checked, its mink oil and lanolin) with blue stripe ticking. start the ball and use a patch knife.
Yet no real time knowledge?
Dave Dworshak
40 Cal
has anyone ever tried unsalted butter??
HighUintas
45 Cal.
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No. Hopefully before the end of the year!
Tastes terrible.
Historical Armsmaker
32 Cal
Once I started using the bear fat and bees wax, learned all the benefits, I never returned to anything else. An old friend (gone now) had told me about it, but I think I was afraid of it's mess. When you shoot with it, the barrel gets hot and melts the wax and lines in with the oil. It cleans with one dry patch. What I found amazing was nothing else was needed to set the gun up for extended periods. That just blew my mind. It's a 38 cal round groove barrel made for me back in 2005 to my specs by Ed Rayl. The finest of all the barrel makers. It's won 4 State championships and deadly. The mix I use is awesome. If you just find someone who hunts bear, beg the fat. It's a pain to make, but it's great stuff. You just cook the fat down into a liquid and it will usually stay that way until you're ready to warm it up again and add to melted beeswax. It doesn't require very much on your patching. I cut strips then drag it across a ton of the mix, then roll up the strip. I use a patch knife to cut the load flush on the muzzle. Hunting, I have a little ball board.
historicalarmsmaker
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historicalarmsmaker
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Center_shot
32 Cal.
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Bet everyone in the area will be hungry within a few shots.
Historical Armsmaker
32 Cal
Bacon has salt in it. Would rust up your barrel, and every crack and crevice, meaning threads, in record time. You have to be careful in selecting any product that's used in a firearm. It's good you're asking before you try!
Center_shot
32 Cal.
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Sarcasm font needed.
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What brand are you using?
Historical Armsmaker
32 Cal
I use real pillow ticking bought years ago at a local sewing shop. At that time I was shooting a lot so bought a couple yards of it. My rifle has a swamped barrel of custom design w/ deep round groove rifling. I designed it based on European originals. The most important concept I have learned is having both a summer mix (which has a little less bear oil in it); and a winter mix which is thinner, so has a bit more bear oil). It's my understanding that Bear oil and whale oil are the only natural oils that have no salt in them and were used in cooking too. Even if I'm wrong about them being the only two, they are exceptional lubricants which won't rust your barrel. (And both whale and bear oil were in common use for lubricants and cooking. Once shot, the heat of the barrel allows the lube to coat the bore and keeps the fouling loose. It amazes me it's modern stuff that's causing issues! By the way it seems to waterproof the finish on the stock too.
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Historical Armsmaker
32 Cal
I haven't used mink oil, so I don't know it's properties. It may work just fine. I always have a source for the bear fat so I always melt a bit down into oil and add beeswax for my patching. And, use the oil on the inside of my lock. Since I learned about it back in 2005, I have used it in every muzzleloader I've shot and those I've built. (I test-shoot every firearm I build using it so that the mix "sets" the barrel bore and readies it for use). I'm still amazed at the difference between using it compared to the required clean-up from modern stuff I used to use.
Another point: the lock benefits from the mix because there's no salt in the oil and the beeswax in it acts as a lubricant. ALL I have to do is wipe it away. Leaves a sealed coating on both the barrel, breech, and other steel components. And the stocks I use it on really shine up. I reckon that's the wax in it.
I'm a stick-tight when something works well.
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Sorry, I got the wrong person....oops!
hanshi
Cannon
Looks like I never did respond to your question, sorry. No, I do not lube just one side of a patch. The reason is that of the lubes I use they all soak through the patch. When I rub mink oil into the patch I get it soaked with the lube. I like lots of lube in the patches. Any excess is squeezed out onto the muzzle crown anyway.
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