Revolver chain fires

[Kansas Jake]

I'm glad you translated it because my German isn't very good any more.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

The horrible advice of "just pinch the caps on" probably has attributed to more chain fires than anything.

 

[nkbj]

I pinch the caps and never have chain fires.
Want to know my secret formula that prevents them?

I had to come back and add this.
That was a baiting question. My secret formula is the lanolin-olive oil-beeswax lube in front of the balls.

 

[nkbj]

Just so's you know, nkbj --- Those superimposed load guns are called "Roman candle guns" by collectors and by the gent who wrote that book I mentioned earlier.
Stantheman --- It was common practice during our own Civil War especially amongst the Border Raiders and other Irregular troops to carry several loaded revolvers. An account I read referred to one pair in saddle holsters, one pair in saddle bags, one pair in hip holsters, one pair in shoulder holsters, and at least one other pair of "pocket" revolvers in --- you guessed it --- the man's coat pockets!
It seems reloading percussion revolvers while on horseback during a firefight is difficult especially with people shooting at you and spooking your horse. I haven't had that experience and don't want it, but anybody who has ever loaded a cap-n-ball revolver can understand the challenges. The Eastwood movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" is the most realistic Hollywood epic I've seen on this subject.

Thanks for that tidbit. It was such an obvious idea that somebody had to.

 

[wb78963]

I pinch the caps and never have chain fires.
Want to know my secret formula that prevents them?

I had to come back and add this.
That was a baiting question. My secret formula is the lanolin-olive oil-beeswax lube in front of the balls.

Grease your balls pardner, your chain fire is a'comin'. When you shoot a cap and ball revolver there is a tremendous flash from the cap and blow back through the nipple. And there is where the trouble starts
I have been shooting black powder in cap and ball guns for about 70 years starting with an original 1851 Colt navy.
I have no idea of how many times I have shot a cap and ball gun. For sure about 75 times in the last two days with four different guns.
I have caps the SEAL the nipple. The ONE one chain fire was about a year ago and i am certain it was a undersized ball because the good unfired cap was still on the nipple and the chamber was empty of powder, lubricating wad and ball.
When you have a real chain fire, when the whole shebang goes off, you will be motivated to either get caps that fit the nipple or nipples that fit the caps. Slixshot nipples and Remington #10 caps make a perfect combination.
But do what you think best.
Experience The thing you get right after you needed it.
Good Luck
Bunk

 

[Macgloy]

Oh, I made a mistake in the translation, here's the english version again!
The Centaurs live on on the homepage of the Santa Barbara revolver, but only at the German side in German

By the way,
can someone tell me the exact thread size that Colt used in his 1860 pistons. I would like to get a thread tap in the same size.

 

[Zonie]

I'm confused by your use of the word, "pistons".
In this view from gunpartscorp, what is the number of the part your asking about?

 

[saaman]

Funny how the myth of chain fire caused by loose or missing caps is repeated by people who never tested that theory. I and others (Preventing chain firing) have tested it and we can assure you it doesn't happen. In my tests I left the caps off except for the chamber being fired--no chain fire. I put caps on every other chamber and got no chain fire. I have often used oversize caps that needed pinching to fit and no chain fire. In over 50 years I have only had two chain fires and both were caused by balls that were out of round and did not seal the chambers.

 

[smoothshooter]

I don't know if someone has already mentioned this but, I wonder if it could be possible, that the heat generated in the chamber being intentionally fired, could be enough to detonate the chamber next to it?
To the best of my knowledge, I haven't heard of a chain fire in a cartridge revolver, perhaps, the added brass helps prevent a chain fire.
I once heard it said, that it's not the fire of the spark that causes detonation, but it's the heat generated by the spark; this was at the time in reference to how a flintlock spark sets off the charge in the barrel.

Not possible.
The heat is of too short duration.

 

[M. De Land]

In years of shooting percussion revolvers, I've had two chain fires. In both cases I had neglected to put grease over the balls. In the 80's, I went to greased wads over the powder and stopped greasing the balls. Never a problem with that.I have used many oversized caps when I could not find ones that fit tight, by just pinching them so they would stay on. Never a problem due to that, and I doubt pinching would make a good seal, but maybe it was enough. I am of the opinion that chain fires come from the front, but my opinion is just formed from my experience of firing many hundreds of shots through 3 different Colt types. Oh, yeah, had a Remington type for awhile also. I had a friend that got me started, and taught me back in the early 70's. He had one chain fire from not putting grease over the balls when he first started, then never again. I don't know, do what you feel comfortable with.

You have no doubt have noticed that even if you do put grease over all the balls after the first shot virtually all of it is blown off and more so with each successive shot.

 

[jimhallam]

In his response to "Macgloy" Zonie said ..... " I'm confused by your use of the word, "pistons". "
I remember that when I first started reading American references I was confused by the term "cones", when I used the word "nipples". It was easy to work out what must have been meant, as there was nothing else "sort-of cone-shaped" on the percussion firearms. I can only assume that the English use of the term came from the biological reference -- something protruding through which a fluid was delivered ;-) .... hence the engineering term "grease nipple".

The phrase "Two nations divided by a common language" has been attributed to GB Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Churchill ... and Noah Webster contibuted to the retention of the grammar and vocabulary from the 16th /17th Century in the USA.
The whole situation is exacerbated by regional variations (dialects) -- e.g., when goingback to the South of England from Northumbia I would be understood by many if I said "Ah'm gannin' yhem, hinny". In like manner I had terrible trouble when I rang the BATF and the receptionist was clearly a "Southron".
All part of life's rich panoply, made worse nowadays by "Google translate".

 

[Erwan]

I'm confused by your use of the word, "pistons".
In this view from gunpartscorp, what is the number of the part your asking about?

Hi zonie,
"Piston(s)" is also an old french word for nipples (#14 on your exploded view), this word isn't in use anymore since the time of the system of cartridges with central percussion with the launched percussion pins in something like nipples and exterior hammers (firing pins launched and bouncing hammers), to make a difference between them the nipples are now called "cheminée/s" the same word that "chimney" for you ...
I well understand Macgloy and this problem of translation, I know him for his interesting SB Project : Projekt 1858

Now and about the original question: I never seen a chainfire coming from cylinder front but from the rear side and nipples dirty I did it, also with too big holes (old nipples) and too fine granulation of powder ...

 

[Macgloy]

Sorry for the wrong or outdated translation. As already mentioned, I mean number 14. It's probably the nipple, the things that the primers are put on. The size is the same like Centaure nipples. By the way, I think, this is also the wrong chapter.
Thank you, greetings Gloyer

 

[LRB]

You have no doubt have noticed that even if you do put grease over all the balls after the first shot virtually all of it is blown off and more so with each successive shot.

Even if true, which it is not, it did the job very well. I used lithium grease because I did not like the smell of burnt Crisco.

 

[M. De Land]

Even if true, which it is not, it did the job very well. I used lithium grease because I did not like the smell of burnt Crisco.

I was referring to the common use of Crisco which I used for the last 50 years and it is absolutely true of it but as you say it does the job and I have never to date had a chain fire. I did switch a couple of years ago to felt wads soaked in Bee's wax and it has worked very well without the grease mess all over the barrel and my shooting glasses where it was blown forward and the wind drifted it back all over my spotting scope and shooting glass lenses.
As far as I can tell to date the wads are just as accurate as the ever changing Crisco volume smeared over the balls with each successive shot.

 

[nkbj]

You have no doubt have noticed that even if you do put grease over all the balls after the first shot virtually all of it is blown off and more so with each successive shot.

The little bit of lube that persists in the shallow angle between the curvature of the ball and the chamber wall are what you need. All the rest of it being blown around just doesn't matter.

This concoction in the bucket is what I use, mixed up with beeswax, olive oil and lanolin.
That's my .40 caliber 1851 in the picture.

 

[wb78963]

In the process of fitting nipples to caps a lot of caps were test fired. No load, just the cap and I was surprised at the amount of carbonized randomly accelerated particles (CRAP) comes out around the recoil shield. This was observed on a Colt open top revolver. What happens on a Remington I have no idea, don't own one, don't care for them. If you have a Remington try the test and let me know.
Get in a shady spot and see what happens. Wear ear and eye protection it is loud and a lot of CRAP flies through the air.
It looks like a reasonable cause of a chain fire.
Bunk

 

[wb78963]

A .40 caliber? Perhaps you meant .44 caliber? The little bit of lube that persists in the shallow angle between the curvature of the ball and the chamber wall are what you need. All the rest of it being blown around just doesn't matter.

This concoction in the bucket is what I use, mixed up with beeswax, olive oil and lanolin.
That's my .40 caliber 1851 in the picture.

Didn't you mean .44 caliber?/ Not to pick on you Ibecause have done worse by not editing.
Nice looking hand gun though have fun shooting it.QUOTE]

 

[Bad Karma]

The little bit of lube that persists in the shallow angle between the curvature of the ball and the chamber wall are what you need. All the rest of it being blown around just doesn't matter.

This concoction in the bucket is what I use, mixed up with beeswax, olive oil and lanolin.
That's my .40 caliber 1851 in the picture.

Who did the work to create a .40? Thanks,

btw, I’ve owned a few that were .456 chambers, tempting to call them .46 caliber. For when a .45 just isn’t enough...

 

[Griz44Mag]

Who did the work to create a .40? Thanks,

btw, I’ve owned a few that were .456 chambers, tempting to call them .46 caliber. For when a .45 just isn’t enough...

Those are the ones where you take a 454 ball, put it on the floor and give it tap with flat nose hammer..... Just make sure you load it flat side up (or down)