How long can you leave a revolver loaded with powder, wad, and ball?
Revolver loading
- Thread starter Kiwi Hawkeye
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
If it's dry, probably several hundred years.
Even with a lubed wad?
It depends on your climate, your loading technique and your capping. I have had much better luck for some reason with conicals than RB. Some folks have tricks to seal the caps on the nipples that seems to help. Personally I shoot my 1858 fresh once a week and sometimes every two weeks. very occasionally three weeks.
Black powder
So un capped it should be good for a couple of days in Idaho
No problem.
ThanxNo problem.
un capped in Vermont in the summer with real BP and it would missfire and hang fire after one day. Capped with waxed conicals and T7 I have had great luck and reliability after several weeks. longest about 3 weeks. Usually cant go much longer than that without getting the itch to shoot it.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2009
- Messages
- 4,688
- Reaction score
- 8,571
Depends on the lube. A waxed wad probably won’t affect the charge much and in that case the blackpowder will remain viable virtually forever assuming it remains dry.
Trev
36 Cl.
I left mine loaded (black powder & capped & wonderwad) just about a year once and when I shot it empty, everything about it looked like it had been loaded that day. Left it loaded for a week or two many times.
KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
Wouldn't be dry if there was lube involved. Dunno why you'd want a lubed wad anyway.
Does it gain you anything on the first 6 shots of a firearm that's been stored for a very long time?
Well one member report Lee had wax over his bullets so maybe he was going to fire it in 2030?
Trev
36 Cl.
Do you think it would gain anything if used right now?
I've always just used them because it was once recommended and to take up cylinder space so the rammer would seat the ball
KingOfKindling
36 Cl.
Doubtful, though I've never used them. Can't come up with a reason why I would want to. I only use real black powder, and I generally stick with full power loads so space is not an issue.
Maybe it does something for someone who shoots one gun all day long. I don't generally fire more than 5-6 cylinders out of a single gun in a session. If I were wanting to go longer, it seems like running a brush down the barrel after a bunch of cylinders is less time and money than fiddling with wads and lube.
Guns are made for killing stuff, and practicing with lighter charges doesn't do me any favors. If I want to use less powder, I'll shoot a smaller gun.
