Revolver questions

[Brasilikilt]

Hey all
I know this has probably been talked about many a times before.....but not by me so much, so here goes.

Is a 35 gr load of Pyrodex P too hot for a steel frame 1858 Remi?

Last night I was going to completely disassemble it to give it a detailed cleaning and just to see how it ticks.......is there anything special I should know before I proceed? Tips, tricks any "Ohh crap you shouldn't do that" kinda things?

Why do I need to remove ALL the grease off the gun before I fire it?
Why are petroleum products bad news for these BP guns? Does it have a bad reaction when it comes in contact with the Pyro or BP??
If that's the case, is it okay to use regular gun oil BEFORE shooting it, and then use bacon grease after giving it a thorough cleaning?

Hot water with dish soap still okay with BP revolvers?

Okay.......that's enough outta me

Take care
Iain

 

[Don]

Most manufacturers recommend no more than 30 grains of BP or pyrodex P but I have read of some guys putting up to 35 grains into the Remington guns without ill effect. Probably the rugged top strap design makes this fesable.

As far as disassembling the gun for cleaning that is fine. I would recommend having an exploded view diagram handy to help with reassembly. Non-petrolium based lubes are recommended because petrolium based ones get tacky over time and interfer with proper function of the gun. I wouldn't reccomend bacon grease as it contains salts which could encourage rusting. Good old soapy hot water works fine for cleaning and I read where one guy used olive oil to lube his revolvers without any problems.

Good Luck

Don

 

[Brasilikilt]

Something else I was wondering.....are the felt wads totally neccesary?
Were wads or spacers used historically?
thanks
Iain

 

[jdixon]

You need to use the wads or grease over the cylinder mouths with something like Bore Butter. There is a two-fold purpose with both methods, reduce fouling in the barrel and most important, sealing the front of the chamber to prevent chain firing (the simultaneous ignition of two or more cyinders). That last statement is likely to fire up the debate about chain firing again - how does it happen? There is no one theory that is uniformly agreed on the matter. I always use the felt wads, they work for me, never had a chain fire and I assume that they are doing something for the fouling - though I don't know for certain as I never fired one of my revolvers without one in the load. As to which method is authentic - couldn't tell you.

 

[Don]

As J.R. said you should use one or the other. I think grease over the chamber mouth is probably more historically correct. But no you don't HAVE to use wads but if you skip the wads put grease over the chamber mouth to prevent chain fires.

Don

 

[Zonie]

"...You need to use the wads or grease over the cylinder mouths ..."

I'm sure you folks figured this out, but if you use grease, it goes over the top of the ball after seating it.
If you use wads, the wad goes under the ball before seating it.

I know, I know...picky picky.

 

[Brasilikilt]

I've been using crisco in my flintlock forever and it works well for the front stuffer....given the price of those pre-lubed felt wads I think I'll go with crisco in the revolver too.

I'm nothing but questions these days

thanks for all your help

Iain :v

 

[TFoley]

A relative new-comer to BP - I've only been shooting my revolvers since about 1972 or so - but I have never used wads [here in UK they are around $15 a bag], but only a sealer over the ball. Never had or seen a chain-fire either, and don't know anyone who has.
I lube the cylinder base pin on my revolvers with the same tub of Shakespeare spinning reel grease I bought in the Wiesbaden R & G club in 1978. after all this time there is still no visible sign of wear on either of my BP revolvers.
Still, I dare say that there are many other stories around of vast and all-comsuming explosions where everybody within 500 yards disappeared into a cloud of atomised dust when 'John Doe' had a chainfire, so I'll let those who HAVE enjoyed such an event and survived it to tell the rest of us all about it.

tac

 

[gerryherd]

Is a 35 gr load of Pyrodex P too hot for a steel frame 1858 Remi?

Last night I was going to completely disassemble it to give it a detailed cleaning and just to see how it ticks.......is there anything special I should know before I proceed?

To quote from the Lyman Black Powder Handbook (which I bought as a reference when first getting into muzzleloading): "Today, these revolvers are made of modern steels and are virtually impossible to damage using sporting black powder due to their limited chamber capacity." The book goes on to give muzzle velocity data in a Remington for a 37 grain Goex 3Fg load (1002 fps). My experience is that while safe, big loads may not be the most accurate. Also, occasionally you may overcharge just enough to where you can't compress the powder & ball with the loading lever enough to get the ball below the chamber mouth.

It's been a while since I owned a Remington, but complete disassembly/reassembly was straightforward using the steps given in the Lyman BP Handbook. I usually completely disassembled the gun, but Lyman says taking off the wood grips and pulling cylinder pin, cylinder and loading lever is enough for normal cleaning.
For complete disassembly, keep the screws near the component they go through so you don't mix them up during reassembly. I think I remember there being a bit of bother when it came to getting the mainspring back under tension during reassembly - I found it convenient to use a piece of wood dowel between frame and mainspring for leverage while lining up the hammer with its screw hole.

Good shooting.

 

[John Taylor]

Ah.. the chain fire, It only happened to me once. One ball went down the barrel and the other at 6 o-clock hit the loading plunger and formed around it. Recoil felt different and when I investigated I found the other ball still stuck to the plunger. I use grease but don't think I had any that time. The grease goes all over the place with the first shot and makes a good mess. I have used felt wads but they cost to much. Any light lube will work and you don't need very much. Did find out that one of my Rugers liked 2F better than 3F.

 

[mewing6003]

I dare say that there are many other stories around of vast and all-comsuming explosions where everybody within 500 yards disappeared into a cloud of atomised dust when 'John Doe' had a chainfire, so I'll let those who HAVE enjoyed such an event and survived it to tell the rest of us all about it.

tac

:rotf:
I too am awaiting for the mysterious Mr. Doe to actually appear and awe us of his tales of surviving what amounts to an explosion of biblical proportions. I have had 2 chain fires since starting with revolvers in the 1970s. Neither were very spectacular. Dangerous? maybe if your not holding your revolver properly, and not wearing shooting glasses. Neither hurt the gun, on one I had to scrape the ball off of the plunger end was all, the other went downrange without a problem.

Use wads or grease over the ball and make sure you have the correct size of caps. Do the same thing every time and I doubt you will have any problems.

 

[hornetk4]

I see that most folks think the wads are too expensive to bother with . I can go to a thrift store and buy an old felt hat any day of the week for no more than a dollar or two , that with a tube punch I can pound out a few hundred wads . So price should not be a factor , I feel you get a better seal behind the ball when you use a wad and possibly more velocity. As far as using 35 grains of powder or more I used as much as I could put in one of my 44 cal cylinders and the cylinder bores actually swelled oversized and the balls would not stay in . I had to get oversized balls in order to use that cylinder .If you need more velocity get a bigger gun .

 

[Ed Blake]

Anyone use hard 1/8" card wads sold by Circle Fly in place of a felt wad in their revolvers?

 

[Charley Hart]

35 IMO is too hot. 30 is probably the max load. Unless you have good reason you are putting unecessary wear on your pistol and probably developing a nasty flinch to go with it! I say go lower.

Disassembly is easy on the rem. Just get a schematic just in case and you should be fine.

Removing the grease should improve performance and lessen the chance for wet powder.

I have used both but like bore butter better than petrolium based stuff. I am less likely to create a pool of oil at the bottom of the cylinder that will cause wet powder next time. Plus bore butter lasts longer. Got my 1861 springfield still looking shiny cause I coat the whole thing with bore butter.

I use hot water sometimes with soap sometimes without. Key is clean every crevice and remove the nipples and grease the threads. Makes removal easier and lessens the chance of a frozen nipple. Trust me that stinks.

 

[JIMinPHX]

...I read where one guy used olive oil to lube his revolvers without any problems.

Good Luck

Don

Makes sense...
for the Italian revolvers

:winking:

 

[wwfeatherston]

I made up a jar of beeswax softened with olive oil and have hardly made a dent in it 300 or so rounds later.

Tip:
Keep a rag in your back pocket or possibles bag, for wiping down the pistol after loading! Grease on the handgrips is a bad thing!