I have long preached the virtues of a mix of mutton tallow, canning paraffin and beeswax. So long, that after a few years the mix was named after me: Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant.
The recipe is:
1 part canning paraffin, such as made by Gulf or Parowax. Find it in 1 lb. blocks at your grocery or hardware store, in the canning section.
1 part mutton tallow. It's sold (once again) by Dixie Gun Works. Or you may find it on the internet.
1/2 part beeswax. The real stuff. Toilet seals have not been made of real beeswax for 10 or 15 years, so forget that. It's expensive at craft stores but local beekeepers will have it reasonably priced. Call your county extension agent to find out who herds bees in your area, or check the Yellow pages under Honey.
All measurements are by weight, not volume. I measure 200/200/100 grams with a kitchen scale and put the ingredients in a quart, widemouth Mason jar. Place the jar in 3 or 4 inches of boiling water, the safest way to melt waxes and tallow.
When they're thoroughly melted, mix well with a clean stick or disposable chopstick.
Remove from heat. Allow to cool at room temperature.
To lubricate wads, put them in a clean tuna or pet food can, with the label removed. Place can on the stove at very low heat. Add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant. Allow to melt thoroughly, then stir wads with chopstick or clean stick.
Remove can from heat. Allow to cool. Snap plastic pet food lid over the can to keep crud out and moisture in.
Write contents on side of can with wide marker: 44 WADS / GATOFEO LUBE or whatever.
A variety of wads, of different sizes and lubes, can be kept in these cans, stacked on top of each other on a shelf.
Someone will ask, "Hey, can I use Crisco instead of mutton tallow?" or some such thing. Yes, you can but the effectiveness of the lube is not as good. I have tried all manner of substitutes but the result doesn't work as well as this combination of mutton tallow, canning paraffin and real beeswax.
Why canning paraffin? Because it's pure. Who knows what's in old candles, especially the scented variety. Canning paraffin is nothing but.
Mutton tallow is worth the effort to find. It's been recommended as a black powder lubricant as far back as the mid 1800s. It does not contain lanolin, as I understand it, but there's something in it that makes it stand out from all other tallow, including bear, elk, deer, turkey, pig, chicken and beef. I've tried them all and not found anything that works as well.
The above recipe traces its roots to the 19th century factory recipe for outside lubricated bullets, which I found in a 1940s American Rifleman. Factories are understandably reluctant to divulge recipes, but this recipe was outdated when published and of no concern.
With today's resurgence of black powder shooting, it is again of interest.
I'm not recommending it because it bears my name. I'm recommending it because it works as well or better than current black powder lubricants in keeping fouling soft. Others who have tried it will attest to its excellence.
It's worth the effort to find the ingredients and make it. That 500 grams of ingredients will lubricate thousands of wads.
As for Duofelt, you couldn't find a finer outfit. Check our her clearance area for discounted 1/8" hard felt sheets. You may wish to buy some 1/4" felt as well, rather than using a filler such as Cream of Wheat or corn meal (preferred, because corn meal compresses. Cream of Wheat doesn't compress much, requiring more precise measurement).
Add the powder, then thumb in a greased wad. Seat the wad but not yet the ball. Why? Because sooner or later you'll forget to put powder in a chamber; it's easier to remove a wad than a stuck ball. Also, seating the wad and ball separately give you a better feel for how much pressure you're applying to either. Consistent seating pressure aids accuracy.
Use a .454 inch ball. The larger ball will seal better in the chamber, and provide a wider bearing band for the rifling to grip. This may aid accuracy.
If you use a greased felt wad, there is no need to put loose grease over the ball after it's seated.
Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant is excellent for wads, patches, lead bullets and outside lubricated bullets such as the .32 and .41 Long Colt. I use it for all black powder projectile applications.
