Wax Wads?

[glw]

When I ordered my 1858 from Cabela's, it came with a kit of stuff like a plastic flask, capper, and two bads of wads: one of dry-lubed felt wads (smelled like Bore Butter), and another bag of what appear to be wax wads. They feel waxy at any rate. They also smell minty like Bore Butter does.

I may have missed something but I don't recall seeing anything in the packaging that explained what those were.

So, the dumb question is: are those used just like the felt wads?

 

[capt_turk]

If the wads are felt or fiber impregnated with lube they go under the ball. If they don't have fiber, they go over the balls.
Don't put a lube pill under the ball. I made that mistake the first time I loaded my revolver and had to pull everything and clean it to get it to fire. The pills ended up squeezing through the powder and squirted out of the nipples.

 

[gbeauvin]

Sounds like you might have felt wads (for under the ball) and wonder seals (for over the ball). I just checked the cabela's site, and that is indeed what the revolvers with "starter kits" come with (I got mine without the starter kit).

-GB

 

[glw]

Thanks G B. That's kinda what I suspected they were.

I actually ended up shooting all my balls with the felt wads and didn't use the wax ones.

 

[dikman]

The first time I fired my Uberti .44 I used pills over the powder. I fired off 50 rounds and never had any problems with the pills.
I haven't come across anyone else saying the wax squeezed past the powder.

Curious, are you saying you used "dry" wads?

 

[glw]

No, the felt wads were impregnated with something (smelled like Bore Butter) but they felt pretty dry to me so I smeared some more Bore Butter on the tops (on the ball side) before putting the ball in. Seemed like the thing to do.

I must say, the thing cleaned up very easily.

 

[Billnpatti]

The dry wads go over the powder before loading the ball. The wax wads go over the ball. Since the avowed purpose of each is to prevent chain firing of the chambers and provide some lubrication, using both at the same time seems a bit redundant but does no harm. If you want, you can use one or the other or both at the same time. Once you run out of the wads, you can choose to either use Crisco over your loaded balls, buy more wads or make your own. Contact me if you need the details on how to make your own felt wads and save scads of money on the cost of the wads.

 

[cynthialee]

I am redundant. I use a wad and grease over the top. Just took one chainfire to make me decide redundancy is a good idea.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Just took one chainfire to make me decide redundancy is a good idea.

Does get your attention, huh??!! Had two or three before I finally figured out what was going on. Definitely stresses those nearby! :haha: Always amazed me the gun didn't seem to suffer worse than the shooter's nerves. The worse result was a bottom cylinder went off and drove a ball into the rammer groove.. That stopped all the fun till I took the revolver down and laboriously dug the lead out of the cut-out. All this happened back in the 60's before there was enough shared experience and most of us knot-heads getting into a new sport ,for us at least, had to learn things on our own...not always quick or easy! :rotf: It's a wonder I lived to be normal!!!

 

[glw]

Actually BillnPatti, I wouldn't mind learning how to make some wads on my own and on the cheap.

 

[cynthialee]

Sounds about right. Happened to me while I was shooting a Dragoon...all but one of the side chambers went kablooie! I was just kinda dumbstruck and slack jawed for a minute until I figured out what just happened.

 

[Atlast357]

I have never used wads, but started off using Crisco and worked well as a lubricant all over the front of the cylinder :haha:
Then went to cigaret paper cartridge and no grease , used only .454 balls that seals the load ,leaving the nice little lead ring as an indicator.
Works for me.

 

[AZbpBurner]

While felt wads work just fine, toiletpaper wods work equally well, and are cheaper and easier to make. Punching out felt and lubing it takes away too much range time.

 

[dikman]

Over-powder pills - seals and lubricates, just seems logical to me (don't have to worry about finding felt!).

 

[RedFeather]

I still remember using Crisco on a hot July day forty-some years ago. The more I shot, the faster it melted. I also have an old mold from Navy Arms that casts three or four "belted balls". Flat based and round nosed with a ring around the middle to seal. The base is slightly undersized so it slips in until the ring stops it, then you seat as normal. How'd they shoot? Can't rightly say as I'm the absolute worst pistolero in three states.

 

[capt_turk]

I started off using those Pyrodex pellets with the hole through the center. The wax squeezed thru the hole. Not anymore, black powder all the way for me now.

 

[dikman]

Ahh, yes, I can see where that could have been a problem :haha: .

 

[glw]

I used some of those wax seals over the balls today (without a felt wad). Gun shot very well.