Weatherproofing a percussion

[tx50cal]

What do you guys do to keep the rain from wetting your charge. I know that the cap is not going to keep out all moister. How do you guys deal with this problem? Thanks for the help.

 

[Rancocas]

Same as with a flintlock - as has recently been discussed in the flintlock section.
Use a cow's knee, keep the lock under your arm while walking, and under the hem of you coat if sitting, keep the muzzle pointed downward so water can not run down the bore.

 

[longcruise]

Never had a problem with rain and percussion. OTOH, I don't stay out in heavy rain but have gone all day in light drizzle or worse yet, a heavy wet snow from the night before gradually melting out of the evergreens.

I try to carry in such a ways as to keep the lock area of the rifle dry and sometimes turn it over and carry horizontal but with the top of the barrel down.

One thing you could do is go to the auto parts store and pick up some of those little rubber dohickeys that are used to close off unused vaccuum lines on a car. They come in various sizes. I use these when cleaning my guns by putting one over the nipple and filling the barrel with water to soak before doing the actual cleaning. No water ever escapes through the nipple. You would have to carry your rifle uncapped of course and would need to pull the cover of the nipple and cap for the shot.

As far as the bore is concerned, I never gave it any thought until I saw some little balloons for sale as rainy weather muzzle protectors. Seems like it would work too if water down the bore was a problem.

 

[rabbit03]

I have a vent also in the side of my caplock and I simply plugged it with a bit of greese and also ran a bit of it around the bottom of the nipple too. Hunted in the Adirondack Rain Forest a couple of years ago in one of the down pours and still the rifle fired just like it would have any other time.

rabbit03

ps. also twisted the edge of a cap into a candle, getting a bit of wax on it before seating it on the nipple and didn't have any trouble that time either.

 

[tx50cal]

I have thought of the grease, but I have heard about it blowing out and hitting people in the eye.

 

[Cosmoline]

Wouldn't safety glasses protect them? I've been twapped by bits of cap on my left hand several times already but none were powerful enough to penetrate.

For rain I've heard of using bore butter around the base of the cap or primer and the usual rifle condom on the crown.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

a condom over the muzzle

parafin wax around the nipple/pan rim

 

[huntman58]

I use bore butter around the cap.

 

[jtmattison]

Black electrical tape over the muzzle and paste lube or grease around the cap.

HD

 

[brubincam]

-----new ones hopefully--none found on the ground please-----

 

[Cosmoline]

You can always use a walrus bladder instead.

 

[Mad Professor]

Melted wax from a candle on the nipple and cap, duct tape on the end of the barrel.

 

[Vaino]

Have hunted elk during the 9 day Colorado MLer season in Sept. and our party of 5 has hunted in 6 days of steady rain that ranged from drizzle to downpour several times and none of us ever took any precautions as far as "weatherizing" or protecting the cap. When the elk was spotted and the trigger was pulled, the rifle always went off . A properly fitting cap will detonate under rainy conditions because the "explosive" in the cap is at the top of the nipple and if the sides of the cap fit the nipple properly, moisture won't be a factor. We use CCI magnum caps and the fit is perfect on the nipples we use.....Fred