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Hi all,
I’m getting ready to break out the BP cap and ball revolvers for a range trip. Discovered I am out of wonder lube and can’t get more locally.
Instead, I was hoping to get a recommendation on what other people are using for cylinder grease/seal lube. I need something that stays in the cylinder mouth at 100+ degrees. It gets hot here in Arizona. If there is something I could order/make that would be ideal.
Thanks,
I seem to recall that a melted mix of Crisco and beeswax will work for chamber mouths, and if you make it heavy on the beeswax it holds up better in hot climes. I don't use chamber lube on my Remingtons or Colts. I cast .454 balls that produce a nice ring of lead on loading and I've had no problems. I use the high-temp synthetic red grease you can buy in small tubs at auto parts stores for the cylinder pins. GF
Good old-fashioned lard. Works for the cylinder pin and over-ball.
Melt some of your lube (simple, crisco/beeswax) into some wool and cut out caliber sized wads and load under the ball. As long as you shoot it in a day you won't ruin your powder. Nothing over the ball. Shoot happy.
Beeswax and olive oil, UNSALTED lard, mutton tallow, UNSALTED butter and beeswax, lanolin and beeswax, most UNSALTED animal or vegetable fats(Crisco) with enough beeswax to get the thickness you like. Petroleum greases and oils sometimes leave a residue that does not work well with black powder.
Higher temperatures can make it a challenge.
In the past I've used silicone grease to overcome heat on the Gulf Coast. Nowadays a thousand miles further north I use a home brewed lube mixture with beeswax.
These days perhaps a cheapest available synthetic grease would be a workable answer for the down southwest heat.
I never used grease with my Remington 1858 too messy!
Instead, I put a card wad over the powder and a fibre wad on top of that before seating the ball.
I cut out the wads from lubed, fibre 12 gauge wads using a 7/16 wad punch, once the 7/16 fibre wads were cut, I sliced them into 3 which is how I used them.
The dross I used for wadding in my Kentucky rifle.
In all the years of using this method, I never had a problem.
I use a 60/40 mix of beeswax to unsalted Crisco And a green crayon for luck, to saturate a 1/8" felt wad. Then load powder, thin card wad punched from 60# card stock, the felt wad and a 457 round ball over 35 gr of 3F in my ROA. No leading and less mess then greasing. It works in our below zero to 100°+ temperature ranges
What works for me is to rinse out an empty tube of toothpaste and melt the Crisco on the stove then pour it into the tube put the cap on and let it cool when you use it there is always a small amount of liquid that comes out then the Crisco put a little in each cylinder on the ball and smoosh it in with your finger and rotate the cylinder
When fired the blast will blow away most of what is in the other cylinders and leave Crisco in the grove around the ball and cylinder where it needs to be this also works to coat the inside of the barrel and the outside of the gun just wipe it down with a cloth.
I have used this Crisco for years hunting Grouse and backpacking for the pin the cylinder rotates on I use automotive grease
I’ve never greased over the ball, I use a 454 ball. Sometimes I will use a felt over the powder.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m going to try the bees wax and crisco.
Seems like from the reading I’ve done about 5 parts bees wax and 4 parts crisco is a good place to start. If it is too stiff, more crisco. If too soft, more bees wax. And it looks like I could go with up to 1 part lanolin to both soften and make it sticky (keeps it from falling out in cold weather).
Going to try and brew some up tomorrow. I’ve got casting to do today :). Will report back on my results.
With the BP substitutes Drydene Pyroplex EP grease works well. It is a red color.
As we used to say in the plant at Ruger, "Use Pyroplex- Rhymes with Pyrodex!"
With Holy Black Goya Manteca ( unsalted lard) and beeswax 50-50.
What I do and works for me with both of My Pietta Remington New Army Pistols,One a 5.5 inch Barrel and the other a 8 inch Barrel
I Keep Bullet Lube Made of Beeswax and Olive Oil swabbed in Barrel Always In Barrel never clean it out.NEVER Bare Metal inside of Barrel,Never Bare metal inside of Pistol.
Never Bare metal on outside of pistol using Mineral oil although it is Just Barely there on the outside.Sorta like just shining the outside of the pistol using just a tiny drop of it on a paper towel then wiping it off with another paper towel.
When shooting ,Every 6-12 hots swab barrel with The mixture of olive oil and Beeswax with a short section of cleaning rod and swab to keep barrel from fouling to much.
Swab inside of barrel with beeswax an olive oil mixture after shooting and leave in barrel to prevent rust and negate the need for fouling shots from a squeaky clean barrel.
Keep mineral Oil inside of Pistol ,no need to clean out
No rust in Humid areas of North Ms or Ar
Remove nipples every year and Clean throughly.
Clean outside of pistol wiped clean with a Little Mineral oil an a paper towel.
Clean Base pin with paper towel and a drop or 2 of Mineral oil.
Used a triangle file and sharp edge on it to cut 3 or four VERY shallow notches on base Pin to retain lube ,"Blackie Thomas" on you tube tell's and shows how to do this.
I make lube sticks from which you can cut lube pills (over the ball). Mix beeswax and paraffin, plug the muzzle of the barrel, and pour the warm mixture down the barrel. When it cools, remove the plug and push the lube sticks out. Cut perfect size lube pills for that gun.
I also use the vegetable spray PAM (or cheaper store version). Spray it down the barrel, and/or over the loaded balls.
It's basically what Bore Butter turns into after the first shot. BUT...you must completely clean the gun inside and out - PAM hardens.
20 ounces bees wax to 1 pound of crisco if desired 2 ounces anhydrous lanolin for a sticking agent
Battis,
The lube stick idea is great. Should be equivalent to the preformed grease seals that wonder lube sells. I can easily do something similar with 3/8 tubing instead of using the revolver barrel, but either work. Thanks for the suggestion.
Pouring the lube down the barrel gives the bore a good lubing (is that a word?)
I sell a SWISS BPCR Lube. It is a high temp BP lube that will stay in the cylinder through all of the shots.
Clean up is very easy also as it keeps the fouling soft.
The results were mixed. The lubricant itself seems to have done well. Problem is that I made it stiff for higher temperatures. On range day, we had a cold snap and I was shooting in sub 50 degree weather. Using the over-ball lube was a bit like mashing up a crayon in the end of the cylinder. I’m waiting for a little warmer day to try it again.
Thanks all for the suggestions.
In 1967 I bought first cap & ball revolver .
No internet , no forums only $5.00 Dixie Gun Works Catalog that had information .
Cleaned out a large plastic tooth paste tube , or was it shampoo ...don't remember
but filled that big empty tube with melted Crisco , when shooting ... remove the cap , squeezed the crisco out right onto the loaded ball and smeared it over with a finger, did all six balls , replaced cap on tube and off to the races !
Probably a mix of 50-50 beeswax & crisco would be better but for the revolver Crisco worked just fine ... and today you can buy empty tubes on the net !
The tube dispensing works very well and still my favorite way to dispense the ball lube .
Gary