Black Angus McPherson Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Just wondering what some of you cowboys use as a lube for over the loaded chamber of a cap and ball revolver, what type container you carry it in, and how you apply it. I ask because I've been using Crisco in a cleaned out toothpaste tube. It's real convenient and easy to apply. The problem is Crisco melts at too low a temperature and is just a mess on hot days. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to firm up Crisco for a lube that will remain soft enough to dispense from a toothpaste tube, yet solid enough not to melt and make a mess on 100 degree days? I'm also wondering what you use as a lube for a Minie Ball. It will be used in a .58 caliber Springfield repro. Would Crisco work for that? Thanks, Angus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowdy Yates, SASS #141 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 For over the ball lube in a C&B revolver the Crisco/Beeswax at 50-50 mix works well. Keep it in a small plastic container and apply it with an ice cream stick. It's easy to apply and stays stiff in hot weather. For the Minnie well that's a different story. Here's all you ever need to know about that. Posted By: Gatofeo <gunbench@trilobyte.net>Date: Sunday, 9 December2001, at 5:01 p.m. The February 1943 issue of the AmericanRifleman has two old-time bullet lube recipes.If any of you have that hoary edition, they are within an excellent article onbullet lubrication. Though nearly 60 years old, that article by R.C. Skaggs ofSacramento, Calif., is still good reading today.Both recipes date from the 19th century and were what factories used way backwhen, according to Skaggs. FOR CENTERFIRE INSIDE LUBRICATED BULLETS:9 pounds Japan wax4-1/2 pounds paraffin4-1/2 pounds beeswaxThis recipe can be converted to:1 pound Japan wax1/2 pound paraffin1/2 pound beeswax I have no experience with this recipe butit's interesting. I hear that Japan wax may be found in the furniturerefinishing section of large hardware stores but have never looked for itmyself so I'm uncertain about this. The next recipe I have a great deal ofexperience with. It comes from the same article. It is for outside-lubricatedbullets but works well on all bullets, wads and patches.I made up a batch a few years ago to lubricate the heeled bullets on a .32 LongColt for my 1892 Marlin rifle.It worked great.Since then, I've used it to lubricate patches in my .50-caliber muzzleloadingrifle, soaked hard felt wads in it for my .36 and .44 caliber cap and ballrevolvers, and lubricated soft lead bullets for my .44-40 and .45-70 rifles.It's a good lube and difficult to tell from the commercial SPG Lubricant. FOR OUTSIDE LUBRICATED BULLETS:10 pounds paraffin10 pounds tallow (I use sheep tallow from Dixie Gun Works)5 pounds beeswaxThis recipe may be converted into:1 pound paraffin1 pound tallow1/2 pound beeswax When mixing a batch, I simply weigh equalamounts of paraffin and tallow, then use half of the same amount of beeswax.That way, measures don't have to be exactly 1 pound. The same can be done withthe first recipe I've provided. I place the ingredients in a wide-mouthedquart jar. Then place the jar in an old pot partly filled with water, for adouble-boiler effect.NEVER melt lubricant directly on the stove, it may catch fire.Just in case, keep a box of baking soda handy but not near the stove so you don'thave to reach over flames to grab the box.Set your stove to low or medium. The water doesn't have to boil, just be hotenough to melt the ingredients thoroughly.A disposable chopstick or clean stick is used to thoroughly mix theingredients.When well-mixed, do as you please:1. Cap the jar and store it in a cool, dry place.2. Pour lubricant into a pan with bullets standing upright for the Kake-Kuttermethod.3. Pour a little lubricant into a pimiento jar or small tin filled with feltwads or patches and stir gently to spread the lubricant evenly. The glass jarhas the advantage of being placed in the microwave for 30 seconds to reheat itand ensure the lubricant thoroughly soaks into the patches or wads.4. Pour it directly into your bullet sizer, but put newspapers below thelubricator to catch any spills. A friend holding a funnel while you pour keepsthe mess to a minimum. I swear by this lubricant. OR……3 pounds of Crisco and 2 toilet seals (preferably unused) Per……Sgt. Smokepole A heavily lubricated hard felt wad in my ColtNavy .36 revolver will remove nearly all fouling from the bore, provided theball fits tightly. My circa 1983 Colt reissue Navy requires a .380 inch ball; a.375 ball will work but isn't a tight fit and fouling builds much quicker.I once popped the barrel off the Navy and showed a friend after 24 shots. Hewas amazed; it looked as though I'd been shooting smokeless powder. This isdue, I believe, to the combination of a tight ball, hard felt wad andlubricant. Fail on any of these components and fouling returns immediately.Incidentally, the powder was GOEX FFFG and not Pyrodex. Sheets of hard, 1/8-inch thick felt areavailable from Buffalo Felt Products Corporation (14 Ransier Drive, WestSeneca, NY, 14224, phone: 716-674-7990).I found Buffalo Felt Products on an internet search some time ago. An inquirymade through their website will get you pricing information.I used No. 1005 Sheet Felt.Many black powder books simply say, "Get an old felt hat ..." but haveyou tried to find one? I've looked in Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. and theyare quite scarce.Desperation forced me to seek out a manufacturer and I'm glad I did. The feltproduced by Buffalo Felt Products is very high quality. At 1/8-inch thick, it'sperfect for cartridge and muzzleloader use. Well, that's probably more than you want toknow but I put it out there nonetheless.Try that second recipe, I'm sure you'll find it marvelous too. Muttontallow and beeswax, one-to-one, is an old recipe that probably goes back 200years or more, or so I've been told. I know that goes back to the 19th century.Since paraffin isthe hardest ingredient, with the highest melting temperature, it would do nogood to leave it out if you seek a higher melting point.I'd say increasethe paraffin a bit, perhaps from 1 part to 1-1/2 (one and a half) parts.So, the recipeI've provided would change to:200 grams muttontallow300 gramsparaffin100 grams beeswaxThis would raisethe melting temperature somewhat.I've never had aproblem with powder contamination when using greased felt wads. My loads aren'tin the gun long enough to be affected, since I load and shoot right away.Some years back,I loaded my Colt Navy cylinder with FFFG, a felt wad greased with Crisco,seated a lead ball over the wad and pinched caps into an oval and put them onthe nipples.Then I left thecylinder outdoors from spring to autumn, where it was protected from rain butsusceptible to moisture from the air and a wide range of temperatures (northernIdaho days can be in the 80s and then drop to freezing at night). Some daysexceeded 100 in the shade.As I recall, Iloaded it in May and fired it in October. I could find no weakness in theloads, or evidence of powder contamination.Six,unchronographed rounds is hardly a scientific test for certainty. Yet, I can'thelp but wonder if the minimal amount of grease in a wad has an effect.Who knows?Anyway, I'd lookat increasing the amount of paraffin. It has a lubricity on its own. Years agoI used to soak felt wads in nothing BUT candle wax and shoot them in my .44 capand ball. Straight wax didn't do much to keep fouling soft, but it didn't leadthe bore, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish ike, SASS #43615 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I've been shooting C&B for 12 years. Nothing on top of the ball. I soak wonder wads in a 50/50 mix of bees wax and crisco. Powder/wad/ball. I can shoot twelve stages without touching the gun. I also lube the barrel and the cylinder pin with Bore Butter. Ike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Here's a great post on lubes from the Open Range Forum's BP reference library. http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=450.0 I use Carlos El,Hombre's for over the ball & Gatofeo's if I'm lubing wads to put between the powder & ball. If I'm putting it on over the ball, I use a short bladed putty knife & carry it to the match in an old Esquire Mink Oil tin. Cheep & easy. --Dawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Crisco does melt at too low a temp to be effective and practical. I put together a home made batch of stuff that is very effective not only as a "lube" but as a rust preventative material for all guns. I use a combination off pure lanolin and beeswax. I do not use ANY hydrocarbon-based products because I've learned that black powder and hydrocarbon materials (oils, greases, etc.) are incompatible in bp weapons because hydrocarbons flashing with bp generally combine to form that nasty, sticky asphaltine fouling in bp weapons. Rowdy apparently been experiencing great results using paraffin, however, paraffin is a hydrocarbon-based material. As they say though, your mileage may vary. Anyway, I advise you to try what you think will work best for you, modifying the mixtures to fit your needs. I found pure lanolin on eBay. My beeswax is local. Should you decide to try this lanolin/beeswax mixture, I suggest you begin with with a 50/50 blend ... maybe a couple tablespoons of each and melt it together. If you find that sheep's tallow, (a component that Rowdy mentioned) is more readily available, I am guessing it would be a good substitute for the lanolin in my suggestion. After all, both lanolin and sheep's tallow come from sheep. ALSO............lanolin, on its own, rubbed on my bp guns and on the internals, protects them from corrosion and lubricates them. Doesn't have to be applied very often, either. I advise that before you begin to use any of these suggestions, that you clean the hydrocarbon greases and oils off your bp weapons with hot, soapy water and begin fresh with whatever new recipe you choose. That way, any residual hydrocarbons will not be a factor in any fouling you experience. As far as a container goes, I's say use whatever is most convenient for you. I keep it in a flat plastic jar. I imagine an old toothpaste tube would work as well, since that's what you are using now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Forget about greasing over the bullet. Just punch out 0.44 felt wads. Melt your favorite lube in a tin can -put wads in to saturate and then put wads on paper toweling and pat out the excess lube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 OK, I'll bite. How does one get one's lube into an old Toothpaste Tube??? Is this similar to Pushing Rope, or perhaps Hearding Cats?? Coffinmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 OK, I'll bite. How does one get one's lube into an old Toothpaste Tube??? Is this similar to Pushing Rope, or perhaps Hearding Cats?? Coffinmaker I'm glad YOU asked! Perhaps a big veterinary syringe...?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I'm glad YOU asked! Perhaps a big veterinary syringe...?? Once it's in the veterinary syringe, why would you need to transfer it to a toothpaste tube? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Howdy: I use a 50/50 crisco/bees wax mix. I apply it with the universal popcycle stick (I have lots of them). BAM - I have enough bees wax to give you for a large amount of this mix. Stop by and I cut off a chunk and give you a demonstration of what to do. STL Suomi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Back in the dark ages (1961) when the Civil War Centennial began a bunch of us started shooting C&B. At that time I lived in rural Virginia and a lot of the farms still had the old hand pumped water pumps. They had a water soluable water pump grease. We used that and it worked great. Haven't seen it available anywhere for many years. Most of the "water pump" grease you can still find is for old cars and it is not water soluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Once it's in the veterinary syringe, why would you need to transfer it to a toothpaste tube? I got nuthin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Angus McPherson Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 OK, I'll bite. How does one get one's lube into an old Toothpaste Tube??? Is this similar to Pushing Rope, or perhaps Hearding Cats?? Coffinmaker It's not really as hard as it sounds. After cleaning out the tube, blow air into it to expand the tube. Then you melt the crisco in a kind of double boiler like described above, pour it in using a funnel and let it cool. You might want to mark the tube so you don't try brushing your teeth with it. :-) Soumi, I'll give you a call about the beeswax. I'm hoping I can make it thick enough to not melt in the heat, yet still fluid enough to dispense from the toothpaste tube. I may try it out in Highland in October. Thanks, Angus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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