Top lube on black powder cartridges?

machine gun moran

This may or may not be hare-brained. I've shot some BP handloads in my .45 Colt, with a pretty substantial amount of barrel fouling after 12 shots. But with cap & ball revolvers, which I used with Crisco over the balls, the bores would accumulate only a very thin layer of carbon and grease even after a hundred shots. The barrels would require only one pass with a dry patch to show rifling. So, I've been thinking about using a plug of Crisco on top of black powder cartridges, once they are chambered. It shouldn't affect pressures, although it certainly would with smokeless. As with percussion revolvers, the first shot would grease-splatter all the Baileys and Stetsons within 15 yards, but the bore wouldn't need constant range-cleaning. Anybody ever tried this?

R D Henry

Uh, no I haven't. It sounds like you're just using the wrong bullets.

You need to be using a big lube bullet when loading BP. There's several sources where you can order what you need, or take the long approach, and use a "grease cookie" under the bullet.

I've loaded 1000's of 45's with the cookie, and I'm here to tell you it's a major PITA, time consuming, and messy to load. But effective! I won several local CAS matches using this load, not to mention going through a 6 stage match without having to do a thing to the bore! Spotless!

44caliberkid

If you are going to shoot a lot of BP, get a Big Lube bullet mold or buy them already cast. I use them in .45, .44, and 38 and they are excellent, all fouling cleans right out.
Or you can use American Pioneer Powder, which leaves no fouling and bore cleans with one water patch, however, it turns brass green, so you need to give your brass a good bath and scrub.
Or...you can do what you're asking, and put lube over the top of the chamber. It's unconventional, but it works.

glabray

What are you using for a bullet lube? Black powder needs a very soft greasy lube such as SPG. If you are using a hard lube intended for smokeless powder you will get a lot of fouling. Also, the bullet needs to have as many wide lube grooves as will fit.

machine gun moran

I was using bullets and lube that were designed for smokeless. I expected some fouling, but I didn't think it would accumulate as fast as it did. I think the right approach now is to use the modern bullets and lube specifically intended for cartridge BP loads.

I also bought a .38-40 revolver, so I'll use the same. With both revolvers, I want to use full-charge loads, of either BP or Pyrodex, and occasionally, the smokeless equivalent, so this brings up another question: how do BP bullets and lube work with smokeless loads at the same velocity? I'm thinking that they should do alright.

You may have guessed right, I somehow ended up with lots of BP and Pyrodex, and I like the old calibers.

glabray

BP lubed bullets should work fine with smokeless powder as long as you keep the velocity low. A rule of thumb is to stay below the velocity that would be achieved with a full load of black. If velocity is too high you might get into leading that wouldn't occur with a hard smokeless lube. That said, I use BP lubed bullets for just about everything and have no problems.

mazo kid

quote:Originally posted by glabray
What are you using for a bullet lube? Black powder needs a very soft greasy lube such as SPG. If you are using a hard lube intended for smokeless powder you will get a lot of fouling. Also, the bullet needs to have as many wide lube grooves as will fit.

And NEVER use a petroleum based lube with black powder; you will get a gummy, gooey,heavy fouling.