Learned a new BP lesson yesterday

[Sagetown]

Sagetown, I believe you killed that oak tree. I hope you eat what you harvest.

Ginormous; ain't no way I'd shoot an Oak tree at that range. It'd spit them balls right back at me just as straight as an arrow. I'd be hurtin for certain.

 

[Ginormous]

ain't no way I'd shoot an Oak tree at that range. It'd spit them balls right back at me just as straight as an arrow. I'd be hurtin for certain

Yeah, oaks get mean like that when you shoot them up close. Good to see you're a sporting man, and giving the oaks further down the way a fair chance.

 

[Das Jaeger]

Heck , next thing

you'll be shootin Modern only Ginormous , hurry , quick , reload , quick , hurry hurry , hurry
Now that yaz gots that new fangled pin in your Walker , and 1/4 of a hammer face left , nuttin ill slow ya down , no cap jambs , nuttin
Better get some Conversion Cylinders now , and juz sell me your slow guns , hurry , quick , reload , quick , hurry
It was my understandin that woman likes there men slow handed anyway
If your into that kinda thing that is

Jaeger

 

[Ratdog68]

Hee Hee Hee.... Me thinks yer feelin' a little more gooder already.

 

[Das Jaeger]

Naw Ratpuppy68

just commin from the other side of BP shooting ( the right side ) and teazin the boy a little is all , but if he ever does get in too big a big hurry , the gun offers on the table .. Just different mentalities is all . Huckin lead downrange as fast as I can aint mine . I enjoy the lifestyle , the whole slow mentality of it .

Jaeger

 

[arcticap]

Actually, I was loading my Walker when the sleeve bearing slipped, instantly binding the rod. I didn't notice, and kept on pressing thinking "dadgum, that's a seriously tight ball!" I stopped, stepped back and looked at the whole affair, and almost cried. Sucker was stuck!! Wrote 6gun4fun, and he said send it on in for warranty repair, that he'd even pay for the shipping to his place! But before I could wrap it and get it shipped off, I found a mild steel rod the correct diameter in my junk bin of stuff, and proceeded to fashion a seriously strong rod for it. That's how I roll, I guess.

And thumbs up to 6gun4fun and his EXCELLENT warranty offer!!

My bushing didn't slip but the rod started to seriously bind up. I think that it was because the light coat of original grease wore out and the angle that the rod goes through the bushing created friction, along with the tight fit.
I first applied oil to the rod but it didn't help the binding problem much at all. Then I applied some Knight breech plug grease to the rod which immediately cured the problem. So the rod requires a thin application of some really fine grease periodically unless the problem goes away after the bushing wears in.

 

[Ginormous]

There also appeared to be some galling of the aluminum rod against the bronze sleeve bushing occuring on my loader as well, possibly causing sufficient friction for the bushing to slip. Replacing the aluminum rod with the mild steel rod absolutely cured my loader of this issue. The impregnated oil/graphite in the bronze bushing now properly lubricates the steel push rod. Smooth as silk, with no additional lubrication required now.

Tim's craftsmanship, build quality, and willingness to stand behind his product are all top notch.

 

[BCRider]

Hmmmm.... where to start.

Well first of all I understand that BP should not be loaded from a powder measure of that sort that uses a plastic container. Something about static. The powder container has to be either metal or conductive plastic from what I read.

Besides, our CASS loading safe areas are all carpeted on the deck so there's no way to secure something like that and we move around from stage to stage. That makes it a bit of a pain to pack around.

Sagetown, that shot of you double fistin' your six guns on a nice day is pure bliss. But sadly up this way we tend to live up to that whole "rain forest" moniker all too often.

But whoever mentioned about wire pickin' the nipples as a precaution may well have made me change my ways. I've been meaning to swing around to a welding supply outlet and pick up a set of torch tip cleaners. They are shaped sort of like twist drills but without the sharp edges and do a great job of reaming out mung and mulch. But I hadn't thought about using them prior to capping.

Actually loading with the measure from the small jam jar powder "magazine" isn't a bad way to do this. It's pretty quick and clean actually. But then I have yet to load from a flask so I don't have much to compare to. As long as I'm under cover so the powder doesn't get wet life seems to be good.

During a match there's pleanty of time between the last shot and my first opportunity to reload so a flask is certainly an option. But it's a different story if I'm shooting for practice at the pistol range. In that case I could be reloading a chamber within as little as 5 to 8 seconds if I'm "in a hurry" for some unfathomable reason. But even there I tend to put the powder and caps away and close the lid on the box before the shoot. So realistically it would be more like 45 seconds to a minute before powder could possibly be touching the cylinder after the last shot. And if I was loading from a flask? Well, then there's a few minutes in the day that I can spare so I guess I could put one of them to use so the powder doesn't touch the cylinder before the 2 minute mark.

That's a sweet looking loader. But the original is aluminium? I'm all for light weight but the best wear and lack of binding is going to come from the bronze bushing rubbing on steel. Aluminium would be all too easy to gall and jam if it isn't oiled on a regular basis. Thos sintered bronze bushings are intended for supporting steel, not aluminium. And personally I'd rather see a longer bearing block with bushings at each end so the racking forces are spaced out much, much further. Even two bushings that touch in the middle would double the spacing. And since the racking forces are some geometrical function of the bearing contact spacing points the racking pressures on those bearings would be reduced to a far smaller fraction than a mere doubling of the contact point distance would suggest.

 

[Sagetown]

BCRider: I've been meaning to swing around to a welding supply outlet and pick up a set of torch tip cleaners. They are shaped sort of like twist drills but without the sharp edges and do a great job of reaming out mung and mulch. But I hadn't thought about using them prior to capping.

Yep; those work fine. A set of those have several sizes. They work like a tiny round file. If the flash hole is clogged because of corrosion you can start with a smallest cleaner that will fit and begin opening it up, changing to a larger cleaner as you go. Just don't over do it.

 

[Ginormous]

That's a sweet looking loader. But the original is aluminium?

It's made from steel and aluminum. The particulars on this loader are here:

http://www.sixgunforfun.com/

I'm all for light weight but the best wear and lack of binding is going to come from the bronze bushing rubbing on steel. Aluminium would be all too easy to gall and jam if it isn't oiled on a regular basis.

You got that right. The replacement steel rod I fabricated was the perfect fix for an annoying problem in an otherwise extremely well engineered and manufactured loader.

Here's another shot of it in better days:

 

[BCRider]

Just how long is a proper safe period to wait before reloading a pistol from a flask?

It can't be all that much. After all I've seen rapid fire demos of flintlocks and percussion muzzle loaders where the gun is shot, the buttplate hits the ground and the powder is flowing from a flask or cartridge with smoke still rising from the muzzle. The videos don't show any flashbacks but then I note that prudence has the shooter holding the muzzle well away from their face.

 

[arcticap]

Just how long is a proper safe period to wait before reloading a pistol from a flask?

If by pistol you mean revolver then I don't think that there's a wrong answer because the chamber can be visually inspected in the blink of an eye, time is expiring while the gun and flask are being positioned and readied for loading and the last chamber fired may not even be the one being loaded.
Then there's the variable about which powder is being loaded since one is more explosive and hazardous than others.
And if it involves a single shot pistol then it's really a judgement call just like when a baseball umpire decides which pitch is a ball or a strike, or which ball that's bounding down a baseline close to being over a base is fair or foul.

 

[mykeal]

The time period 'in the blink of an eye' can be defined by the amount of time it takes to lose that same eye when looking into a chamber that unexpectedly flashes.

How long is a proper safe period? How long is one willing to wait to ensure good eyesight? We each have to make that decision ourselves.

 

[Das Jaeger]

No doubt !

I would rather lose no eyes to 30 grains in a powder measure than loose my whole head to 500 grains loading from my flask , and BC's head , Madcratebuilders head , Rattoggys head , and anyone elses that WAS sitting around you too . Thank you very little .

Jaeger

 

[mykeal]

I saw it happen, once, many years ago. A longrifle shooter loading directly from his flask experienced an ignition while loading. I wasn't looking directly at him when it went off, but I was told what happened later by someone who was directly involved. I looked over at the sound (a loud boom and whoosh sound) and saw what was left of the flask going skyward lit up like a roman candle. The man was knocked to the ground, stunned senseless and badly burned - some third but most second degree, with loss of eyebrows and much of his hair. He was able to get up and walk to a car with assistance, in significant pain. I don't know if any of his injuries were serious enough for hospitalization or were permanent - I never saw him or any of his friends again. I would imagine the third degree burns became scars, and I'd guess there must have been some eye damage as well - those third degree burns were around his eyes. There was no shrapnel damage; the recovered flask had been ripped open along a seam. We could not find the spout or the flask cap. The gun was not damaged.

This happened many years ago, and my memory may be faulty on some of the details, but I think I got the important stuff right.

 

[Das Jaeger]

I guess that would be

another good reason to wet swab a rifle barrel each time prior to each shot , for safety , and accuracy I suppose too .
I know its common practice to use the flask , but I have never done that and never will , unless in Battle , and I will have little time to care about such matters am sure .
Its funny , I am so paranoid of that happening I always let my revolver sit for a spell reguardless if I know tis safe or not . I like to give it a little more time than my judgment of the affair at hand anywayz . And that's my paranoia only from the rare pssobility of a tiny measure of under 60 grains going boom . I can only imagine what one of them fully loaded Canister deals like Ginormous' going off would do to the entire bench of people sitting there ? Not good .
I know it will never happen in my revolvers with a flask, because I will never use one .
Yes, of course a few cylinders cold on the bench at a CASS shoot that have never had powder in them that day is safe , but I still don't do that , because being human I will forget , once .
Nor do I ever want to be in a hurry like that in my life as a rule . Lessons Dad taught me are stuck imbedded deep in my brain , think I will keep um too
Those storys of Mykeals just instill in me how bad it could be , to you .
I won't be sitting next to you at the range if your loading from a flask either by the way , and certainly not from a Canister , good Lord no . No wonder I like to shoot and hunt alone , Im''e Pollish to start with , I already have one strike against me anywayz , I don't need your help to kill me.

Das Jaeger

PS... Good story Mykeal , the hair on the back of my neck went up when I read that, jeeez ....

 

[BCRider]

Hmmmm.... I think I'm going to stick to my little powder magazine and dipper after all.

I've seen folks transfer powder from a flask to a measure and then finally to the revolver cylinder. That just seems like way too many steps. When I do this I keep the little magazine fairly far away and limit the amount in the magazine at any one time to just enough and a bit to complete the day.

But over this coming winter I think I'm going to make up a new soldered brass magazine that has a hinged drop down lid. It'll be lifted open to dip the measure and then gravity will close it against an Oring or similar seal. A clamp or two around the edge will secure it for storage and travel. Being all brass sheet static and iron to iron sparks should not be an issue and it'll be closed as the powder measure is tipped into the revolver cylinder or muzzle loader "just in case" so any flash off will be limited only to the charge being loaded.

I'll probably do this project at the same time as the Remington 1858 "poke in" capper that I talked about some time back. Between some side jobs for pay and working part time at the local commercial "Rent-A-Gun" range and my other projects my spare time seems to be just as limited now as when I was officially working for a living. WHO SAID RETIREMENT WAS RESTFUL! ! ! ! !

 

[Das Jaeger]

BC

sounds good , make sure you post some pics of your invention in Spring
That is another reason I load a measured charge in my revolver cylinder , then ball , and never charges all the way around the cylinder then balls .
60 grains in a Walker times 6 , you do the math , thats a Fireworks festival if it goes boom .

Jaeger out .

 

[Ratdog68]

I'm a firm believer in flask to measure, measure to gun with my loading. I keep my powder and caps down below the shooting table when I'm firing too. When loading, I do it over paper and funnel it back into the flask so there's no loose powder littering the table top when I'm shooting.

 

[DrLaw]

Not everyones in BP is in
a hurry

,whayydameanthatthereisnothurry.Youmustbekidding.Thereisalwaysahurrytogettheshotoffhaven'tyoueverdry-balledagunyouknowhattheysayyoueitherdryballedoryouarealiarnohurryindeed!



The Doc is out now.

 

[Ratdog68]

Uh... no. Step away from the coffee pot. Do it now.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I'm a firm believer in flask to measure, measure to gun with my loading.

That is my normal procedure too, although some times I charge from the flask that has a measured tip for the particular revolver I'm shooting. I well generally have two or three revolvers loaded, shoot them all before reloading, so the first one to reload has been setting for several minutes.
A good friend of mine has his face covered with tiny black marks from a powder burn while loading. After forty years they are starting to fade. That brings back memories, shooting in my back yard in Lake Stevens. The trip to the ER. He insisted stopping for a six pack on the way. Man, to be young and dumb again.

 

[BCRider]

I've been loading with powder-ball-powder-ball-etc as well. It seemed the right thing to do but at the same time if a cylinder of powder was to go off at least it's only 30 and not 30 x 5.

Oh, and right off the bat I got into the habit of tossing a spent .38 casing into one chamber so I only load 5. One of the other guys also removed the nipple for a chamber as a precaution for CAS shooting as well. I'm probably going to do that and make up some bright colored plastic plugs for the nipple end and the front so there's no way to mess up when in a hurry.

There's no doubt that loading and shooting BP is fun but it does make for a hectic pace in a match such as CAS. And it cuts into the socializing as well. Over the winter I think I'm going to get a couple of cartridge cheapies and use them for the bigger and more hectic meets and reserve the BP guns for the quieter club fun shoots or specific BP matches.

 

[mykeal]

Removing the nipples is no insurance against loading the chamber, although it is effective insurance against actually firing the chamber. It is rumored (only a rumor, of course) around our club about a certain member who denies all and shall remain anonymous that once upon a time he did in fact fail to remember to reinstall the nipples in a Walker after cleaning, thereby managing to pour three chambers worth of powder through the cylinder and onto his foot before the discrepancy was noted. Leading, of course to much snickering, pointing of fingers and other such juvenile activities.

Just a rumor.There are no pictures, so don't even ask.

 

[Das Jaeger]

Oh don't feel bad

20 years ago or so I was so new to this and so excited at the range I loaded my ball before the gun powder . I told yall I was Pollish right ? I even proved it to me that fine afternoon . Specialy when my Buddy says to me , hey Jaeger , I think the powder goes in first as he chuckled at me

Jaeger