Load or not

[Jack Rabbit]

Is it OK to leave a black powder weapon loaded after cleaning? I'm wondering cause my imagined killer my not want to wait for me to load

 

[BlackNet]

See Rule #1.

 

[rjsixgun]

Not sure what rule #1 ment, but yes you can load'em and leave'm best to load only 5 unless you have a Remington with working safties.

If your going to load it after cleaning, give the cylenders a shot of brake cleaner to clean out any oil, and get a good leather flap holster. Some melted lub over the caps to keep'm on and air tight and some over the ball to insure its air tight, you can do this with a candle.

Try to stay way from pariffin wax and use beeswax. But if its a HD gun then that wont matter as wont be reloading it anytime soon.

 

[mykeal]

But if its a HD gun then that wont matter as wont be reloading it anytime soon.

On the contrary - if it's an HD gun it should be fired and reloaded frequently, at the very least weekly.

If you're serious about using the gun for self defense then you need to be proficient with it, and proficiency means constant practice. Occasionally shooting a few targets every few months is insufficient and causes more problems than it solves. Learn to shoot the gun, then learn to shoot it well, and keep shooting it often. It will then never let you down, and more importantly, you will never let yourself down.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I intend to shoot this gun regular. I was wondering if the sulfur in the powder would etch the cylinder if left loaded.

 

[PRM]

Previous posts -

The powder will not degrade any faster in the cylinder than it does in the factory container. I am very meticulous in cleaning my revolvers as well as loading them. I keep 2 loaded in the house all the time. I usually fire, clean and reload them at least every 6 months or so. I have gone longer at times. Been doing this for over 30 years now, and I can honestly say I cannot remember a misfire on the initial charges at the range. I have had the typical problems (not often though) of a cap dropping in the action after firing. But a failure to fire due to powder - never.

Having said that, I will add my guns are pretty much kept in ideal conditions.
Exposure of the powder to dampness would be my only concern, more so prior to loading (that will be obvious). Your powder is not going to fail unless it is exposed to moisture.

I dug a can of powder out of a locker that I had forgotten about, been close to a year ago now. It had to date back to the early 90's. Still shot good.

I also shoot black powder cartridges. I have some of those that are several years old and they are as reliable as any smokeless cartridge.

The residue after firing is what is really corrosive. Never have had a problem with the unfired powder.

Short of fording creeks or going swimming with your gun, you most likely will be wanting to go to the range long before the load components go bad. - PRM

Cleaned and lubed properly (no excess in chambers or nipples) your not going to have any problems. I run a dry patch in the chambers to remove excess lube and a pipe cleaner through the nipples after lubing. I shoot C&Bs regularly, all of mine do not make it to the range every time I go, so they remain loaded. You will get more comfortable as you shoot these guns.

In their era, people who used them, kept them loaded. A lot individuals back then were not too meticulous in cleaning after shooting, either due to situation or conditions. Look at some of the originals, lots of pitting mostly due to environmental conditions and leaving them uncleaned for a period of time after shooting. Even those guns continued to work. With care and proper maintenance there is no reason these guns cannot be passed on as heirlooms with only minimal wear to the finish.