How Long Can It Stay Loaded ?

As has been stated repeatedly here, the key is to keep your powder dry. There is another element to consider other than water from rain or flood and humidity. And that is how you load your revolver.

I seen one fella load powder, felt wad, grease, then ball. A week or so later, of hot weather, the grease leached into the powder and killed it. Two caps per cylinder did naught to ignite the powder. When the loads were pull the next day, it was a black claylike substance that was removed. So load powder, wad, ball, then seal with a thick grease.

Some will say with a wad, sealing with grease isn't neccesary. I rather be sure, for sure. A gang fire is scary as all "L"! Not to mention dangerous.

CP

 

[Big Iron]

I have used a 1858 Remington as back up during the muzzle loader deer season. I would seal the caps with candle wax. The balls would be sealed with SPG lube. I have had the gun loaded this way for 60 days. When fired, it will always fire six times. No problems!

BI :hatsoff:

 

[mykeal]

I recently acquired an 1858 Remington New Army that was loaded when found - I did an inventory valuation for a former high school classmate whose husband was a collector and an FFL. He passed in 2006, and the gun was acquired several years before that. It was loaded (powder, ball AND caps - I quickly removed the caps!) when she showed it to me, so it's been loaded for at least 5 years.

I'm going to unload one chamber to see if I can identify the powder as not smokeless, and if I'm successful I'll try to fire at least one of the other chambers. We may get a data point from that (assuming I can find a chrono that works). If I can't identify the powder I'll have to unload all of them, however.

BTW, that was not the only gun in his inventory of some 200 guns that was loaded...

 

[mykeal]

Finally got out to shoot it today.

The powder was real black powder, vintage unknown but at least 5 years old, and it had been in the gun at least 5 years, probably much longer. I unloaded and tested one chamber and it burned exactly like fresh 3f Goex. There were 30 grains by volume in the chamber I unloaded.

Unfortunately the chronograph did not function, so I don't have velocity data. However, recoil and report were strong and clear, and the gun shot to my standard at 25 yards, suggesting the powder had not deteriorated in the (at least) 5 years in the gun.

 

[paulmarcone]

Mykeal:

Very interesting. That reminds of a story about one of Robert E. Lee's son. After Lee died in 1870, his son found one of Lee's Colt revolvers. It was loaded. According to the son, it had been that way for at least five years. All six chambers fired.

 

[nilo52]

I Cast My Own .454 RB's And In My 3rd Mod. Colt Dragoon It Leaves A Nice "Ring" Of Lead When I Load The Cylinders. I Also Use Some Aquarium Air line That I've Cut Into A Little Less Tha a 1/4 Inch Length And Place That Over The #10 Cap and Nipple To Assure A Tight Seal. Judging From All the Comments I Feel Preety Good about The Reliability Of My Revolver. I Learn The Coolest Stuff In The Forum!! :thumbsup: