is it corrosive to leave a cap n ball loaded?

[robert bw]

ello fello charcoal burners!
i always load my old army 44 with 5 chambers for safety.Question is,when hunting,as is so often the case,nothing happens.seems like a waste of good ammo to always shoot out the cylinder(not to mention,all the cleaning time).assuming the gun is properly loaded and clean beforehand,is bp or pyrodex corrosive?gun is stored in airconditioned house.thanks for your time and knowledge.happy huntin,get out and make some smoke!!!

 

[mooman76]

No, not until fired but after a long time in can attract moisture which in turn can turn to rust but we are speaking a long time.

 

[Patocazador]

No, not until fired but after a long time in can attract moisture which in turn can turn to rust but we are speaking a long time.

A long time in a dry place like Vegas but not so long in humid, sweaty Florida.

I have left a revolver loaded (with caps in place) for over a month. The outside got a bit of powdery rust in places which rubbed right off. The chambers probably were the same or a little worse since the individual chambers weren't totally sealed by the caps.

However, it shot all 6 (yes, six) with no problems. I wouldn't do it as a habit though.

 

[rodwha]

My Remington NMA was always reloaded after cleaning and it generally sat up to a month before the next range trip. At this point it's been loaded just over two years as I moved and don't have a convenient outdoor range.

As an aside I had read of a couple of CASS shooters claiming no rust issues not cleaning a week later or more, and so I tried this with my muzzleloader one day after coming home too late with too many guns to clean. I had been using Pyrodex and it was a rusty mess.

Later I talked with a fellow who uses Ballistol and will use it inside and out if he won't have time. I tried it with both of my revolvers leaving them in my hot and humid garage and they were pristine. It is absorbed by the fouling leaving no way for moisture to get to it.

 

[Archer 756]

:thumbsup: Just wonder if in the old days if they unloaded their guns every time :hatsoff:

 

[TFoley]

In early 2000, I 'unloaded' a P53 [1859 lockplate] rifle that had been on a wall since at least 1897. The paper wadding down the bore, holding the 60gr charge in place, was date 1897.

The powder was good to shoot [I shot it] and the bore, after a good clean-up, was not too shabby either.

Sadly, the owner elected to have it deactivated and put back on the wall.... :cursing:

tac

 

[azmntman]

I wouldnt worry, yer not gonna leave it tooo long anyway? Knowing its loaded one will find a way to the range sooner rather than later :grin:

 

[robert bw]

sad,im sure it dreams of glory again!now get out there and make some smoke!!!

 

A friend was cleaning out his mother's house and found two Navy Arms revolvers that had been loaded for at least a decade. Against my advice, they were unloaded by shooting them. I cleaned and Rigged both of them and no evidence that either suffered any damage being loaded that long.

 

[Ohio Joe]

I have always left at least one of my '58 Remington Army Revolvers loaded and capped for up to and over two years at a time.

When I think about it I'll take my Revolver to the Range and discharge the five shots loaded in the cylinder (I only load five and use a paper/ball cartridge) into a stump from 20 feet. Have never had a misfire nor any signs of corrosion. I then clean my Revolver and reload it until next time.

If you should discharge your revolver and still have loads in the cylinder, just use q-tips and clean the cylinder's empty chambers and anywhere else you find fouling, then reload the empty chambers and treat it as you would any other loaded firearm. (Don't forget to clean the rest of the revolver when you have the cylinder out by the way.

 

[robert bw]

thank you Joe,caps n such are expensive,and ,yes,it is a live firearm.