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what to use under the barrel

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I have some whale oil. I should use it on my lock. I got it from a great uncle when I was a kid, probably 60 years ago. He worked as an adding machine repair man for a big bank. He said it was the only mineral weight oil that would not go rancid. I'm not so sure about that since that last time I opened the bottle was about 20 years ago and it smelled pretty bad.
Ever got down wind of a whale? Oil is probably OK.
 
and how many Nauugas does it take to make a hunting frock


the nauga animal is a little smaller than a doe, so i should think three or four ... i can ask my eldest daughter; she does leatherworking for the Rennaissance Faire circuit ... maybe five if you're a really big guy, like a defensive center.
 
Everytime I've acquired another muzzleloader, I take a little different turn towards maintenance and it's always treated me good. I coat under the barrel, and all hidden areas of the wood with tru oil and after cleaning it I always give the wood a light coat of Bore Butter all over. Never had a problem with this method.....
 
I have some whale oil. I should use it on my lock. I got it from a great uncle when I was a kid, probably 60 years ago. He worked as an adding machine repair man for a big bank. He said it was the only mineral weight oil that would not go rancid. I'm not so sure about that since that last time I opened the bottle was about 20 years ago and it smelled pretty bad.
He'd be wrong (BEAR OIL) stores on the shelf excellent properties for rust protection/patch lube /and not for nothin (BAKING) still give it a shot at least once a year (donuts) going on 6 yrs !/Ed
 
I
He'd be wrong (BEAR OIL) stores on the shelf excellent properties for rust protection/patch lube /and not for nothin (BAKING) still give it a shot at least once a year (donuts) going on 6 yrs !/Ed
It's more of a novelty for me. That and they didn't have bear oil available at the time. I think he retired in the 1950s.
 
the nauga animal is a little smaller than a doe, so i should think three or four ... i can ask my eldest daughter; she does leatherworking for the Rennaissance Faire circuit ... maybe five if you're a really big guy, like a defensive center.
not really big... was 110 lb linebacker way back in high school
 
Yup. Enjoy your genuine goretex lined full grain naugahide moccasins.

And yes, for mid to late 18th century, most should "ditch short starters," and sure, I'd agree with powder from the horn unless military and using paper cartridges.

Most of your examples are disingenuously extreme and have nothing to do with performance of a traditional rifle. Of one is going to glass bed their "traditional style" gun's stock, just buy a gun with a composite stick to begin with.

oh yes, because the bulk of originals were soooo well made lol (mentally recalls images of crudely chopped out lock mortises and over-sized round... yes, round barrel channels for octagonal barrels lol) :doh:

Nothing wrong with bedding, they did it with bees wax, which develops into a very hard, crystalline material when compressed and impacted (like when you wax bed a rifle lol) we have better/cheaper material for it now.

There are so many modernisms and pop-culture myths mixed into our notion of "trad" shooting that it's not even funny... well, it is kinda funny.🤣

Don't mind me, I'll just go back to working on my Laminate stocked rifles lol... yes, they had laminates then (they had laminate bows, for christ's sake, and that is a much more demanding application for the laminations than a gunstock), but with their technology (and tree availability) it was just cheaper/easier to make one out of a solid board lol.


Wax is fine, it holds up well on a barrel, I prefer it to oil (since the exterior of a barrel doesn't need lubrication, and the coat is just there for rust control anyway). The shoe polish is a decent stand in until you can get some bees wax or paraffin.
 
Mmmm Kay, let's play. Nothing but sperm whale oil for oil. No aluminum molds. Use only a coal or wood fire to melt lead for bullets. No machine woven pillow ticking. No nails holding yer shooting box together, handmade dovetails only. Ride a horse to the range. Ditch short starters, not historically accurate. Powder from a horn only unless military, then paper cartridges. No modern steels or springs.

Stop and think a bit on just how much modern influences there are in our "traditional" shooting. A glass bed with beeswax will go a long way towards rust prevention and can contribute to accuracy.
And remember to take a bit of feed and a water bucket for your horse(s). Best to allow about 4-5 mph average going to and from the range.
 
Another vote for Johnson's Paste Wax here. If I have browned a barrel, I use it over the whole barrel after neutralizing the browning solution. It lasts for years. I even use it under the barrels of my suppository guns.
 
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