Update from a newbie (and what I have learned of late)

[Kilgor]

Well it's been a while since I posted an update here.  So ...

I have finally taken possession of a '75 Remington Army (Uberti Outlaw) in .357 and I was most fortunate to get in on the last order of Snakebite bullet molds.  So I have expanded my heretofore limited knowledge to include processing wheel weights into ingots, casting bullets and hand loading the Holy Black.

Here be the bullets I cast.



In addition I have taken up leather work and have manufactured two holsters and am currently working on a shotshell belt.  My first holster looks like this ...
 

I had the good fortune to hook up with some local shooters at a nearby range yesterday evening for my first experience with CAS targets, my revolver and my BP shotshell loads.   It didn't take long to find out how bad a shot I am with the pistola - but the smoke was cool.  I also found out that beef tallow does not make a very good cylinder pin lube.  Thank the lord I had the foresight to take some ballistol with me.  The cylinder fouled up after about 8 rounds the first time and then got stiff after the 3rd or 4th round every other time.  I picked up some Bore Butter on the way home tonight - I'll have to see if that will alleviate the cylinder fouling.  The shot shell loads were awesome - at least the other pards were impressed - all I could see was smoke (lots and lots of smoke) and some glowing embers settling to the ground - it was getting dusky when I put the last 4 rounds through the sxs.  No misses with the shotgun and the target had little grease stains from the lube wad strikes.

Clean up was pretty much as I had been lead to believe - not too difficult at all - but no one told me not to rinse out the brass in the basement sink.  I had placed the brass in a Murphy oil/water/vinegar solution at the range and upon arriving back at the ranch proceeded to agitate the casings and complete the cleansing process.  So off with the lid, out with the old solution and on with the rinsing - but whoa - what is that horrendous rotten egg odor permeating throughout the house .... :oops: ... needless to say I won't be doing that inside the confines of this building again.

[RB Rooson]

Stick with it Kilgor!!!  Especially like your holster, Good Job!!

[Will52100]

Good looking holster
One thing I learned fooling with kirst converters in my 51' navies is that wonder lube 1000 is some great stuff.  I coat the cylinder pin liveraly and all action parts with it.  Durning shooting when I get ready to load anouther cylinder full I put a little lube on a plastic butter cover and dip the bullets in the lube then load in the cylinder.  I only do this when starting to feel a little drag.  I can go a hundred rounds or so without cylinder binding this way.  The exhaust gas around the cylinder gap drives some of the lube into the cylinder pin and keeps it free.

Also some black powders produce harder fouling than others, for the 38LC due to it's limited powder capacity I use Swiss 3F, it's a lot hotter and burns a lot cleaner than Goex and other's I've tried.  I use the cheaper stuff in my cap and ball revolvers, if it starts to drag a little lube over the chamber mouths solves that problem.

Welcome to the addiction!

[Cuts Crooked]

Sounds good pard!!!


Watterya usin' fer bullet lube? I'm askin on accounta I shoot 75s with BP too, in .45, and have no problems with fouling on the cylinder pin. I'm using 3F powder and the PRS bullets and they seem to keep my Remmies slick no matter what. They are lubed with 50/50 made with bees wax and olive oil. The Remingtons are supposed ta be the most difficult of alla the cartridge guns to keep running with BP because they don't have a cylinder bushing. And I've found this to be true when using conventional bullets. They jist don' carry enuff lube to do the job. So I wuz surprized ta see that yers was binding up when you are using the Snakebite.

Sometimes a good polish job on the pin will do wonders too!

[Cheyenne Ranger]

Now I've heard it all Win52100,

I use Swiss 3F, it's a lot hotter and burns a lot cleaner than Goex

BP that burns clean!  :grin:  :grin:  :grin:

ÇR

[Kilgor]

Watterya usin' fer bullet lube?

I've brewed up a batch of PRS lube (35% beeswax, 35% crisco, 10% oil, 10% glycerin, 10% tallow - couldn't get the required lanolin).  It seemed to work good as a bullet lube - no hard fouling down the bore ( I didn't check for the lube star but will do that after the next outing - maybe this PM).  I'm almost positive the problem was with the cylinder pin lube I used.  Will soon see if the borebutter fixes the problem.  If not, I'll try the PRS lube.  If'n that don't work I'll be back looking for more advice.

I loaded 38 special Winchester brass with about 19 gr. FFFg (Goex) under the Snakebite pill and used Winchester magnum primers (will probably use standard primers next time).  

The shot shells (a mixed bag of Federals, Fiocchi, Browning and Winchester) were primed with Winchester 209s and carried about 62 gr. of Goex FFg, a thin cardboard over powder wad, a 1/4 inch felt wad saturated with PRS lube, a Win red wad with the shot cup trimmed about 1/4 inch to hold 7/8 oz of 7 1/2 shot and an over shot card, finished with a standard crimp.  I didn't fire off too many rounds but there was absolutely no evidence of plastic fouling in the barrels of my sxs.

[Kilgor]

So I was able to get away for a bit this afternoon and put 70 rounds through the remmie.  The first sign of cylinder fouling occurred about the 12th round (borebutter was used to lube the pin).  Was able to put several more rounds down range before the cylinder drag became intolerable.  

I tried lubing the pin with my bullet lube but that didn't work any better than the BoreButter.  A couple of times it took all I could muster to get the cylinder to turn.  If this is the best I can expect, there is no way I can contemplate shooting duelist with this pistol.

I seem to recall a post somewhere that suggested turning some lube grooves into the cylinder pin.  It does seem to me that a lube reserve at the front of the cylinder would be a good thing.  Don't really like the idea of taking material off of the pin though.

Is it possible that I haven't put a hard enough crimp on my ammo?  Again I recall a post that suggests a really tight crimp is desired for BP cartridges.  I crimped mine into the groove using a standard Lee bullet seating/crimping die.  They looked plenty tight to me.

[Will52100]

don't know, I use the Lee factory crimp carbide dies, and have less blow by than with the light smokless loads on the cases.  You may have a slightly too tight cylinder pin also.  Since you have flat base bullets you can also load a thin card to help keep fouling down in the barrel.

One trick is to take the gun down and wipe everything down with bore butter and put it in the oven for an hour or so at around 350 degrees.  It helps season the metal, but that mainly makes it easier to clean.

I would try every other cylinder full wiping a little bore butter over the chamber mouths and see how that works.

Cheyenne Ranger, when I say burns clean, that's relitivly speaking! :-D  Swiss's fouling is a lot softer and moister than others and is a good bit less than other's also.  It's also about twice as high as other powders too!  I only use it in small caliber guns like the 38 long colt and in my 45-70 high wall.  Everything else get's Graff's.  I shot Goex for years till the local suplier stoped selling it.  The fouling was always hard and heavy in the barrel and cylinder pin, the Swiss and even Graf's is a lot better, but Swiss is the best I've tried.  I would like to check out Goex's cow boy powder though as a comparison.

[Cuts Crooked]

Before ya start cuttin grooves in that pin, polish the dickens outta it! Jist chuck it up in a drill and have it with fine emory cloth! That would be the first thing I'd try.

You might also try some of Dick Dastardlys "Bugger Snot" lube: ... the Dick Dastardly 'Bugger Snot'
Equals parts of :
Soy Wax (comes in 1# bags)
Vegetable Shortening (the cheapest price one)
Toilet Seal Rings (2 of em make a pound) Try to get new ones, the used ones are kinda nasty smellin'
Melt in the microwave or a double boiler