Reliability of a percussion revolver.

[Guest Jamie]

Nah, I don't claim to know all that stuff. I just know a leetle Engrish..I red the riting on the tube of greese

I believe you.

J.

[towerclimber37]

oh and it's tetra grease..not tesla..I dug it out because I cleaned up my pistol after I shot it yesterday.

[Mike.357]

Tetra® Lube Grease A synthetic, high-performance fluoropolymer industrial grease lubricant designed to protect moving components from deterioration under extreme conditions.

Tetra® Lube Grease contains no petroleum and is miscible with molybdenum, lithium and other conventional soap-based greases.

FTI, Inc. - Tetra Products

this sounds like it would work fine in a BP revolver

[Guest Jamie]

high-performance fluoropolymer

Heh... so you're basically feeding your BP gun a Glock... :rofl:

BTW... Teflon is a fluoropolymer.

J.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Jamie

[StPatrick]

Tower, unless you have a degree in Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering, you don't know what you think you know.

J.

I have one of them fancy chemistry degrees. The only thing I can advise is that if you don't know what's in it, don't subject it to 30,000 PSI while setting fire to it. Also, don't burn Teflon. It's awesome in the kitchen, but at firearms level temperatures, it breaks down. It's meant for temps below 350.

[Guest Jamie]

I have one of them fancy chemistry degrees. The only thing I can advise is that if you don't know what's in it, don't subject it to 30,000 PSI while setting fire to it. Also, don't burn Teflon. It's awesome in the kitchen, but at firearms level temperatures, it breaks down. It's meant for temps below 350.

My problem with using anything like that with a BP gun is that the pressure, slower burning speed, and the burn temp may not be enough to totally consume anything toxic.

I don't know for a fact that burning certain things in a black powder gun could be harmful to the shooter. But I also don't know that they aren't, and am going to choose to err on the side of caution.

BTW... I didn't see any mention of firearms, modern or otherwise, at the site Mike linked to. Lots of other applications, but no mention of guns.

J.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Jamie

[Guest TnRebel]

Great thread.

Made me pull my cap and ball revolver out and clean it. I had no clue about the oils. I had been using Remoil on mine for years.

Yes it is , I have been re-enacting with black powder for about 15 years and I'm learning stuff here I didn't know .

[towerclimber37]

this sounds like it would work fine in a BP revolver

thanks Mike. I thought it would work that way too...since I only put it on the moving parts of the pistol, I don't think I'm in much danger of setting it on fire.

[Mike.357]

thanks Mike. I thought it would work that way too...since I only put it on the moving parts of the pistol, I don't think I'm in much danger of setting it on fire.

Seriously I am not sure how much heat is applied to the internal parts or the cylinder pin when the pistol is fired.

Mostly my lubing concern is the internal parts and what I put over the balls.

[Guest Jamie]

Seriously I am not sure how much heat is applied to the internal parts or the cylinder pin when the pistol is fired.

Mostly my lubing concern is the internal parts and what I put over the balls.

Given the amount of flash-over from the barrel/cylinder gap, probably quite a bit for a very short period of time on the cylinder pin.

If you keep several cylinders pre-loaded, it's gonna add up quick though.

Concerning the gun's internals... well, all that crud gets down in there somehow, and I'd bet it's pretty hot when it first arrives. But again, it's very small amounts of material and is probably suffocated pretty quick due to the confined space and lack of oxygen.

One way or the other, I'm not gonna try to re-invent the wheel, centuries later. I'll stick to the natural stuff.

Y'all are certainly free to use whatever you like. Do keep in mind though that grease migrates, and won't stay exactly where you put it. So don't count on not burning at least some portion of whatever you use, no matter where you apply it.

( Every time you cock the hammer you're working lube up the hammer and to the area of the caps and the flash from them. )

J.

Edited June 1, 2010 by Jamie

[Mike.357]

well, all that crud gets down in there somehow,

while mine does attract some crud, it is not much. If I was not worried about corrosion I would have no concern for it as it is such a small amount.

I just stick to Crisco and I need to pick up some cheapo olive oil and continue with that as a lube.

[Guest Jamie]

while mine does attract some crud, it is not much.

I don't take mine completely apart every time I shoot it, so it might collect a little more than the average.

I was rather surprised at how much stuff gets down in there, considering the path it has to take. 'Cause the only real entrances are around the hammer, the slot for the hand, and the hole for the cylinder bolt. And that last is pretty much plugged up by the bolt.

J.

[towerclimber37]

Seriously I am not sure how much heat is applied to the internal parts or the cylinder pin when the pistol is fired.

Mostly my lubing concern is the internal parts and what I put over the balls.

I like my balls well lubed myself!

I swear..one of the best things about this thread is the opportunities for innuendo.

As for the pistol itself...Mine works fine for me. it's not rusted, it's not gummed up and it hasn't given me any problems on the firing line.

Is there more for me to learn about Black powder firearms? heck yah!! since my way of lubrication hasn't given me any troubles what so ever, then this is more of a "more info that's not absolutely critical" thread for me.

as for gunking up my pistol's internal parts? that's what they make dishwashers for...I take off the grips and break the pistol down, then put it in the upper rack of the dishwasher and when the cycle is done, a little oil, and relube the cylinder pin and I'm good.

[Guest Jamie]

I like my balls well lubed myself!

So long as your lube don't end up making your balls fall off, you're in good shape.

J.

[JAB]

As far as the natural oils, I wonder how walnut oil would work. The reason I ask is this:

My grandfather in law makes treenware (treenware is wooden spoons, bowls and other cooking/serving/eating implements like the pioneers would have used.) Colonial Williamsburg used to sell some of his work in their gift shop until their demand got to be more than he could supply (this was before his retirement when it was side work for him.) I am told that some of his work was (and maybe still is) used in some displays at the Smithsonian.

Treenware, like most wood, needs to be treated/oiled with something. He uses thinner/lighter varieties of olive oil and has for years because it is natural, food safe and lasts so long without going rancid (he intends for his treenware to actually be used.) Another woodworker recently told him that, while olive oil may last for a long time without going rancid, walnut oil will never go rancid. He is sticking with olive oil, for now, but that is why I wonder if walnut oil would work on y'all's BP revolvers or if it would get gummy.

Edited June 8, 2010 by JAB

[Guest Jamie]

He is sticking with olive oil, for now, but that is why I wonder if walnut oil would work on y'all's BP revolvers or if it would get gummy.

It would probably work just fine.

And I might even try it, if I ever run across any.

Right now, I'm considering trying unsalted lard, to see if something that's a little thicker won't work better than olive oil, in extreme humidity.

You see, 12 days after it's last oiling, the rains have caused my gun to rust up again. :-\

So I'm thinking about stripping it down, rubbing the parts with lard, and sticking them in a 300 degree oven for a while, to see if I can get a bit of a seasoning effect.

Oh, and I've also moved it further away from any open windows...

J.

[JAB]

It would probably work just fine.

And I might even try it, if I ever run across any.

J.

I recall having seen it at Kroger's but I no longer live near a Kroger's and don't know if they still stock it. It was with the olive oil, grapeseed oil, etc. I haven't really looked for it at other grocery stores.

[towerclimber37]

It would probably work just fine.

And I might even try it, if I ever run across any.

Right now, I'm considering trying unsalted lard, to see if something that's a little thicker won't work better than olive oil, in extreme humidity.

You see, 12 days after it's last oiling, the rains have caused my gun to rust up again. :-\

So I'm thinking about stripping it down, rubbing the parts with lard, and sticking them in a 300 degree oven for a while, to see if I can get a bit of a seasoning effect.

Oh, and I've also moved it further away from any open windows...

J.

wow...I'm sorry to hear that Jaime!

I got home, cleaned my pistol and then lubed it up with tetra grease and it's still as pretty as the day I bought it.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Mike.357]

[Guest Jamie]

wow...I'm sorry to hear that Jaime!

I got home, cleaned my pistol and then lubed it up with tetra grease and it's still as pretty as the day I bought it.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Yeah... and mine's bare steel kept in a currently very humid environment. Where's yours? In a safe with a silica jell pack to suck up moisture?

Mine also typically gets used fairly often during the summer... at least when it's not raining and I'm outside.

The point being I don't think any grease, fishy or otherwise, is gonna help much at the moment. It gets wiped off too easily.

Although even with surface rust, it still shoots just fine.

( The internals and bore are fine. It's only places on the barrel, frame, and cylinder that make contact with things that are being troublesome. )

Ah well... Never intended this one to be a safe queen.

.... maybe I should just give it a browning job...

J.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Jamie

[Guest Jamie]

Don't choke on that popcorn... or get that salty butter on your gun.

J.

[Mike.357]

Don't choke on that popcorn... or get that salty butter on your gun.

J.

hmm, if the butter was not salty it might work pretty good.

I have a 1851 Navy, I have had it for over thirty years. I never did anything to protect it while stored. It was just shoved in this box thing along with shooting gear and stuffed in a closet. It would go years between shooting it. It never attracted rust at all. I have no clue why.

now it sits in a safe with desecant and I need to wipe it down periodically.

[towerclimber37]

Yeah... and mine's bare steel kept in a currently very humid environment. Where's yours? In a safe with a silica jell pack to suck up moisture?

J.

Actually it stays in the wooden box it came in, usually locked, down in the garage next to my reloading station.

[Guest Jamie]

Looks like it's not fired a hundred rounds yet, much less really been carried or used...

J.

[towerclimber37]

Looks like it's not fired a hundred rounds yet, much less really been carried or used...

J.

nope..not yet it hasn't. But it will.