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Thread: To wad or not.....

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    To wad or not.....

    Hi!

    I have a couple of muzzle loaders (Both Pietta's, one in .36 and one in .44). The previous owner of the .36 gave me a big bag of felt wads with it and told me he never used bore butter on top of the loaded balls as he always used felt wads under the balls to prevent chain fires. Does anyone else do this~? Or is it better to use some sort of tallow or perhaps both??

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    Not needed

    If your balls are the correct size (pardon the pun) then filler over the projectile isn't needed as loading will swage the bullet and create a perfect seal.
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    chain fires are from the rear.....badly worn nipples with incorrectly seated caps

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    The wad or filler is there to fill the space left by light target loads. Leaving an airspace between powder and ball is very bad news in any BP gun.
    Last edited by DesG; 22-10-2017 at 09:48 PM.
    [I]DesG
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    As Above. Tim

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    Under MLAGB and MLAIC rules the use of an over ball lube is mandatory in revolvers. Of course many do not shoot under those auspices but note that all cartridge projectiles are already lubed or have provision for lubrication and this is clearly not there to prevent chain fires.

    Some believe that the risk of chain fires is reduced when using BP substitute (MLAGB and MLAIC also mandate BP) but from personal experience I have witnessed a chain fire using Pyrodex - two adjacent cylinders went off as well - he was using wads. No harm done to gun, shooter or trousers once the jam was cleared.

    Wads are expensive unless you make your own and the only real use I can see for them in a revolver is as a substitute for filler such as Semolina when on an indoor range - far less messy.
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    Quote Originally Posted by loiner1965 View Post
    chain fires are from the rear.....badly worn nipples with incorrectly seated caps
    This. ^

    Looking inside the case of my Colt revolver, at the instructions on the label, there is positively NO mention whatsoever of either wads or over-ball grease.

    Back in the day, a few hardy souls who kept their guns loaded for extended periods MAY have used some kind of grease over the ends of the chambers, but these days......

    Your guns, and your choice.

    tac

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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    Some believe that the risk of chain fires is reduced when using BP substitute (MLAGB and MLAIC also mandate BP) but from personal experience I have witnessed a chain fire using Pyrodex - two adjacent cylinders went off as well - he was using wads. No harm done to gun, shooter or trousers once the jam was cleared.
    Explain, please, how cylinders in two other guns could be made to go off by a 'chain-fire' occurring in another gun.

    tac, confused.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    Under MLAGB and MLAIC rules the use of an over ball lube is mandatory in revolvers. Of course many do not shoot under those auspices but note that all cartridge projectiles are already lubed or have provision for lubrication and this is clearly not there to prevent chain fires.
    Cartridge projectiles are NOT used in muzzleloaders. What has this to do with the MLAGB or MLAIC, and why are you citing them? And how could there possibly be a chain fire of any kind in a cartridge-firing firearm?

    tac, again.

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    powder -ball -filler-e45 + keep ya nipples clean
    ballkeeper

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    Quote Originally Posted by gtpkeeper View Post
    powder -ball -filler-e45 + keep ya nipples clean

    E45? As in old womans hand cream? Bet your nipples smell lovely........

    Currently I use a mixture of beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil and a wax crayon to make it a nice blue colour.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    Explain, please, how cylinders in two other guns could be made to go off by a 'chain-fire' occurring in another gun.

    tac, confused.
    My bad - I should have said "two adjacent chambers"
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    Cartridge projectiles are NOT used in muzzleloaders. What has this to do with the MLAGB or MLAIC, and why are you citing them? And how could there possibly be a chain fire of any kind in a cartridge-firing firearm?

    tac, again.

    Nor did I say that they were


    I may have confused you by making more than one point in a single post. I was pointing out that MLAIC and MLAGB rules for muzzle loading revolvers mandate over ball lubrication. I was also pointing out that modern cartridges employ a lubricated bullet, and this lubrication is clearly not to prevent chain fires - so it is there for another reason.......

    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    This. ^

    Looking inside the case of my Colt revolver, at the instructions on the label, there is positively NO mention whatsoever of either wads or over-ball grease.

    Back in the day, a few hardy souls who kept their guns loaded for extended periods MAY have used some kind of grease over the ends of the chambers, but these days......

    Your guns, and your choice.

    tac
    You contend that the wisdom of the ancients is not capable of improvement - they got every part of the shooting art exactly perfect first time and the words of Mr Colt are sacrosanct?

    I'll bet that your label instructions make no mention of filler either - and I'll bet that you do use filler in your revolvers - or is it max BP load every time?
    True freedom includes the freedom to make mistakes or do foolish things and bear the consequences.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    [COLOR=#FF0000]I'll bet that your label instructions make no mention of filler either - and I'll bet that you do use filler in your revolvers - or is it max BP load every time?
    No filler, just 30gr of 3Fg and a ball. Works for me.

    tac

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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    My bad - I should have said "two adjacent chambers"
    'kay. Understooded.

    tac

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