my cofederate revolver

laubert75 · April 29, 2006, 10:51 PM

at the cabelas site, it told me to, after i was done loading the powder and ball, i should cover them with a type of muzzle-loading grease to make sure that another chamber doesnt go off. what i want to know is, do i have to do this, or will it more than likely happen if i dont use the grease?

yorec · April 29, 2006, 11:41 PM

It's insurance...

You might fire a hundred cylinders sans grease and never experience such a chain fire. But there is a chance that your first one also fires off all six with catashtrophic results to your firearm and injury to yourself and/or others...

Crisco's cheap, lube up. Wear hearing and eye protection. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Etc...

mousegun · April 30, 2006, 08:25 PM

Chainfires are likelier from a loose cap or open nipple than from the front of the cylinder. Cap your piece with care. Chainfires can happen from the front, but using the right sized balls will make a chainfire real rare: make sure you shave a lead ring off the ball when seating it. Chainfires seldom if ever detonate all the chambers, usually two or three.

Crisco will work as well as Cabela's lube, and it's cheaper. At our house it's free unless wifey catches me.

Check this site for more info than you could ever want: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/Choy.html

timothy75 · May 11, 2006, 01:15 PM

If crisco is too messy for you, you can also use a lubed felt wad under the ball. This works better in my opinion when the gun will be carried a while or kept for protection. Good Luck

oldmaster111 · May 23, 2006, 02:38 PM

I have always used the lubed wads between the powder and ball and have always had good luck. Lube works fine unless you live in Arizona like I do, and the heat melts it and it runs out all over you or your holster. Also the proper cap and cap fit and you should be good to go.

**4V50 Gary** · May 25, 2006, 07:11 AM

Elmer Keith didn't think that chainfires occurred because of a flash leaping from one cylinder to another. He also subscribed to the nipple & loose cap theory.

BTW, you should use a slightly oversized ball that, when swaged into the cylinder, leaves a perfect concentric ring. That's safety measure #1 since a spark can't slip past the lead.

I was told that lubing reduces the fouling.

April 29, 2006, 11:41 PM	#2
yorec Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,328	It's insurance... You might fire a hundred cylinders sans grease and never experience such a chain fire. But there is a chance that your first one also fires off all six with catashtrophic results to your firearm and injury to yourself and/or others... Crisco's cheap, lube up. Wear hearing and eye protection. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Etc... __________________ What part of "... shall not be infringed..." don't you understand?

May 25, 2006, 07:11 AM	#6
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	Elmer Keith didn't think that chainfires occurred because of a flash leaping from one cylinder to another. He also subscribed to the nipple & loose cap theory. BTW, you should use a slightly oversized ball that, when swaged into the cylinder, leaves a perfect concentric ring. That's safety measure #1 since a spark can't slip past the lead. I was told that lubing reduces the fouling. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 29, 2006, 10:51 PM	#1
laubert75 Junior Member Join Date: April 21, 2006 Posts: 8	my cofederate revolver at the cabelas site, it told me to, after i was done loading the powder and ball, i should cover them with a type of muzzle-loading grease to make sure that another chamber doesnt go off. what i want to know is, do i have to do this, or will it more than likely happen if i dont use the grease?

April 30, 2006, 08:25 PM	#3
mousegun Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 42	Chainfires are likelier from a loose cap or open nipple than from the front of the cylinder. Cap your piece with care. Chainfires can happen from the front, but using the right sized balls will make a chainfire real rare: make sure you shave a lead ring off the ball when seating it. Chainfires seldom if ever detonate all the chambers, usually two or three. Crisco will work as well as Cabela's lube, and it's cheaper. At our house it's free unless wifey catches me. Check this site for more info than you could ever want: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenandoah/Choy.html

May 11, 2006, 01:15 PM	#4
timothy75 Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2005 Location: Nevada Posts: 1,146	If crisco is too messy for you, you can also use a lubed felt wad under the ball. This works better in my opinion when the gun will be carried a while or kept for protection. Good Luck

May 23, 2006, 02:38 PM	#5
oldmaster111 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2006 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 199	I have always used the lubed wads between the powder and ball and have always had good luck. Lube works fine unless you live in Arizona like I do, and the heat melts it and it runs out all over you or your holster. Also the proper cap and cap fit and you should be good to go.