Remington BP Long Term Experiment

drdirk · November 19, 2017, 08:16 PM

I wanted to test the long term reliability of leaving a Black Powder revolver loaded under real world conditions. I have a “emergency supplies” box in my truck with some basic tools and emergency supplies. In this box I also keep a Black Powder revolver with a loaded cylinder, loaded with real BP and capped. I wanted to see how long it can last. Fast forward 6 years..... Revolver is still in car and had no care except an occasional rub down with Balistol. Cylinder was untouched.

Today I finally fired it. And to my pleasant surprise all rounds went off just fine. Loaded it 3 more times with zero malfunctions. It’s a basic blued Pieta 1858 bought from Cabelas.

Given this is Texas and it gets hot and humid this is not a bad story.

Oliver Sudden · November 20, 2017, 12:14 AM

A properly loaded cap and ball revolver can be effective for a long time. In the 1970s a fellow I worked with inherited a colt pistol from his grand father. It was loaded and capped but no one know how long it had been stored. All guessed it had to be loaded for over 50 years. I advised that it be unloaded then inspected but the next day at work he told me that he just took it out and shot it! It fired all 5 chambers with out failure. Not what any one should do but it did shoot.

Slamfire · November 20, 2017, 12:24 AM

I loaded a Navy Arms Reb revolver and did not fire it for years. I poured wax around the caps, sealing the caps from any moisture. Did the same for the bullets in the cylinder mouths. The pistol was stored in a high humidity location. It may have been a couple of years, or four years, but when I fired the pistol, all chambers fired.

I believe that if you keep blackpowder dry, and the caps dry, there is no reason to assume they won't ignite when needed a thousand years from now. Blackpowder is a stable mix of compounds. I don't know the shelf life of lead styphnate primers. Chlorate primers will last decades, and dud out, but lead styphnate primers have a longer shelf life than chlorate primers. Might have a shelf life as long as blackpowder.

TruthTellers · November 20, 2017, 01:40 AM

The stories about Wild Bill Hickok and shooting his guns every morning I think has created a misconception about cap and ball revolvers not being able to stay loaded for long lest they become unreliable.

Hickok did that because he didn't feel he could rely on them unless they were loaded earlier in the day. If you were him living in that time and you got into the amount of gunfights he did, you may have done the same. For us, the chance of having to pull a gun for defense is slim.

A loaded black powder cylinder is not different than modern cartridges. The powder is contained by the steel cylinder, the lead projectile sealing the chamber, and the cap sealing the nipple. Makes for a pretty reliable package.

rodwhaincamo · November 20, 2017, 02:22 PM

I load my NMA after cleaning from a range day. It was last loaded with Triple 7 and a bullet. We ended up moving to a very small town outside of Austin and come to find out there's no convenient outdoor range so it has sat for about 4 years now. I'm rather interested as many claim T7 doesn't last long once opened. I'm going to have to suck it up and drive an hour and pay the high price of $30 at the closest place that gets bad reviews or drive a bit further and try the other...

Hawg · November 20, 2017, 05:47 PM

Not a revolver but I have a rifle that was loaded I know for at least 12 years with Pyrodex and not capped. It sat in a broom closet next to a hot water heater in a laundry room for all that time. When I got it all it took was one cap to make it go boom with all the power it would have had if it was just loaded

November 19, 2017, 08:16 PM	#1
drdirk Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2004 Location: houston, tx Posts: 179	Remington BP Long Term Experiment I wanted to test the long term reliability of leaving a Black Powder revolver loaded under real world conditions. I have a “emergency supplies” box in my truck with some basic tools and emergency supplies. In this box I also keep a Black Powder revolver with a loaded cylinder, loaded with real BP and capped. I wanted to see how long it can last. Fast forward 6 years..... Revolver is still in car and had no care except an occasional rub down with Balistol. Cylinder was untouched. Today I finally fired it. And to my pleasant surprise all rounds went off just fine. Loaded it 3 more times with zero malfunctions. It’s a basic blued Pieta 1858 bought from Cabelas. Given this is Texas and it gets hot and humid this is not a bad story.

November 20, 2017, 12:24 AM	#3
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	I loaded a Navy Arms Reb revolver and did not fire it for years. I poured wax around the caps, sealing the caps from any moisture. Did the same for the bullets in the cylinder mouths. The pistol was stored in a high humidity location. It may have been a couple of years, or four years, but when I fired the pistol, all chambers fired. I believe that if you keep blackpowder dry, and the caps dry, there is no reason to assume they won't ignite when needed a thousand years from now. Blackpowder is a stable mix of compounds. I don't know the shelf life of lead styphnate primers. Chlorate primers will last decades, and dud out, but lead styphnate primers have a longer shelf life than chlorate primers. Might have a shelf life as long as blackpowder. __________________ If I'm not shooting, I'm reloading.

November 20, 2017, 01:40 AM	#4
TruthTellers Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2016 Posts: 3,883	The stories about Wild Bill Hickok and shooting his guns every morning I think has created a misconception about cap and ball revolvers not being able to stay loaded for long lest they become unreliable. Hickok did that because he didn't feel he could rely on them unless they were loaded earlier in the day. If you were him living in that time and you got into the amount of gunfights he did, you may have done the same. For us, the chance of having to pull a gun for defense is slim. A loaded black powder cylinder is not different than modern cartridges. The powder is contained by the steel cylinder, the lead projectile sealing the chamber, and the cap sealing the nipple. Makes for a pretty reliable package. __________________ "We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out."

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November 20, 2017, 12:14 AM	#2
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	A properly loaded cap and ball revolver can be effective for a long time. In the 1970s a fellow I worked with inherited a colt pistol from his grand father. It was loaded and capped but no one know how long it had been stored. All guessed it had to be loaded for over 50 years. I advised that it be unloaded then inspected but the next day at work he told me that he just took it out and shot it! It fired all 5 chambers with out failure. Not what any one should do but it did shoot.

November 20, 2017, 02:22 PM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	I load my NMA after cleaning from a range day. It was last loaded with Triple 7 and a bullet. We ended up moving to a very small town outside of Austin and come to find out there's no convenient outdoor range so it has sat for about 4 years now. I'm rather interested as many claim T7 doesn't last long once opened. I'm going to have to suck it up and drive an hour and pay the high price of $30 at the closest place that gets bad reviews or drive a bit further and try the other...

November 20, 2017, 05:47 PM	#6
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	Not a revolver but I have a rifle that was loaded I know for at least 12 years with Pyrodex and not capped. It sat in a broom closet next to a hot water heater in a laundry room for all that time. When I got it all it took was one cap to make it go boom with all the power it would have had if it was just loaded