Round Ball lubing ?

[straight-shooter]

With my BP pistols I use a lube wad under the ball. Now I have always purchased store bought round balls at .457 diameter which is what my pistols require. Here is my question.... since i'm now going to cast my own round balls, do they require a lube on the ball or does the lube wad suffice well enough ?

I make my own lube consisting of beeswas, crisco and parrafin for the home made lube wads.... can this also be used to coat the round ball or is it necessary ?

[docone31]

Your home made lube should work.
The lube also prevents chain fires.
I made paper cartridges for mine. I could stuff the rig into the hole, ram it in, toss on some lube sometimes, and fire away.
I made nitrated paper, in a tapered cone. Pressing the ball in the bore opened the cartridge. The nitrated paper burned away pretty thoroughly.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

I use wonder wads between ball and powder and I smear a little bore butter on the top...not gobs of it but a little...I also pinch the caps and make sure they are on there good and snug.

[straight-shooter]

I already know the lube works on the home made wads. My question is whether the balls need coated with any type of lube or just load them straight after casting. :)

[legend]

I Use Lee Liquid Alox,it Helps I Think.

[straight-shooter]

I Use Lee Liquid Alox,it Helps I Think.

I was thinking the same thing but someone mentioned that they were worried that alox would contaminate the black powder. Since I load a lube wad between the ball and powder that shouldn't be a issue for me. ??

I don't know why there would be that much of a difference between smokeless and BP for getting contaminated since our smokeless bullets seat against the powder.

Does Hornady or Speer coat the balls with anything ?

[mooman76]

No lube needed on the round balls themselves. I'm thinking you are talking revolver and when you press the ball in it would scrape off anyway. Just put a little lube( crisco or wonder lube or whatever) on top of the ball after you press it in. If you are talking rifle the patch lube is sufficiant as the ball doesn't touch the sides of the barrel anyway.

[Jim]

Originally, the chamber was charged w/ powder, the ball was rammed home and a touch of tallow or grease was smeared over the ball. The grease prevented chain firing and, as it was forced forward by the fired ball, it lubed the barrel for the ball's ride.

[straight-shooter]

Alrighty :) I'll leave the balls as cast with no coating and load as normal. Powder then lube wad then ball. I can put a light coat of bore butter down the barrel to start the session then the lube wads will take over. I've never used crisco or anything for that matter over the ball. I figure the lube wad between the ball and powder will prevent a chain fire and it has for years now.

[John Boy]

I can put a light coat of bore butter down the barrel to start the session then the lube wads will take over.
SS ... light coat of butter down the barrel! What on earth would you want to do this for? Powder - lubed felt wad - ball ... IS ALL YOU NEED. The wad will provide plenty of lube in the bore

Now, if you meant to say - light coat of bore butter on top each ball in the CYLINDER ... perfectly OK too

[straight-shooter]

Novel idea John Boy.... hehe. Geez, I must be getting tired tonight. Yep, I meant on the ball for the first few shots so the first ball doesn't have a dry ride down the barrel since the lube wad is behind the ball.

Good Night John Boy.... [smilie=1: Sorry had to do it!

[yondering]

Your home made lube should work.
The lube also prevents chain fires.
I made paper cartridges for mine. I could stuff the rig into the hole, ram it in, toss on some lube sometimes, and fire away.
I made nitrated paper, in a tapered cone. Pressing the ball in the bore opened the cartridge. The nitrated paper burned away pretty thoroughly.

That sounds like a pretty convenient way to do it. How do you make the nitrated paper? Is a special paper required?

[TG70]

You could use cigarette rollin paper, I think.

Someone posted instructions on the black powder forum at the high road. with nice photos! The man uses rolling papers.

Tom

[docone31]

I should restate. Although nitrated paper should be simple to make, I got mine from Dixie Gun Works. I used the Sharps papers.
The way I made them,
I took an 1/2" dowel, and shaped it so I got maximum powder for the charge, I put it ina drill press and sanded away with the press on.
Since the chamber is less than 1/2, you will have to turn it down.
I got a stick of glue, the Elmers roll on glue.
I cut the paper once I got the diameter so it would roll into a cone. I then rolled the cone on the dowel and glued the last edge. I folded the bottom up and glued it. I glued the ball on top of the cone.
Ramming the ball into the chamber split the paper exposing the powder.
Dixie has a book on it. I had the book and it made it simple. I had that book, and Mathews book, The Paper Jacket.
Both great books.
I could load 50 "cartridges" and carry them in a pouch. A few dropped the balls, but most took the trip.
To make nitrated paper, get some Nitrate Soda from the hardware store, add some to water untill it won't take any more. Soak the papers, and hang them up to dry.
It doesn't take much.
The book on the pistol paper cartridge also showed a drying block for letting the glue dry, filling with powder, and glueing the ball. Fairly straight forward.

[leadeye]

I should restate. Although nitrated paper should be simple to make, I got mine from Dixie Gun Works. I used the Sharps papers.
The way I made them,
I took an 1/2" dowel, and shaped it so I got maximum powder for the charge, I put it ina drill press and sanded away with the press on.
Since the chamber is less than 1/2, you will have to turn it down.
I got a stick of glue, the Elmers roll on glue.
I cut the paper once I got the diameter so it would roll into a cone. I then rolled the cone on the dowel and glued the last edge. I folded the bottom up and glued it. I glued the ball on top of the cone.
Ramming the ball into the chamber split the paper exposing the powder.
Dixie has a book on it. I had the book and it made it simple. I had that book, and Mathews book, The Paper Jacket.
Both great books.
I could load 50 "cartridges" and carry them in a pouch. A few dropped the balls, but most took the trip.
To make nitrated paper, get some Nitrate Soda from the hardware store, add some to water untill it won't take any more. Soak the papers, and hang them up to dry.
It doesn't take much.
The book on the pistol paper cartridge also showed a drying block for letting the glue dry, filling with powder, and glueing the ball. Fairly straight forward.

Thanks docone31 that is something I have been wanting to try for years. A friend of mine who is a civil war history buff watched me load an 1860 army once and asked if I thought I could do that under fire. I said probably not but I think they used paper cartridges when he asked about those I had no answer.

[44man]

I kill deer with my Ruger OA so I don't want a wad. I want all of the powder space I can get. The old girl will hold 41 gr's of Swiss FFFG for 1102 fps.
You don't want a thin lube like Crisco over the ball. It will all blow out from cylinder blast. I found a thick BPCR lube hangs in there better. Don't use alox with BP. You don't need any lube on the ball.
Balls fit tight and the seal is good up front. 99% of chainfires happen from the REAR with 1% caused by the wrong size balls or an old gun with pitted chambers. Caps must fit good and gun design means a lot. I had it happen with Colts but never with the Ruger. It does no harm to the gun in most cases anyway. The lower chambers might cause damage but they never seem to go off.