secondeagle
Inactive
I am sure that humidity plays a part, but how long can you leave your BP revolver loaded before the charge is affected? Just curious.
How long can you leave a cylinder loaded?
- Thread starter secondeagle
- Start date
American Eagle
New member
Humidity will eventually get in there as there is no air-tight seal. If you leave your cylinder loaded you will probably start seeing some rust within a few days, or it could be as long as a week or so (depending on humidity).
However, I would not recommend to leave the cylinders loaded for more than 24 hours regardless of the rust issue, because once humidity has a chance of interacting with the gun powder your gun may misfire. Wild Bill didn't reload his gun every day for no reason.
However, I would not recommend to leave the cylinders loaded for more than 24 hours regardless of the rust issue, because once humidity has a chance of interacting with the gun powder your gun may misfire. Wild Bill didn't reload his gun every day for no reason.
Humidity is not an issue. Unfired powder isn't hygroscopic. There's been countless numbers of Civil War weapons dug up loaded and the powder charges were just fine. I myself found an original 58 Remington in an old barn and the powder was fine. The gun was pretty rough on the outside but when I pulled the balls the chambers looked like new.
bedbugbilly
New member
+1 to what Hawg said. I've seen Civil War revolvers as well that were loaded for years as well as rifled muskets/smoothbores where the powder was fine. I know the question was out of curiosity but will get on my stump again - just remember that if you leave it loaded, as with any firearm, the potential is there for it to get into the "wrong hands" and an accident occur. Several years ago, there was a kid killed close to where I live who was "cleaning" an "unloaded" cap & ball revolver - it discharged and he is now deceased.
I also saw a kid snap a cap onthe line at Friendship one time prior to shooting a match and his gun discharged. He'd forgotten that he had left it loaded from the previous deer season. All of us near him were ready to do him in b ut the RO got to him first.
Just thought I'd mention the "safety aspect" - now I'll shut up!
I also saw a kid snap a cap onthe line at Friendship one time prior to shooting a match and his gun discharged. He'd forgotten that he had left it loaded from the previous deer season. All of us near him were ready to do him in b ut the RO got to him first.
Just thought I'd mention the "safety aspect" - now I'll shut up!
About 30 years ago there was a local farmer that plowed up a loaded Springfield barrel. He thought it would make a good gate hinge so he stuck the breech end into his forge and the minie hit him in the head killing him instantly. And what about all the cannon balls blowing up just because somebody cut or drilled into them?
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
When my father in law died, he had a Brass framed Remington replica loaded... it sat in the air conditioned house until I was ready to start to play a little with black powder... about 17 years... added some caps, & the gun fired just fine, & cylinders looked just fine when cleaning afterwards...
Black Powder
No experience with revolvers, but a guy I worked with had a great aunt who died in 1970 at the ripe old age of 101. Her father was a veteran of the War of Northern Aggression 1861-1865...a NC regiment...and she'd apparently kept his rifle after he passed sometime before the turn of the century.
When she died, coworker friend was going through her attic and found the rifle. Curious as to whether it still worked...he cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger.
It worked. It worked so well, in fact that the bullet knocked out a neighbor's central air unit two houses down.
No experience with revolvers, but a guy I worked with had a great aunt who died in 1970 at the ripe old age of 101. Her father was a veteran of the War of Northern Aggression 1861-1865...a NC regiment...and she'd apparently kept his rifle after he passed sometime before the turn of the century.
When she died, coworker friend was going through her attic and found the rifle. Curious as to whether it still worked...he cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger.
It worked. It worked so well, in fact that the bullet knocked out a neighbor's central air unit two houses down.
robhof
Black powder, the real stuff is an extremely stable mixture and even if it's soaked, it can be dried out and used. I dug out a 3/4" cannon that my brother and I made a carriage for as a scout project in the mid 60's, still had about 1/2 can of Dupont powder and fuse, stored in wooden ammo box in shed for 30+ yrs. all worked fine.
Black powder, the real stuff is an extremely stable mixture and even if it's soaked, it can be dried out and used. I dug out a 3/4" cannon that my brother and I made a carriage for as a scout project in the mid 60's, still had about 1/2 can of Dupont powder and fuse, stored in wooden ammo box in shed for 30+ yrs. all worked fine.
I always heard that you needed to keep your powder dry. Maybe that advice is bad. The web is not showing a 100% consensus on how water/humidity effects black powder. Wiki seems to blow it off for potassium nitrate black powder, but Wiki and another article warn about sodium nitrate blackpowder. I would have thought charcoal would absorb water.
So how do you tell if your blackpowder is the potassium nitrate stuff? And how wet can the powder be and still function?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder
Black powder made with sodium nitrate tends to be hygroscopic, unlike black powders made from saltpeter. (In this article, "saltpeter"--also spelled "saltpetre"--means potassium nitrate and not any of the other nitrates that are also sometimes called "saltpeter.") Because black powder made with saltpeter is less affected by moisture in the air, it can be stored unsealed for centuries without degradation if it is kept dry. Muzzleloaders have been known to fire after hanging on a wall for decades in a loaded state, provided they remained dry. By contrast, black powder made with sodium nitrate must be sealed from the moisture in the air to remain stable for long periods.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/problems_blackpowder.htm
The Problems of Black Powder
By Randy Wakeman
A problem associated with black powder is its hygroscopicity. Black powder absorbs about 1.5 weight percent moisture under 75 percent relative humidity at a temperature of 21.1.degrees C. (70.degrees F.) over a period of 24 hours. If black powder picks up sufficient moisture, there is a possibility that the black powder will not burn as fast. High relative humidity may cause erratic behavior. Water may cause the potassium nitrate to migrate out of the black powder and cause corrosion of metallic parts.
That mainly dates to flintlock times with the powder in the pan but wet powder will not function period. To the best of my knowledge Goex black and Pyrodex still use potassium nitrate. If Randy Wakeman told me the sky was clear and not a cloud in sight I'd be sure to get an umbrella.
Hickok believed (apparently) that he needed to practice daily to maintain proficiency. He 'unloaded' his guns daily not to prevent corrosion, but to practice shooting - to maintain proficiency.Hawg Haggen said:
I think there's a great deal of merit in that. Loading a gun and then letting it sit idle for long periods of time may or may not (which I believe) result in the gun corroding, but it certainly will result in the shooter's skills with that gun eroding.
I'm not suggesting we should shoot every day, but some level of regular practice 'unloading' your guns is surely advisable.
Lee McNelly
Moderator
worrying
get a cartridge revolver
get a cartridge revolver
secondeagle
Inactive
I have several cartridge revolvers. Thanks