Lubricated Wads and Greasing the cylinder?

I'm with Driftwood on this one. Got my first cap and ball back in 1969 when there were no Wonder Wads, slathered Crisco all over the top of the balls, what a greasy mess! Had my one and only chain fire back then (with a battered 1851 brasser). I have been using wads since they were introduced in the late '70s and have never looked back. Cleaner to shoot and keeps fouling down in the barrel allowing more shots before cleaning.
 
They're not wet -- kinda slimy - like when you wipe down your dash board with Armor-All -- slimy :D

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I'm too cheap to buy Wonder Wads so I either punch out 1/8" thick wool felt F-1 sheeting with a 7/16" hole punch chucked into a drill press or I buy Circle Fly 1/2" fiber filler wads, lube them and then split them into desired thickness. You can make wads for about 2 bucks a hundred.
 
Just my $0.02 here from a competitive stand point. There is a lot of misinformation on the web about why grease or lubricant is used in front of the ball. It is a bullet lubricant. Nothing more. It does not protect against a chain fire. With a loaded cylinder as soon as you touch off the first shot - at least with bore butter and other lubricants of similar softness - the surrounding lube on the other chambers melts from the flash. The grease is a bullet lubricant much like we see modern hard cast bullets for conventional guns have grease or lube rings.

A properly fit ball should shave a ring of lead all the way around the mouth of the chamber with out a break anywhere. If it has a break the ball had a flat spot and said flat spot could create a gap between the ball and the chamber wall. This gap of course leaves the powder (if no wad) exposed to a possible chain fire. The grease could in theory be enough to prevent the exciting event but it's not a sure thing.

Two theories for a wad. It cuts on fouling and or keeps the charge from deforming the back side of the ball possibly causing leading issues. Probably helps on hotter loads but lighter target loads it's not needed. I've never used em.

Hope this helps. And I use white lithium grease from hardware store for bullet lube. Doesn't melt in summer, doesn't harden in winter.
 
I might look into / try --- getting a piece of 3/8's felt & some Bee's Wax from the local crafts store and making my own front of the ball wads ?
 
There is a lot of misinformation on the web about why grease or lubricant is used in front of the ball. It is a bullet lubricant. Nothing more. It does not protect against a chain fire.
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Yes it does. All it needs to stop a chain is a little dab around the edge of the balls. All of it doesn't melt out. Actually most of it doesn't melt it gets blown all over the gun because most people think they need to fill the void between ball and chamber mouth. That is not the case.
 
Probably more work than its worth. I don't think it will libricate the ball for going down the bore and you may see leading issues. Maybe not. If you are going to try that tough check out track of the wolf or Dixie gun works - they sell wad punches in different diameters. Might make the experiment easier. Good luck!
 
I already make my own wads and have for years. As long as you use soft lead you won't get any leading. The lube just helps keep fouling soft. The reason I say over ball lube prevents chain fires is because I have one that cuts a good ring but if no wad or over ball lube is used it will chain.
 
Well now I'm stumped. If it cuts a ring there shouldn't be a way for an ember to ignite it. So I'm puzzled at that. I still feel that a lubricant isn't a primary reason for avoiding chain fires. It could help sure but it's not the primary reason for it.
 
Well now I'm stumped. If it cuts a ring there shouldn't be a way for an ember to ignite it.
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What I said but it always has. Something hokey with the chambers I'm sure.

I still feel that a lubricant isn't a primary reason for avoiding chain fires. It could help sure but it's not the primary reason for it.
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Agreed but it does prevent them. No getting around that.
 
If your chain fire issue is from the mouth of the chamber perhaps... correctly fitting caps is another common issue. I pinch mine. Helps keep em on. Ymmv. I really don't like how "grease prevents chain fires" sound though. A properly fitted ball is important. And should be a first concern when developing a load or shooting a revolver period.
 
This fella makes an argument that it's possible, in a gun that chain fires frequently, that the chambers might not have been cut perfectly round.

He tested that theory by loading a cylinder w/ ball only (no powder no wad), wrapping the cylinder with a big sheet of aluminum foil, and shinning a bore-light up the nipple hole in a dark room at night. He was able to see lighted rings around the balls in 3 chambers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrfBOJnw06U
Note the video is just him explaining his theories. The test above is not actually shown.


Here's an interesting video. Every find you brought the wrong ammo for your C&B revolver? Have .36 cal ball and a 44 cal C&B revolver - patched ball to the rescue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCY59tDbog
 
If your chain fire issue is from the mouth of the chamber perhaps... correctly fitting caps is another common issue. I pinch mine. Helps keep em on. Ymmv.
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Nope. I can load all the chambers and cap one nipple at a time and it won't chain unless I leave out the wad or lube.

I really don't like how "grease prevents chain fires" sound though. A properly fitted ball is important. And should be a first concern when developing a load or shooting a revolver period.
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Like it or not it works. Balls cut a good ring but there's something wonky with the chambers. Balls don't move under recoil. I bought this particular gun new in 69 and it's always done it.
 
Hawg,
Slightly bevel the chamber mouths on that chain gun and see if the problem goes away. I bet you have a bit of overhang or lipping on the chamber mouths and you may be cutting the balls a few thou out of round.
 
Worth a try I guess but you'd think that all the rounds that have gone through it in the last 48 years would have taken care of that.
 
I have used all of these methods including compressing corn meal over the compressed ball. Fill up the cylinders with corn meal after ramming the ball and then compress again.i got this from a fellow CAS shooter. I like to put Wonder Lube or Crisco over the edge of the balls with a large syringe but here in Texas the weather will melt out the lube on a hot gun on a hot day so I had to mix my own lube and beeswax and then on a cold day it is too thick to squeeze out of the syringe. So I started using the corn meal with tight fitting ball. I have never had a chain fire with any of the methods.
 
Nope. I can load all the chambers and cap one nipple at a time and it won't chain unless I leave out the wad or lube
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You can induce chain fires by leaving out wads and grease?
I never use wads or grease and I can't do it. Never a chainfire.

I'm curious on what's wrong with these particular guns. I don't see sloppy grease which freezes in the winter being the best solution. I also like to leave my chambers loaded over a period of time and still fire, hence my hesitation to put anything greased by the powder.
 
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