New shooter has a question.

B

bigbird49

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How long can an unfired rifle be kept loaded with Triple 7 pelets or any black powder or black powder substitute before it starts to rust ?

Dick
 
What jimbob said. As long as you don't take it in and out of a warm house during hunting season it will be fine.
 
It's the ignition that starts the problem.

A friend of mine, asked me to pull a load, using a screw jag, on the rifle that was loaded with Pyrodex, for five years. After pulling the sabot projectile and breaking up the caked powder, I dumped the powder on a concrete slab and ignited it. It ignited just fine. Cleaned the barrel and found no signs of rust.

There is a complicated chemical reaction when you ignite BP of Pyrodex. Have been told that chemists have a hard time explaining it. What is well know, is the that when ignited, various "Salts" are produced and that is what starts eating your barrel. ....

Once saw a poster in a dentists that had a picture of a slice of cherry pie. The caption read; "Fve minutes after eating me; I start eating your teeth" .. :eek:
The same can be said of BP and Pyrodex. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
I am not rightly sure of Pyrodex and other BP substitutes, but the real Black Powder residue is hygroscopic- it attracts water ..... even out of the air.

Water will rust steel, especially when combined with the BP fouling.....
 
I am not rightly sure of Pyrodex and other BP substitutes, but the real Black Powder residue is hygroscopic- it attracts water ..... even out of the air.

Water will rust steel, especially when combined with the BP fouling.....
Click to expand...

That's true but it's not an immediate reaction. I sometimes go two or three days before cleaning after shooting Pyrodex and it has a worse rep than black.
 
I've just adopted a policy of not letting any charge sit in a BP gun of any kind, pistol, rifle or shotgun. (or when it is past the hunting season) I will shoot it and clean the gun. That way, I have no worries whatsoever.

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Thanks for the info. Another question I have is "Can I safely unscrew the breech plug from the rifle and unload it, or do I have to shoot it?" I got the gun this fall and had a day to sight the scope in before the BP season started. I cleaned it out and reloaded it and haven't fired it sense. In the spring I would like to try some different powders and loads. Just not sure if I should unload now or wait and shoot it in the spring.

Dick
 
What do you have ??

Another question I have is "Can I safely unscrew the breech plug from the rifle and unload it, or do I have to shoot it?"
Click to expand...
Unless I missed something, what is your M/L? It all depends on what you have. Some in-lines may or may not have removable breech plugs. Side-cockers do not or I should say, don't go there. NO, You don't have to shoot it, in order to remove the load. Perhaps the easies, is to use one of those CO2 discharger or then pull with a worm-jag and good range-rod. Don't use a wooden rod. again, all depends on what your are working with. .... :confused:


Be Safe !!!
 
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