Leaving percussion revolver loaded??
What's the opinion of the forum here on how long a percussion revolver(Navy Colt) could be left loaded, under dry conditions in a house and still have a good chance of firing. I'm sure 150 years ago it was necessary to do that. Certainly in the Civil War you didn't empty the gun at the end of the day. I was just wondering. I plan to leave mine in a gun safe with a warning tag attached and see how it goes after a year. Anybody reallly know?
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I would not do that for a variety of reasons. There is no such thing as a 'dry' house. Somewhere I recall reading that black powder is hygroscopic, ie, attracts moisture. Any correct me on that?? I cannot speak for the synthetic powders. If not cleaned before storing, residue will cause corrosion, rust, and erosion of metallic surfaces. Your pistol I'm sure also does not have a positive safety on it. If stored 'uncapped' that leaves openings into each chamber for moisture to enter. Let me quote Dennis Adler from his book on percussion firearms: "A gun with loaded and capped chamgers is not one you want to take apart unless there is no other option". 0 -
Bob has it right, black powder is indeed hygroscopic. Best unloaded and clean before storage.
My heros have always killed cowboys.0 -
While in Ohio,I hunted with real black powder in my 45 flintlock.I used to leave it in the truck at the end of the day,rather than bring it in out of the cold,into the heat.I wold empty it come Sunday(once a week).It worked well for me that way,don't know nothin bout them pistols..... 0 -
I personaly couldn't care less about the powder attracting moisture, you can prevent that with bore lubes on top of the ball and a bit around the caps, however, I wouldn't leave one loaded and laying around for safety reasons. It dosen't take much to set off a precussion cap. Drop it or bump a cap on the cylinder with something and you could be in a world of hurt. 
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About 15 years ago I used to hang out with one of the old time smiths from the Ithaca gun company. One day in his travels he picked up an old Manton SxS shotgun. It had been loaded and capped for at least 50 years. When we cleaned it out the caps still went bang and the powder burned. The caps had been waxed and the wadding was enough to keep the powder dry. I don't doubt one would go off at a much later date if properly loaded. By properly loaded I mean the chambers being as absolutely clean as you could get them.
Please note, we didn't try to shoot that loaded gun. We unloaded it and burned the powder in a barbeque in his backyard and we set it off with a fuse. The caps we put back on the gun and they went off. For all we knew it could have been loaded with smokeless or worse.
Woods
It's better to die on your feet, than to live on your knees.0 -
Ever have one not go off and have to get ball out?? I have no doubt
it could set that way for years and still go off.
But like i said if they don't there no fun to unload.
Just my 2cents trapman690 -
If your worried about corrosion try paper cartridges. They can be punctured with a nipple pick after loading and will protect the cylinder, under normal conditions, from corrosion. Just keep it oiled, take it out once every couple of months, or sooner, and wipe it down with a oiled cloth.
Just my two cents.
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas0 -
I had a stainless steel Ruger old army that I used to keep loaded in the house. Instead of bullet lube, I used wax discs. Once, it was loaded for about a year before I shot it. All I did, was replace the caps with new ones and all 6 chambers fired, one per trigger pull. It was loaded with FFFg powder and stored in a locked desk in my basement. I was really surprised that all chambers fired, but keep in mind, the lead bullet makes an air tight seal(That's why it goes out the barrel when the powder is ignited), and the caps seal off the other end. There's really no place for moisture to enter. I only did this once, and replaced the caps because they were copper and badly tarnished. I don't think I'd make this a habit, tho. As others have said, gunpowder is unstable.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
- Friedrich Nietsche
"Only the strong survive."
- Jerry Butler0 -
In my restoration work I have found a number of old guns loaded some more than a century. Each time, I tried the powder and each time it went 'poof' when I ignited it on top of my anvil. One had a wad of a tobacco wrapper with a 1871 date on it. The only kind of black powder that is not dangerous is when it is wet with water. 0 -
Thanks to all of you for the interesting replies. As for safety,I mentioned that it would be kept in a locked gun safe. I'm going to go ahead and leave it in there for a while cause like the bankrobber said in Dirty Harry, about the 5 or 6 shots, "I just gotta know"!!
Hickory0 -
Babalooie is right. With a tight ball in one end and a cap on the other, there is no way for air to get to the powder.
When you think about it, 150 years ago people were routinely leaving their percussion rifles and pistols loaded for a long period of time.
It is my understanding that black powder is not hygroscopic, will not absorb moisture from the air. The BP substitutes such as Pyrodex or 777 are hygroscopic, however.
I am now doing the same experiment. My Colt Army .44 has been loaded since March. I loaded five cylinders and keep the hammer down on an empty cylinder.
I will post results of my experiment.0 -
Oops I was wrong about bp being not Hygroscopic. It will absorb moisture from the air.
What I had been trying to recall was, if your black powder does get wet/damp, it is possible to dry it out and it will shoot fine.0
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