Unnecessary Innuendo and Black Powder Weapons

Modern firearms are quick to load and fire. If I am just looking to make a ton of noise I can take my Kel Tec CP33 or S&W M&P 15 outside and fire off 30 plus shots in seconds. The reloading takes significantly longer. After emptying about half of my collection (I refuse to call it an arsenal) on Sunday I spent an hour and a half reloading and another hour cleaning weapons. 

In other words, a "day" at the range can be a lot like terrible sex: tons of anticipation with a brief payoff that leaves you feeling less than satisfied. There is a reason that most ranges start their purchase time at thirty minutes. You can put a fair number of shots down range in a half hour. Spending a day, or even an afternoon, shooting means you are taking your time between shots and reloads. Even then it is not an inexpensive hobby. 

You can enhance the experience greatly by firing black powder weapons. I have two. I have an 1858 Army reproduction cap and ball pistol. I also have a Hawken reproduction done by Thompson Center. If you cannot imagine these weapons think pre Civil War era guns with lots of wood and brass. The rifle is a single shot and requires the whole process of muzzle loading including the ram rod. The revolver fires six shots, but takes a bit of time to reload using the built in lever. 

Every shot is a reset with a muzzleloader. You fire. You check your target. You add powder to the rifle. You add wadding. You add a ball. You likely spend a few second bruising your palm getting all that down the barrel with the ramrod. You put on a percussion cap. You shoulder your weapon, aim, fire, repeat.

It takes time and practice to get good at this process. Not only that but black powder is messy! Your weapon is getting dirtier each time you fire it. Using a seasoning patch for wadding around the ball helps this somewhat by swabbing the inner walls of your barrel with each load. As a bonus, this seasons your barrel in a similar fashion to a cast iron skillet so less powder residue stays inside the gun. 

With the revolver you have six chambers to load. That increases load time. It also means you can put all six shots down range between reloads. I got proficient with the cap and ball pistol much faster for that reason. Six times the shot also means significantly more powder. Also, if you pack your chambers incorrectly you can chain fire across cylinders. For that reason, you want to use bore butter which is a seasoning lubricant that smells lovely and smears a bit like petroleum jelly making  this whole process a bit more messy. 

These photos are of my 1858 Army Revolver. The gun was clean. I loaded and fired exactly six shots. This is how dirty it got just from that. Now, it has been a few years since I have been enthusiastic about black powder. My guns have been stored. That means the seasoning for the cylinders are a bit off. My typical wax treatments and polish are a few years old. That means those first six shots had powder residue cling with a vengeance. 

I stripped the gun down. One of the things I pay detailed attention to is the cylinder nipple. If your nipples clog then the fire from the cap cannot get through the flash hole and ignite the powder. My nipple wrench has a nipple pick for that exact reason. I spend a bit of effort scouring my nipples to make sure they are clear. 

Right now I have a clogged nipple on my Hawken rifle. It is also rusted in place from being in storage. That means my rifle is dead in the water until I can get the nipple extracted and replaced. Again, regular use and proper care of your nipples is really important. The process of putting fire through them following by a thorough cleaning and picking keeps your nipples in good firing order. I am glad that I didn't have the same problem with my cap and ball pistol and only have one bad nipple instead of six. 

I am sad to say that no matter how much waxing and polishing I do the ramrod on my Hawken I still have a discolored head. It is frustrating to spend that much time and elbow grease polishing your ram rod and still not have a shiny tip to ram those balls home. I guess running it through all that powder residue isn't good for it. I was able to restore a healthy luster to the shaft. The head may need to be replaced though unless I am comfortable with a dark patina on the brass. 

Anyway, back to the revolver. After tons of time with wax, creams, rubbing, and a fair few wiping cloths I get her back to shiny and clean. It feels a bit masturbatory because I know that the next time I fire off the load it will be back to filthy. I suppose that is half the fun. 

It is all a lot of work. It is enjoyable though. I find that I like the process of load, fire, load, fire, clean, polish, and protect. I have pride in the care of my things in general, but my gun collection (again not arsenal) holds a special place in my heart. I am a sucker for smooth wooden grips and hexagonal barrels. I do not know of any modern weapons that sport this much beauty. 

Also, how much fun is it to talk about nipples, flash holes, bore butter, balls, and ram rods? Also, nipple wrench! Yep. I am eternally 13 years old.