BlackPowderBen
New member
Well I had my first chainfire today out of my remington 1858. I was using my homemade powder and remington #10 caps, no wad or grease.
Chain Fire
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maillemaker
New member
Did your balls shave a ring of lead when seated?
Steve
Steve
BlackPowderBen
New member
sometimes my balls shave a ring and sometimes they dont, probally should go a size higher, I'm using .451's. The caps were tight, and I was not using wads because I'm to cheap to buy them 
BlackPowderBen
New member
My gun is alright, I fired a bunch of other rounds through it today and it was fine
Model12Win
Moderator
Good to hear it.
I recommend going up to .454 balls, and make sure your caps are tight and fit nicely. Provided this, there is little reason to fear a chain fire. You really don't even need grease over the balls provided they shave a complete ring of lead. The grease does help with powder fouling though, as it makes it softer.
I recommend going up to .454 balls, and make sure your caps are tight and fit nicely. Provided this, there is little reason to fear a chain fire. You really don't even need grease over the balls provided they shave a complete ring of lead. The grease does help with powder fouling though, as it makes it softer.
BP Ben,
Since you are such a cheapskate like me, you can buy F-1 or F-5 felt, a 5/16" hole punch and chuck the punch in a drill press and cut out wads for about 2 cents each. I lube in melted 50/50 lard & beeswax. Or, you could buy pre lubed 45 cal 1/2" shotgun fiber wads from Circle Fly (get 2 bags of 500 and save on shipping) then split them into halves or thirds for about 3 or 4 cents apiece. I agree with you, the Wonder Wads are ridiculously expensive.
You can get either a 2 cavity LEE .454 ball mold for about $20 or a 6 cavity BigLube mold for about $100 and pay for either in one day of casting.
You could use good old crisco (or store brand) as an over ball lube.
I am "thrifty" and use both lube wads, over ball grease, and cast my own .454s from scrounged soft lead.
Since you are such a cheapskate like me, you can buy F-1 or F-5 felt, a 5/16" hole punch and chuck the punch in a drill press and cut out wads for about 2 cents each. I lube in melted 50/50 lard & beeswax. Or, you could buy pre lubed 45 cal 1/2" shotgun fiber wads from Circle Fly (get 2 bags of 500 and save on shipping) then split them into halves or thirds for about 3 or 4 cents apiece. I agree with you, the Wonder Wads are ridiculously expensive.
You can get either a 2 cavity LEE .454 ball mold for about $20 or a 6 cavity BigLube mold for about $100 and pay for either in one day of casting.
You could use good old crisco (or store brand) as an over ball lube.
I am "thrifty" and use both lube wads, over ball grease, and cast my own .454s from scrounged soft lead.
maillemaker
New member
I'd bet $10 it was the balls. Hard to get a better fit than a #10 - if anything it might be too tight but unlikely to be too loose. If you are not shaving lead, your balls are too small.
Steve
Steve
Two responses...
To Hellgate,
100% correct (IMO). You can get a set of punches that will work for making wads from Horrible Freight for about 12.00. For felt wads for .44 or .45 I think it has a 7/16 that works good. For .36 the 5/16 works.
Also a good source of relatively dense felt is a wool hat from the thrift store. One hat gives you about a billion wads. It has to be 100% wool.
To MM,
(Not that it matters, but) I agree. Model12 said .454 and I agree with that too. I use .451 for almost nothing anymore.
To Hellgate,
100% correct (IMO). You can get a set of punches that will work for making wads from Horrible Freight for about 12.00. For felt wads for .44 or .45 I think it has a 7/16 that works good. For .36 the 5/16 works.
Also a good source of relatively dense felt is a wool hat from the thrift store. One hat gives you about a billion wads. It has to be 100% wool.
To MM,
(Not that it matters, but) I agree. Model12 said .454 and I agree with that too. I use .451 for almost nothing anymore.
foolzrushn
New member
ben
You can also 'tune' your wad punch to make the wads slightly larger if needed, by enlarging the inside of the punch with a Dremel tool and stone. Care must be taken to not go too far. Just try fitting a new wad in the cylinder, after each little bit of grinding, until you get that perfect snug fit in the cylinder without the edge curling up. Also try to keep the punch opening round. Felt is pretty forgiving though.
I'm a fan of GeoJohn...powder, dry wad (homemade wool from Durofelt), fingertip of Gatofeo #1 and then the .451 ball. Not messy ( wads or grease) and fowling seems OK. So far no need to change, although I have purchased a box of .454 to try, and I will continue to experiment.
I hope I can aviod a chain-fire, but I make myself expect one each time I fire, just in case.
You can also 'tune' your wad punch to make the wads slightly larger if needed, by enlarging the inside of the punch with a Dremel tool and stone. Care must be taken to not go too far. Just try fitting a new wad in the cylinder, after each little bit of grinding, until you get that perfect snug fit in the cylinder without the edge curling up. Also try to keep the punch opening round. Felt is pretty forgiving though.
I'm a fan of GeoJohn...powder, dry wad (homemade wool from Durofelt), fingertip of Gatofeo #1 and then the .451 ball. Not messy ( wads or grease) and fowling seems OK. So far no need to change, although I have purchased a box of .454 to try, and I will continue to experiment.
I hope I can aviod a chain-fire, but I make myself expect one each time I fire, just in case.
g.willikers
New member
I, too, have had a couple of those dreaded chain fires.
No big deal, really, as only the top three chambers went off and only the ball coming out of the barrel had any steam behind it.
The other two easily cleared the frame.
But a good reason not to get sloppy with one of those revolver carbines.
I also use .451 size ball, 'cause that's all that seem to be locally available.
But now I use thick automotive gasket paper for wads, without any lube.
It seems to work just fine and costs very little.
As others have said, make sure the home made wads are not made of polywhatzits " not really felt.".
Wool is very hard to burn, the poly versions smoke and melt.
A test with a small piece would tell.
No big deal, really, as only the top three chambers went off and only the ball coming out of the barrel had any steam behind it.
The other two easily cleared the frame.
But a good reason not to get sloppy with one of those revolver carbines.
I also use .451 size ball, 'cause that's all that seem to be locally available.
But now I use thick automotive gasket paper for wads, without any lube.
It seems to work just fine and costs very little.
As others have said, make sure the home made wads are not made of polywhatzits " not really felt.".
Wool is very hard to burn, the poly versions smoke and melt.
A test with a small piece would tell.
BlackPowderBen
New member
do you think I can dremel a socket to shape and make a wad punch out of that? (Or I can go the horrible freight and spend 8 bucks on the punch set)
g.willikers
New member
Just get the real thing.
Much easier.
Sockets have thick walls, requiring a lot of grinding.
It would probably cost more in worn out dremel wheels than the price of the punches.
Much easier.
Sockets have thick walls, requiring a lot of grinding.
It would probably cost more in worn out dremel wheels than the price of the punches.
Free wads, yep, FREE! don't cost a single ding-dang-doodle penny.
Get a 1/2" punch from wherever, in a pinch use a .45 fired case with the mouth "sharpened" with a chamfer/deburr tool. Steel cases are good for this & most just leave them at the range.
Now take paper mache egg cartons, all you do is punch out a bunch of holes.
Now put a drop of olive oil on each side of each wad. Let 'em sit a few days to soak evenly. They shouldn't be "wet" with olive oil, just soaked through.
The fibrous paper will soften so it curves to fit the ball & you just sit it over the chamber mouth, sit the RB on it & ram home.
Get a 1/2" punch from wherever, in a pinch use a .45 fired case with the mouth "sharpened" with a chamfer/deburr tool. Steel cases are good for this & most just leave them at the range.
Now take paper mache egg cartons, all you do is punch out a bunch of holes.
Now put a drop of olive oil on each side of each wad. Let 'em sit a few days to soak evenly. They shouldn't be "wet" with olive oil, just soaked through.
The fibrous paper will soften so it curves to fit the ball & you just sit it over the chamber mouth, sit the RB on it & ram home.
g.willikers
New member
Well, you made me look in the fridge.
Blegh, the egg cartons are plastic!
No dice.
Blegh, the egg cartons are plastic!
No dice.
foolzrushn
New member
ben
For $8 @ Harbor Fright (Halloween) you can get the #67030 punch set of six. It has 5/16", 7/16" and 1/2" and....hex drive to go in a drill or electric screwdriver! No drill press, or pounding with a hammer, or twisting until your fingers are sore. Put your choice of wad material on a block of pine an make wads.
For $8 @ Harbor Fright (Halloween) you can get the #67030 punch set of six. It has 5/16", 7/16" and 1/2" and....hex drive to go in a drill or electric screwdriver! No drill press, or pounding with a hammer, or twisting until your fingers are sore. Put your choice of wad material on a block of pine an make wads.