Rubber cement like goo in blackpowder revolver

[JustinR]

I have a Uberti Colt 1851 that I picked up a few months back. I've put probably 100 rounds through it.

Today I picked it up and cocked it, and it felt like the thing was full of glue. Cocking wasn't difficult, but was a high, steady effort as opposed to the no resistance thumb flick that it normally takes.

So I tore it down to clean it, and the entire inner works were covered in a sticky goo with the consistency of almost set rubber cement. Stripped everything down and could only clean it with hot water and soap - typical solvents just spread the goo around.

Anyone that shoots blackpowder seen this?

The only thing the gun has seen is Goex powder, Crisco overbullet lube, and vegetable oil to lube moving parts.

Ideas?

[gghbi]

I have a Uberti Colt 1851 that I picked up a few months back. I've put probably 100 rounds through it.

Today I picked it up and cocked it, and it felt like the thing was full of glue. Cocking wasn't difficult, but was a high, steady effort as opposed to the no resistance thumb flick that it normally takes.

So I tore it down to clean it, and the entire inner works were covered in a sticky goo with the consistency of almost set rubber cement. Stripped everything down and could only clean it with hot water and soap - typical solvents just spread the goo around.

Anyone that shoots blackpowder seen this?

The only thing the gun has seen is Goex powder, Crisco overbullet lube, and vegetable oil to lube moving parts.

Ideas?

Sounds like the vegetable oil coagulated?

[JustinR]

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

You don't use hydrocarbon oil with black powder be beause it forms a goo, so I didn't - but I've never done it so I don't know what the goo looks like. I've only used vegetable oils to lube black powder guns for over 20 years and have never seen this.

So are there situations the vegetable oils coagulate, or was the (possible) oils left on the gun after manufacturing enough to create this gum?

It's just really weird pulling globs out of a gun that look like the "snot" balls you make in kindergarten by rolling glue off of the desk.

[Gunsnwater]

Mobile one for the action, synthetic grease for the cylinder pin. Butler creek makes a good grease for over the ball.

[Delkal]

Vegetable oils can definitely coagulate to a goo and even polymerize into a hard water proof coating. They use linseed oil to treat stocks and it is also used in oil paints as the hardener. Any unsaturated oil will do this too. some are just faster than others. Ever see the crud on the lip of an old bottle of cooking oil?

To reduce this you want to use a saturated oil. The kinds that are solid at room temperature like lard or Crisco. In the old days bear fat was the best because it has the highest melting point. If you don't have a bear......... beef fat (tallow) is a good substitute. It is harder at room temperature than lard and it is not that hard to make your own. You could even substitute coconut oil. It has the highest amount of saturated fat of all of them and is not prone to polymerizing. But for some reason it never caught on with the Colonists or Mountain Men.

[Gunsnwater]

Why do you have the need to lube black powder guns with edible oils? I lube pocket knives with olive oil, but I don’t hesitate to cut food with them. I’m not licking guns, not even water guns.

[JustinR]

Why do you have the need to lube black powder guns with edible oils? I lube pocket knives with olive oil, but I don’t hesitate to cut food with them. I’m not licking guns, not even water guns.

Black powder residue + hydrocarbon based oils is supposed to create a tar like goo. I've never wanted to experience it, so I've always avoided it.

But as I search online, I can't find an example of residue+oil=goo picture

[Delkal]

Black powder residue + hydrocarbon based oils is supposed to create a tar like goo. I've never wanted to experience it, so I've always avoided it.

But as I search online, I can't find an example of residue+oil=goo picture

Thompson center publicized it when they introduced their natural lube. They restarted the claim but there is no reason to doubt it. Hydrocarbon oils were uncommon 150 years ago.

Thinking about it there is one exception to the only use solid saturated oils because they don't polymerize. You should use sperm oil for the internals. For some reason it is a thin liquid and doesn't ever polymerize. They even used it for internal pocket watch lubrication on the smallest jewels. Anyone want to go fishing?

[Gunsnwater]

You can’t recreate the modern experience of blasting 1000 rounds or even 500 in a day with black powder. Cap and ball revolvers will bind rather quickly without grease packed around the cylinder pin. Keeping the soot moist but not wetting the charge. Most of the oil on the lock work is to prevent rust after cleaning, while the gun sits. This is only my experience and it’s one of the reasons I shoot modern nowadays. The dragoon’s has 4 pistols on their horse 2 front and 2 back as I recall reading. Spermwhale oil is no longer an option but full synthetic mobile one is at Walmart in gallon jugs.

[bamboomaster]

I have a Uberti Colt 1851 that I picked up a few months back. I've put probably 100 rounds through it.

Today I picked it up and cocked it, and it felt like the thing was full of glue. Cocking wasn't difficult, but was a high, steady effort as opposed to the no resistance thumb flick that it normally takes.

So I tore it down to clean it, and the entire inner works were covered in a sticky goo with the consistency of almost set rubber cement. Stripped everything down and could only clean it with hot water and soap - typical solvents just spread the goo around.

Anyone that shoots blackpowder seen this?

The only thing the gun has seen is Goex powder, Crisco overbullet lube, and vegetable oil to lube moving parts.

Ideas?

It's not clear to me if the condition you described occurred after a string of shooting on one range day or if it occurred over the period of several months after letting the pistol sit for several months without prompt cleaning after each range session...

After removing the grips, cylinder (remove nipples and put cylinder and nipples so soak in a cup of hot solution for around five minutes), and loading lever, the application of boiling hot water + a glug of Simple Green, bore brush, and a nylon bristle brush is what I have found to be one of the most efficient ways to clean a BP pistol. During the cleaning process, the water evaporates due to its heated surface. Wipe everything down, apply Q-tip to the cylinder internals, oil up (same oil as I use for cleaning semi-autos, bolt rifles, etc.), reassemble and you're good to go.

Even without the "goo" you're speaking of, BP left to sit on surfaces (usually on the sides of the hammer and its adjacent walls) will indeed feel like goo and will affect the cock and upon firing, the strike of the hammer.

Glad you enjoy BP pistol shooting for they can be as accurate as any alternative within 20 yards. I've been doing this a long time with a Ruger Old Army and shot two "50's" in a BP pistol match last year.

Proper cleaning certainly helped..