Loaded for months!

[exMember]

I've had my 1860 Army .44cal revolver loaded for 3 months with 20gr pyrodex select since late April and finally took her out to shoot it off and clean it. No rust that I can see, all 6 shots fired off flawless and accuracy was pretty decent at 15 yards standing up, double handing it. I was really surprised with how well it shot. I'll have to shoot it more, I just get tired of casting all the balls since I can shoot them up so quickly.

I just took the still pics off the video camera, nothing fun to watch with a target. Next time I'll set up a little shooting range.

First 3

other 3 added. I need to play with this one more often! Lots of smoke today with the high humidity and cooler temps.

 

[RonRC]

Good shooting!

I'm envious of people who can go out in their back yard and shoot.
Have fun,
Ron

 

[Whokalouie]

Great shooting and yes, being able to shoot as far as you want out your back door is a dream come true.
30 years ago while hunting javelina in Arizona with BP revolvers our group wondered how long a revolver could be loaded and still be reliable. Well I made a bet with one guy that my 1858 already loaded with a 451 ball and 30 grains of Pyrodex P would still fire a year from then. We bet $20. A third party took my revolver home and kept it in his safe until our next years hunt. So about 365 days on our hunt everyone gathered to see what would happen. I won $20.

 

[patocazador]

As corrosive as Pyrodex is, I wouldn't leave it loaded any longer than 2 days where I live.
With your low humidity out there, it probably doesn't matter as much. Our humid conditions would cause it to pit my guns.
I haven't used Pyrodex in over 15 years, just real black powder and BH209 for me.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Our weather from late spring to fall is afternoon thundershowers. It's actually humid a lot of the time here, and I hate it. The colder weather is when we get very low humidity.

Here's an example.

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/81211:4:US

 

[exMember]

Over 14" of rain this year so far for us.

 

[patocazador]

We've had over 11" in less than a month. Tarpon Springs, Fla. (70 miles from me) has had 22+" since July 1st but that's unusual when there haven't been any hurricanes.

 

[Muley Hunter]

We aren't competing with your jungle Bob. Just pointing out it's not as dry as you think here. At least not in the summer.

 

[exMember]

shoot, add in all the 3 to 4 foot tall grass and youve got even more humidity down by us Pete. The grass is crazy tall.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Same here. I like the green, but this is a bit too much of it. Some of my trails in the mountains are so overgrown I can't find them.

 

[backwoodsman1]

I've gone eight months and my wonderful 1860 army .44 went off like I'd just loaded it. I'm very impressed as I was a little worried having gone that long. Man, a year is really great when they all go off as that. Love my revolvers.

 

[AZshooter]

Wow, several months -- bunch'a amateurs :lol!:  I've encountered several old rifles and trade guns that were likely loaded by their original owners - one from 1820's sat over a fireplace mantel for several generations.  I asked the silly question more than once: "Hey, is it loaded?"  Only to go on & prove it was.  In all instances, the powder was as good as the day as it was made - one a little caked up, not from moisture, but from whatever tallow or fat lubing the ball.  The Musket barrel had a little ring of pitting around where the ball was seated, and the bore overall was lightly pitted, but from use & none too prompt cleaning, & not from the loaded charge.  

You can keep revolver cylinders loaded indefinitely if you keep them dry & don't use excessively greased wads between powder & ball - seat an ambitiously greased wad, squeezing it between ball & powder & the grease squeezed out will ruin the powder.  

I've kept a loaded revolver a few times, but (just like everyone else) only for a few months.  You can seal the nipples with clear nail polish or primer varnish around the open end of a partially seated cap, then fully seat it.  It powder inside will remain dry, maybe forever ...