Now I dun it!

[Rusty Spurless]

Usually about twice a year I drag out all my shootin irons for a day at the range. I fire every blessed one of em for the better part of the day.
Clean up is an extended chore as I am shooting over a dozen C&B revolvers. Well the last time at the range I missed one.

The gun in question is a Pietta 1860 Sheriffs model. Somehow I overlooked it for cleaning. Well this past Sunday was another day at the range when I discovered it. The poor girl been sitting every bit of 6mo without being cleaned.

Long story short, it cleaned up pretty well. Only thing is the barrel is badly pitted.

I have heard tell some pards will go ahead & shoot em, the pits fill with lead & it doesnt adversely affect accuracy.

Whachaall think? Should I make her a wall hanger or keep on shootin it? 

On another topic. I have a Uberti Leech & Rigdon that saw service Sunday. On several occasions it failed to detonate a cap. Its not because of hammer having insufficient power, my guess is the nipples are a tad short. Any recommendations as to what nipples to replace it with?

[hellgate]

As for the pitting: I don't think you'll have a tack driver but for plinking and CAS matches they're just fine. I've got a couple I bought used and the pitting isn't noticed by me. If I miss a target it's usually my fault for not aiming. I have not actually shot the guns for groups other than to see if one chamber was wilder than the rest but when sighted in they did not seem to be any less accurate than my other C&Bs.

As for the misfire: Try to find which nipple is low by pushing back & forth on the front of the cylinder and hammer at the same time to see if the hammer actually contacts the nipple and pushes the cylinder forward. Ideally, the hammer should stop just short of the nipple but most actually do hit the nipples if dry fired. If none of the nipples are contacted then you need to mark a chamber on the outside with fingernail polish and call it #6 and see which nipple fails to fire. Then shim up the nipple a smidge to allow the hammer to crush the cap a little more. Email me for shimming technique if needed.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Out of curiousity, were you using real BP or a sub, Rusty Spurless?

[Rusty Spurless]

Great advice Hellgate, I'll check her out tonight.

Kid, I dont rightly recall. I shoot the holy black 95% of the time but last shooting session I had some Pyrodex P left over that I had for a coons age & burned it up.
I didnt run it in all my guns so I cant recollect for sure if the 1860 ate any of it?

Which make me think of another question...

How soon after you shoot do you clean? I have always been paranoid about corrosion so I clean immediately after shooting. I have heard tell of some pards that'll let em set a day or two afore cleaning.
How long will you go before corrosion sets in?

[Buffalow Red]

when i used pyrodex i noticed rust by the time i got home & changed clothes
goex or swiss i wait till after shooting the 2nd day before cleaning with no rust. all pittas 58 remeys

[will52100]

I've never shot anything but black powder, never tried the subs.  Funny thing is I've seen a lot of muzzel loaders for sale in pawn shops with rusted bore that never ate real black powder.

I have an old pietta that was one of my first black powder revolvers that sat on a shelf in my old room for over 10 years without being cleaned after shooting.  I was a kid then and it broke and 10 years later figured out how easy the colt design is to fix.  Well had to push all the white fluffy fouling out and it cleaned up fine with no rust and I fixed the problem and shoot the gun today.

The thing about black powder fouling is that it's hydroscopic, means it'll absorb water, the chemicles by them selves are not corosive.  If you fire it and keep it dry in a low humidity environment it shouldn't rust.

As to wether to shoot it or not, depends on how bad the rifleing is.  I would try to lap the barrel with a tight fitting jag and Isso bore paste then shoot it and see what happens.  More than likely the only differance you will see is that the gun might foul out quicker and be a little harder to clean the bore.  I've got a 60' army that has the worst bore I've ever seen on any gun, full of chatter marks and such but after a couple of days of lapping the bore with Isso it produces acceptable groups, much much better than when I first got it.

Worst case you might just buy a new barrel from VTI.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Rusty;  Is there a story behind your "handle"?

[Angel_Eyes]

Just as an experiment,  two steel plates were shot over, one with pyrodex the other with Holy Black.
Both were left outside over night.
The following morning the pyro plate showed signs of rust but the H/B took three days and nights to show the same concentration. (Carried out in early Autumn).
I don't know how true it is, but I was told that Pyrodex is 75% B/P and 25% other noxious chemicals which are more hygroscopic than B/P.
I only use Holy Black in all my pistols and have found that if they are wrapped up in cloth in the carry case then I don't worry about cleaning for a couple of days if I have other priorities.
Regards, Reely Dirty Rat, UKshooter.

[Roosterman]

I just went 5 days with out cleaning my rifle or pistols after shooting BP. No rust at all.

[hellgate]

I think the corrosion factor has a lot to do with humidity or moisture. In the bone dry desert you could likely go a long time without problems but a humid rainy day could cause immediate problems.

[Russ T Chambers]

All this talk reminded me that between unloading the truck, washing the clothes, putting all the stuff away, doing all the paper work that follows Roop County Days and having company last week, I hadn't cleaned my shotgun or my pistols!   ( the rifle got borrowed and was used to shoot smokeless and then cleaned by the borrower).   
Just finished my derelict duties.  (10 days late)! 
No rust at all!  Some tough plastic residue in the shotgun.   
And, I shoot Pyrodex.  However, this is Nevada and our humidity hasn't been above 20% in months.  Everything cleaned up real easy with moose milk  and WD-40. 

[Rusty Spurless]

Well I did some shootin of the deck today & she dont seem to shoot any worse for the neglect.

Sir Charles, That aint no handle. Thats my real name 

Seriously, the way I got it was from my 1st day shooting CAS. I used to be a pretty fair IPSC  competitor but  got out of it when it got to "gamey". Fast forward a few years & some pards of mine got mixed up in this CAS business & were tryin to talk me into signing on. I already had most of the gear ceptin the scattergun so I gave it a try. They sprung the notion on me 3 days before the match. I hadnt done any real shootin in a couple of years & wanted to bow out until the next match so I could do some practicing. They insisted sayin "I seen you shoot, you dont need to practice. The targets are big & close".
Well I did need to practice & it showed at the match. The kept sayin "Cant believe how rusty you got!" And just to rub it in for the rest of the day & the following weeks they kept calling me Rusty.

For the next match I didnt want to look like a modern day ranch hand again so I invested in some Wah Maker duds. At next match I got comments that all I need now is a set of spurs.
I said "I aint gonna wear no dag-gum spurs!" 

As Paul Harvey would say "And that is the rest of the story".

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Rusty Spurless;

That is a quite a story, that easily justifies your "handle"!

I am a crossover from IPSC & buckskinnin'.  I believe most of us have a similar background.  My "handle" was self-selected.  I portray a remittance man, a Brit who was paid a "remittance" to stay away, out of sight, somewhere in the colonies, or a former colony.  Some did well, but few survived WW1.  All were free to reinvent themselves, and most were quite imaginative.

[Rusty Spurless]

That's a very distinguished moniker you have chosen. I have wondered given the time if I could have come up with something a bit more creative.

My background is much the same, IPSC & buckskinnin. I try to make Friendship for the spring & fall shoots every year (didnt make this last fall shoot though).

[Howdy Doody]

I'll guess the pitting had to do with Pyrodex. I forgot to clean a rifle for months and then discovered my error. It cleaned up like it was shot the same day. It was however kept in a safe and I live in a dry climate, but my heart was pounding from the mistake of forgetting it. I shoot Goex in it and it may have saved my barrel. It is another reason I stick to BP, from that experience.