lube on original bullets?

[Dakota Widowmaker]

What was the original bullet lube used on Spencer cartridges? I thought Henry ammo from "H" was simply tallow.

Did they monkey around with lubes and recipes like we do today, or, did they just mix up tallow and wax..if even this is not the right forum for this.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

BTT,

I found out that some infantry companies during the civil war used wax and tallow for their minnie ball cartridges.


still researching this...

[Dakota Widowmaker]

BTT

[FYI: I use "pearl lube" on all my BP loads...works like a charm in the 56-50]

Stolen with permission and appropriate credit is attributed from The Open Range forums...


Compliments of Hooplehead
Historical Black Powder Bullet Lubricants
Composition of Extensively Used Bullet Lubricants

(E.H. Harrison: American Rifleman, Jul '65)

1. U.S. Army 1855 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.

2. U.S. Army 1861 - 8 beeswax, 1 tallow.

3. U.S. Army 1873 - 8 bayberry wax, 1 graphite.

4. U.S. Army 1880 and thereafter - Japan wax.

5. Sharps Rifle Co., 1878 - 1 beeswax, 2 sperm oil.

6. Massachusetts Arms Co. (Maynard rifle), 1890 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow.

7. Marlin Firearms Co., 1891 - 1 beeswax, 4 tallow.

8. Smith & Wesson, 1891 - tallow.

9. H.M. Pope, about 1900 - 3 mutton tallow, 2 bay wax, 1 beeswax, 1 steam cylinder oil, .2 of 1 acheson graphite. The bay wax could be omitted.

10. Automobile door latch stick lubricant, U.S. Patent 1,920,161

11. (1931) - 5 paraffin wax, 3 petroleum jelly, 2 oil.

12. A large police department, 1962 - 1 beeswax, 1 paraffin wax, 1 cosmoline. Notes: "Cosmolene" in this context refers to dark petrolatum with no anti-corrosion additives. Refined yellow petrolatum (petroleum jelly, Vaseline) may be substituted.

13. Any mixture containing paraffin wax *must* include a plasticizer, such as petrolatum. Microcrystalline petroleum waxes may be used as-is.

14. The 1:3 beeswax/tallow mixture (or any composition composed mainly of tallow) is probably the most traditional choice for "primitive" shooters. The 8:1 mixture is rather stiff, and better suited to conicals, paper cartridges, and the like. For paper-patched bullets, I'd be inclined to try the Sharps formula, substituting Dexron II/III automatic transmission fluid for the sperm oil.

[Black River Smith]

I will add in here, sorry it has been a long time since your original post.

From the 'Early Loading Tools and Bullet Molds' book by RH Chamberlain, the chapter for Smith and Wesson, he shows a box that has reloading directions printed.  Now this is for a 38, but 38 What, I don't know.  SO over all date, I don't know and cannot tell.

But the last line of the directions read something to the affect:  Dip the bullet up to the shells in (melted) beef tallow.  His own text states: recommended lubricant was tallow.

My own concoction has refined (by me) beef suet and store bought lard,  I have made a conscious decision to stay away from mutton.

Black River Smith

[Dakota Widowmaker]

How do you make tallow from suet and lard?

[Black River Smith]

There may be a distinction of terms here.  To me clean, melted, refined fat is Tallow/Lard.  I know more goes into the processing but not for me.

The classical definition of Tallow is hard fat from sheep and cows.  The definition of Lard is the fat of pigs or hogs melted down and made clear.

I start with store bought suet(beef fat with some meat still attached).  I then wash, melt, evaporate water as best as can, and filter the melted fat into a Mason jar.  Then let sit in sun, covered with filter paper, to allow more water and light volatiles to come off.
Before use I take a portion and melt to smoke.  I do not treat with lime (to start making soap) as definite as tallow making.

The Lard is the store bought SnowCap.  States that it is 0 salt.  But I still wash it and remelt anyway.

I personally will not use Crisco.  I tried it but it goes rancid too fast.  Especially when I don't shoot up or use up all my loaded bullets in maybe a years time.

These are then added together and other ingredients to create my lube.

Black River Smith

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I am curious how you know if your lube is rancid? (smell?)

I have never known Crisco to go rancid after  loading.

I have some lubed bullets out on the shelf right now that have been lubed and standing still for 3 months and no change.
(a bit of dust collection, but, that is it)

The pearl lube I use has "preserves" in it from the bol-wax, which I was told will help keep it safe.

[Black River Smith]

Yes, smell alone.

I started experimenting about 3 years ago.  The first mixes I made had Crisco.  I let them sit as a cake with a lubed bullet also checked melt point. After about a year all three %'s had a very bad after smell.  Also the unused portion of Crisco still in the can had dried hard and also smelled.  All bullets were oxidized (not just dried lube) and had a yellow-brown tint to the original white-tan lube.

I think crisco is great if you use it immediately but I want ingredients that do not alter with time.  The fat has been sitting for over about two years and it is still white(no color change) and has not change in odor or texture.  I know that tallow will get harder but the lube factor is still there, my father had some in a coffee can for many/many years, he used it to waterproof his hunting boots.

The Crisco on the other hand just got hard almost like soft plastic.   Take some and put it in a can or jar.  Cover with paper towel so bugs don't get to it but air does and let it sit for couple / several months.  You will notice the change.

I do like your pearl lube recipe, you post on the Black Powder board.  I have purchase a bol-ring (the #1) to try, just have not started as of yet.  I use beeswax, several oils(mineral oil is one), and the tallows.  My present mix has not oxidized the bullets or greened a casing, in 6 month time period.  Not saying it is perfect, but I am just trying to find something that will replace my supply of Natural Lube 1000 hard stuff when I am out.  So far I like this last mixture since it has the same melting temps of NL1000 that being ~120 - 130 deg F.

I pan lube or dip lube all my bullets.  So, I want something that melts but does not burn off or alter character over several heatings.

Sorry got a little long there.  Thanks for the ear.

Black River Smith

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I have not noticed any difference in my pearl lube'd bullets from earlier this fall. (sept)

The bol wax does help keep it...it has a bit of petroleum in it, but, not enough to worry about when mixed with the other stuff.

I will keep an eye on my crisco... I store the "bricks" in my fridge and the lube sheets in the freezer wrapped in plastic.