Hangfires

[Evil One]

I should be heading to the range today with my remmies.
Will be using the pyrodex pellets I bought when I picked up the pistols, felt wads, hornady .454 balls, cci #10 caps.
Yes, I will be picking up some of the Holy Black when I shoot up all of the pellets.

Here is my question...

I have never experianced a hangfire while shooting, and was wondering the proper method for clearing the cyl afterwards... because I know that it WILL happed sooner or later.

I searched and didnt see an answer to this, could be that I missed it.
Thanks,


Evil

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

Evil 1, like you, I've never been around a full hangfire.  In the Army, they taught us to wait a couple minutes with the weapon pointed downrange at the target, because technically, a hangfire DOES go off, just a bit late.   I have had several 'near' hangfires that were slow to discharge, with about the same timing sequence as a flintlock - you know, where you can actually hear TWO explosions - spark in the pan, then the main charge.

After you have waited a safe time, (I'd give it 5 minutes to be sure) you can either poke/prick the nipple hole (flash hole) and recap or simply recap and try again.  Some have had to go as far as removing the nipple and either pouring in some loose powder OR poking out the charge and ball with a wooden dowel, but the angle of the nipple hole (drilled on an angle, not straight like Colts) on a Remington might make that hard to accomplish.

Good luck pard - You won't have any problems ... and you WILL have fun.  There ... that's my psychotic er, ... psychic prediction for ya.

[Dick Dastardly]

Hangfire:

   1.  Keep muzzle pointed downrange for a while.  Then a little while longer.
   2.  After the cap cools, if it fired at all, remove it.  Bystanders not welcome.  Muzzle still downrange.
   3.  Go to loading table, remove cylinder, remove nipple.  Clear nipple.
   4.  put in a few grains of FFFFg priming powder and replace nipple.
   4.  Re-cap and go shoot it empty.

Hangfires usually come from fouled nipple holes, oil in the nipple(s) and/or hard to ignite powder.  Pyrodex is harder to light than Holy Black.  One preventative procedure is to fire a cap only on each chamber.  The heat and force of the cap should clear any suspect nipples.

Enjoy the smoke.

DD-DLoS

[Evil One]

Yea... rounds that just dont go off... I have always just called them duds.
Many thanks for the reply.
I just wanted to be as safe as possible for myself and the others who may happen to be around me.
The suggestions you gave were ones I had brewing in my mind also.
Just glad to see I was on the right path.

Thanks DD, looks like yet another reason to get my hands of The One True Powder.


Evil

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Evil One,

Lots of pards shoot Pyrodex and have good luck with it.  So, don't quit using it on my account.  Look around at your sources and load what you are comfortable with.

If you end up buying Holy Black, you can do a few things that will help keep your costs down.  First, define your mission and buy the powder that does the job for the best economy.  You don't need Swiss in your scattergun.  I load lots of stuff with Dragon/LIDU powder that works great for the mission it's loaded for.  Schuetzen is a good brand for the price.  Good old GOEX is the most widely available and a standard others are compared to.

Here's a place that I do business with that has a good variety of black powder at a good price.

Deer Creek Products PO Box 246 6989 E. Michigan Rd. Waldron, IN 46182 Phone: 765-525-6181 Fax: 765-525-9595 ...

They don't have a web site, but give them a call.  You will find them friendly.

DD-DLoS

[The General]

Evil One,

Hangfires are not that common but, unfortunately... a reality at times.  Don't panic & do just as the gentleman in this thread have suggested.  This is definitely sound advice & I would like to add one comment if I may.  If you get a hangfire, this is probably a good sign that the revolver is no good but, please do not throw them away if this happens.  I would be willing to offer $25 for each malfunctioning revolver because I just can't stand to see them tossed in the trash, lol. 

You be sure to contact me should this occur & you feel the need to be rid of the faulty weapon!      

TG

[Deadeye Dick]

I know I'll probably here if from the BP substitute pard's, but I've never had good luck with substitutes. They often seem to have a millisecond delay from primer going off till powder ignites. I've never had that problem with holy black. When the cap or primer goes off there is an instanteous ignition. I've experenced this with cap and ball handguns as well as muzzleloader rifles. Now I can't say for cartridge cause I haven't tried it with them. Anyway it's good ol' holy black for me. 
Deadeye Dick

[Evil One]

I just got back from the range...
<<< that feller aint grinnin big enuff.
I went thru my 100 pellet supply... so I shall be buying up some of the Holy Black my next time by a retailer.
DD, I aint lookin into the other avenues on yer account... altho when a man is as passionate about something as you are... it does tend to make a man a mite bit curious.
I honestly wouldnt be able to settle on a choice in propellants without putting them all down my barrel.
My hands are dirty... I smell funny...I think I scared the fellers over on the cartridge pistola range a couple of times.

I shot till I couldnt see what I was shootin at... fanned the air... and shot some more.

It has been a long while since I laid hands on a muzzle stuffer at a range.
I have taken the occasional pot shot now and then... but never more than a cylinder full.
Seemed a lot more fun this time.
Maybe its because I am getting older and dont feel the need to blow thru hundreds of rounds at a sitting now.
Altho I will admit... I was saddened at running out of pyrodex.
My last cylinder was something else.
A few of the pellets kinda got crumbled up in the bottom of the jar... so my last few rounds were with loose powder.
I accidentally loaded em kinda hot.
If the remmies were more modern guns I know how I would be shootin em.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Now its off to tear them down and get em all purtied back up.


Oh yea... went thru 4 boxes of slugs in my mossberg and 2 boxes of shells in my Nagant also. 
Today is the best day I have had in a while.


Evil

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I TOLD you that you'd have fun and you WOULDN'T have problems!

Like DD, I have had the "almost" hangfires with Pyrodex which is WELL known for being harder to ignite (either loose OR in pellets).

No surprises there.  Deadeye Dick said that he's had some of the same issues with other subs, which doesn't surprise me, but I can't say for sure, 'cause I've never shot ANY of the subs except for a box of 45 S&W rounds which were from CorBon and were loaded (from CB) with APP.  I never have had any ignition issues with Pyro. in what few cartridges I loaded with the pellets.  Pyrodex is one of the main reasons why CCI came out with "magnum" #11 percussion caps.

One of the most interesting (and FUN as well as Powerful) loads I've EVER shot from a C&B gun was when I wanted to replicate as closely as possible the 50 gr. charge that was intended for the Colt Dragoons.  I put about 20 gr. of loose 3f in the chamber and then used a 30 gr. Pyro. pellet to top it off, and fired it with Rem caps.  It had absolutely perfect ignition (thanks to the GOEX) and was a real scorcher!  It sure is the closest thing I've ever shot to a Magnum handgun - from a C&B gun!!  Yeah - it didn't act like my 44 Mag. with 260 gr. bullet pushed by a full load of H110, but hey ... for a 150 + year old gun (design), it was REAL impressive.

Good on ya, pard!

SHB

[Evil One]

One thing that WAS annoying...
My 8"er must have been a display gun before I bought it... or somebody played with it a bit in the store.
It has been dryfired to heck and back, and I didnt notice the nipple flaring.
I have to replace ALL of the nipples.
They are slightly mushroomed on the top side, I prolly COULD just use #11s on them for now... but with the #10s they all had to be double fired.
1st go-round seated them... 2nd one lit them off.
I had 3 that didn't fire when the cap went off.
Reprimed and that worked.
I chalk that up to not having a nipple pick to clean the holes before capping.
Oh yea... and they blew the caps up when they went off. I bet I didnt have 10 caps left in 1 piece when I went to reload.
I am thinking this could be from the hammer striking the top edge of the cap/nipple.
I may take a file and see if I can get it hitting a bit more flush.
Just gives me more excuses to have my hands on em.


Evil

[The General]

Well, it sounds like I'm not gonna get them revolvers for $25 each now, does it... lol?

Good to see you had a great time. 

[Evil One]

General, I am sittin here cleaning them... ok... cleaning one.
The 8" is all clean and shiny getting ready to be sent off to have a set of holsters lovingly formed to its curvaceous backside.
And I am still grinnin.
I do believe a man would need to offer a bit more than retail for them at this moment... especially as I have lovingly smoothed and de-burred the innards on the 8" and am about to do the same to the 5 1/2"
I am addicted. I dont even care to shoot my .38 super, which has served me dutifully these past few years, and I have MANY miles and experiences with that particular piece.
It will still be my carry piece... but these right here are my fun guns.

Oh well... back to caring for The Ladies.


Evil

[Cowtown Scout]

Evil
I noticed in your post that the first hit seated the primer and the second set them off.  Make sure that after you place the caps on the nipples that you seat them with something like a wooden dowel.  I use a piece of antler.
Scout

[Evil One]

Thanks for the advice on seating the primers.
I tried that, just couldnt get them on far enough.
The nipples are buggered pretty bad.
I will have fresh ones when it makes it way back to me.
That was a pain in my rump.
Set off a few cylinders gunfighter style also, my first time firing left handed.
Didnt do TOO bad, need to work on my grip.
I was using my left hand to grease up and well... it let the 5 1/2"er jump around a lil bit.
Shot a short bad quality video with my pocket camera too... but you all have seen revolvers going off before.


Evil

[Noz]

Flared nipples. I have been known to remove the nipples, chuck them in a 3/8" drill threads first, and turn the flared portion down by letting them touch a file while running. Doesn't take much, so be careful. Works. I also took a file to the face of the hammer. I cut mine back until the impression made by the nipple was gone. Again, too much is too much. Be careful
30 grains of anything will blow the caps off of the nipples. I still maintain that is too hot of a load.

[Evil One]

Thanks... I will see about truing the nipples up like you suggested.
I am gonna be picking up some goex so no more worries about pellet overloading.


Evil

[Buffalow Red]

CHECK OUT CUTS INFO IN CHILD BOARD ON CAPS

[Evil One]

Yea, I read that before... one reason I let the hammer seat the caps instead of forcing them on by hand.
I have been told I was all thumbs... and I kinda wouldnt mind keepin it that way.


Evil