BP Lube and the Weather

[Two-Bits]

How susceptible is BP lube to the change in the outside temperature?  If the weather is hot, do you need a harder lube?  Seems like the last couple of times out in cold weather, I got a lot of cruddy crud in my weapons.

TIA

[hellgate]

In my experience, very susceptible. I no longer shoot real BP in the 357 rifle and I'm not worried about the shotgun so my opinion is based on the cap&ball revolvers I shoot. I use both an over ball lube and a lube wad. I have a warm weather wad and a cold weather wad. The warm weather recipe is 50:50 Beeswax:olive oil (or lard). The cold weather Rx is 1 part BW to twop parts oil or lard. The lard gives a harder lube in cold weather so oil is better and it is what I used to use. For over ball lube I use any automotive lube that is available and cheap: lithium based white greases, AMS/OIL Synthetic Grease, AMS/OIL Racing Grease, etc. It is the same consistancy regardless of temp and will not run when scorchingly hot outside. I apply it with a syringe.
For a rifle, my concern would be real hot weather (baking sunlight) getting to the ammo (desert shoots) and melting the lube and having it leach into the powder and causing irregular ignition. Maybe one of our southwestern pards can chime in as to whether that happens or not. In freezing weather your fouling does not remain softened by the lube because the lube itself hardens between stages when the gun cools down and it doesn't all get shot out during the next go around. That's how I see it anyway. The trouble is when you make up your real soft "winter" lube and then use the ammo in the hot summer. That's where it could liquify. Maybe someone will know if SPG is not susceptible to temperature changes.

[Arcey]

Kinda curious as ta what's 'cold'.

'Round these parts it's rare when it's colder than the mid-thirties even in the dead of winter.  It gets colder but that's the norm.

What do y'all get when it's 'cold' out?

[Dick Dastardly]

Here's an interesting fact about Dick Dastardlys' "Pearl Lube".  It's made of three common and very available cheep ingredients.  By simply varying the ratio of the ingredients the prpertys of the lube are easily changed.  For winter I increase the amount of cheep vegie shortnin'.  For summer, I increase the amount of Soy wax.

If any pard wants the full skinny on my lube, drop me an emule or PM and I'll try to help.

DD-DLoS

[Jax Orebetter]

What do y'all get when it's 'cold' out?

Well, right now it is 17 F and tonight is is supposed to get down to 8 F.

[Arcey]

Brrrrrrr......

Where we'll be Saturday, overnight low 24, high 48.  Good straight Crisco weather.  Reckon I shouldah said temps at shoot time.

Hey ta Imma fer me, Jax.....

[hellgate]

"cold" for Western Oregon is in the 30s-40s.
"hot" is 90+

[Dakota Widowmaker]

What do y'all get when it's 'cold' out?

Well, right now it is 17 F and tonight is is supposed to get down to 8 F.

When its that cold, you can warm up easier by shooting off your mouth than your pistols. 
[speaking for myself]