I think it's incredibly interesting when fellow shooters take the time to research things that few, if any of today's shooters even think about.
w44wcf, John Boy, and a couple of others (I'll forget somebody) make the effort to dig up some really incredible information.
I personally haven't been a real "long term" shooter on the dark side. Shot Frontier Cartridge off and on for years, but other than concerning myself with ignition (Mag Primers), Just didn't think much about the little points of BP and Subs. Honestly, I still don't.
Well, not that much. I've kept it simple. I've kept it easy. I'm lazy. I like to shoot a lot, but I don't like to have to think a lot. Just
go do it.
My primary concern when I started dabbling on the Dark Side, was maintenance. Like others, I was subject to a lot of "horror" stories about rust and corrosion (Not necessarily the same) and had always, always been cautioned about keeping one's weapon DRY. Dunk it in a bucket of Hot, Sudsy Water?? Horrors. Then I learned.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been lots of discussion about the vagrancies of the different Subs. Some, but not enough common knowledge.
Just an example, Common Knowledge: BP is corrosive. Nope. Old wives tale. It is hygroscopic. BP fouling will trap moisture next to the steel. That MOISTURE causes rust. In a dry clime, or reasonably dry, cleaning immediately after shooting BP is not necessarily an issue. Just don't put it off forever. Subs are not a corrosive as BP. WRONG. Subs are mostly corrosive (not necessarily rust) in and of themselves. Don't need moisture. Clean within a day or two. Nice feature, APP requires no special lube, or for that matter, any lube (bullet). For a lazy guy like me, PERFECT.
I never really knew of the vast differences in BP. Beyond granular size differences, ignorant. Then a really KOOL effort like this thread from w44wcf comes along and I/we can actually learn something.
So, THANKS bub. I for one, really appreciate your efforts. Now, If I could just dig up a couple thousand rounds of original 44 Henry Flat ammunition, to go with the graduations on a Henry ladder sight .........................
Coffinmaker