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[Seth Hawkins]

 

[Cuts Crooked]

Ya know Seth, I got an Open Top in 38 Special, that behaves purdy much the same way. I 'cn get through a 5 stage match with it, but it gunks up the cylinder arbor pretty badly after that. Seems like no matter what I use on that arbor, it still slows down a bit after 4 or 5 stages. HOWEVER: I can take it apart, wipe 'n greeze the arbor, put it back together, and keep right on goin! B'fore I started usin' the Snakebite in it, cleaning the arbor wuz a major undertakin and couldn't get through more than two 'r three stages!!! Seems like accuracy never suffers though,with the Snakebites so I'm happy!

[hellgate]

Seth,
Not enough grease in the right places. I don't shoot cartridge BP in the pistolas but similar fouling results in my menangerie of C&Bs. I can shoot my ASM 44cal '51 Navies all day without gumming up but my Remingtons (Ubertis) go about 1-3 stages before gumming up. Don't let things gum up too far as it really works the hand (the one inside the gun). The easiest solution I can offer to both treat & diagnose the exact fouling that is causing the  trouble is this:
First of all it doesn't matter if the arbor lube you use is petroleum based or not. I use AMS/OIL synthetic (automotive) grease or generic lithium grease (Lubriplate or a 1 lb can of white grease). When your gun starts to gum up, put one or two drops of oil (I use Ballistol but even a BP solvent or water would work too) right onto the arbor just under the forcing cone of the barrel and tilt the gun up to make it flow down between the cylinder & arbor. Jiggle the cylinder to see if that frees it up. If so, your fouling problem is between the cylinder & the arbor. That is the case with my Remingtons so I put one drop of oil between the frame & front of the cylinder to work it down onto the cylinder pin (arbor) and that frees it up for at least one stage. I do that after each charging. Takes about 15 seconds if that.
Now, if the oil drop doesn't free up the binding then it is probably between the cylinder face and the barrel. Two solutions: wipe off the cylinder face between stages (no need to disassamble) or drive the wedge out just a little bit to increase the cylinder gap so there is room for fouling to build up without binding. No wiping needed. My Colt's percussin' revolvers will bind up if I drive the wedges in too far. I have settled on a gap of .007" set by that thickness of paper (super cheap "feeler guage") placed between the barrel & cylinder as I tap in the wedge after cleaning & oiling.  A folded piece of copy paper will also do which is usually .035" thick times 2=.07".
Try these suggestions and I'll bet you'll figure out where the problem lies so you can do a few minimal maintenance steps during a match and not have to knock the gun apart and get your hands all dirty till the match is over.

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[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy, Seth!

Sounds like you're well on the way toward BP success, if not already there!

You'll be a Soot Lord 'fore ya know it!

[Marshal harpoluke]

 

Ya mite want to put some anti-sieze compound on the ratchet paw n, the cylinder base pin.

 

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Seth,
I use a grease cookie in all my black powder loads and never have had any fouling or sticking of either rifle or pistol. It's a little more work, but us old long range big bore black powder shooters swear by those grease cookies.

Bill