Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

[McNally]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

I have an Armiport '61 that was defarbed by John Zimmerman in Harper's Ferry and all the issues I've had with it have been my own fault, almost all related to the nipple. Last week I tossed the nipple into my ultrasonic cleaner and good lord, it looked like it was smoking. That's going to be part of my detail cleaning when I get home from events from now on.

I had some serious issues when trying out a different kind of gun oil (Fireclean is amazing for modern guns, black powder not so much), but haven't had a whole lot of trouble since.

Provided I don't half-ass the cleaning in camp after the first day of an event.

Harry McNally

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Hallo!

NOT saying it is teh case here but, in general...

Black Powder residue/fouling can be made really "crabby" by some petroleum-based products. It creates a nearly indestructible tar-like substance that is a pain to get off of stuff and ten times more so worse when it is inside of bores, bolsters, and cones.

Curt

[Pritchett Ball]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Hallo!

NOT saying it is teh case here but, in general...

Black Powder residue/fouling can be made really "crabby" by some petroleum-based products. It creates a nearly indestructible tar-like substance that is a pain to get off of stuff and ten times more so worse when it is inside of bores, bolsters, and cones.

Curt

So, what lubricant is recommended to fight off rust/corrosion, but will not get "crabby" with BP?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Hallo!

If the gun has been cleaned already, there are a number of "products" that can be used.
I make it part of my home routine that after my RM or revolver is cleaned and fully dry... that it gets a light oiling. I am lazy in field, and do not NUG worry about it so I do not use a more Period approach and use sweet oil (olive oil).

I problem we Moderns have is that we do not shoot our guns with beeswax/tallow bullets.. we only shoot powder. Although some will argue against it, iron/steel is a relatively surface pocked material and gets 'seasoned' by repeated applications of hot grease the same way cast iron cookery gets seasoned. IF ones cleans in a Period manor without teh use of harsh modern solvents that strips things down to bare metal with each use... a barrel gets easier and faster to clean with each use. But the curse is, firing only blanks that doe snot happen.

Ask a hundred lads, and you will get 110 opinions of how to oil/grease your gun. :)

Basically, with a dry gun (water can be in the surface pits and pocks of iron/steel and since oil floats on water- metal can rust even under an oil coating) you can use a number of products. Some lads like WD40. Others Rem(ington) Oil. Some 3-N-1 Oil. Some use military type CLP. Some even use car oil .

IMHO the best all-around is RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease) as it does not harden nor does it dry off. ( learned of RIG from gun museum folks)

Last, as I do not do it as a modern thing... some lads use car wax on their Springfield or Enfield metal. I use an old scrap of linen that has beeswax/tallow on it to wipe things down after they are clean and dry.

As I shared, different lads their own.. maintenance practices, rituals, and "customs." :)

Curt

[Huckleberry]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Reenactors nipple seemed to have fixed the issue!

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

That's some good news for you. And it is all (in some cases) that is required. If the problems re-surface, I think you have received some excellent insights into potential next steps.

[maillemaker]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Louis Zenti, thanks for your tip on enlarging the actual fire channel into the barrel!

Steve

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Louis Zenti, thanks for your tip on enlarging the actual fire channel into the barrel!

Steve

Steve-

You're very welcome!

[MuleyGil]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

"Although some will argue against it, iron/steel is a relatively surface pocked material and gets 'seasoned' by repeated applications of hot grease the same way cast iron cookery gets seasoned. IF ones cleans in a Period manor without teh use of harsh modern solvents that strips things down to bare metal with each use... a barrel gets easier and faster to clean with each use."

Curt has hit the nail on the head. You season a muzzle loader just like a cast iron skillet. I clean my BP guns with Ballistol and then grease the barrel and all of the steel/iron with Bore Butter. I also wipe the nipple threads with Bore Butter.The clean-up is fast.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

All gun barrels season. Modern rifles included undergo a seasoning period in which fissures and surface pores left from the rifling process fill in with lead or gilding metals. Dedicated target shooters have their own personal ways to season or break-in their target rifles. The modern steel we use in repro barrels is the same as they use in other modern carbon-steel rifle barrels. In the old days, the barrels were much more porous being forged from folding and welding to make the Damascus steel and prior to that the forged iron billet stock. At black powder pressures it was not too bad of a problem to even use cast iron for barrel or cylinders.
Grease lubes like Bore Butter, or Great Plains, and even "Crisco" are great black powder lubes and after-cleaning conditioning. They adhere in the cracks and pores and grooves to help keep fouling from baking to the metal softening fouling shot to shot.

[Captmort11th]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

I drilled mine out with a 3/32 drill bit. Fires every time now.

[weed]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

New 61 Springfield purchased and defarbed by Lodgewood Mfg. First field use recently, and very intermittent ignition of powder (1 or so of every 4 attempts).

Pulled nipple, cleaned.. water comes pouring out of nipple hole when not inserted; when inserted - very little if lucky.

The nipple is whatever standard comes with the Armisport. I know there is a re-enactors nipple with a larger flash hole - ASSUMING that would do the trick.

Agree? Any other suggestions? Do I need to widen the flash hole even more on the re-enactors nipple (once purchased)? Never had this issue with Euroarms Enfield I had for about 15 years.

As the bolster on these repros ARE not the same as the Originals (except for the Japanese Mirkou 1861) You Need a Good Reenacting Cone. That will solve a lot of your problems. And CLEAN your musket. A couple of years ago, we had a guy our local "Authentic Group, 33d Wisconsin) that had a m1861 (EuroArms) that WOULD NOT fire. I asked him, "when was the last time you cleaned it"?? Answer "Never " 15 years and never taken the cone off and cleaned it. We were told him we were sure NOT going to try and get it off at that evenr, as it had become almost "Welded On" . Duh... Should BE THE FIRST THING DONE AFTER AN EVENT!!!!! And were talking an authentic, not a Farb!!!!

In my 44 years, I have never had a problem with a m1861 Springfield, but I use either an Original or the Japanese Repro (which is very close to an original) I also clean my weapon. In the Mudsills and 33d Wisconsin, NO Supper Until Your Weapon has been cleaned and checked by a Sgt. (How John Fritzy got away for this, is a mystery) I think he cleaned his weapon, but Never took the cone off in 15 years and cleaned that.

[Captmort11th]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

Drill out the nipple with a 3/32 drill bit. Opened mine up, fixed a lot of firing problems.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Armisport Springfield - Firing Issue

[QUOTE=weed;263272] And were talking an authentic, not a Farb!!!!



A seized up filthy musket IS FARB. I had an Enfield recently that I had to put the torch to its bolster to break the cone free. That situation is fairly common. Guys seem to think a cup of water sloshed in and out of the bore suffices "for an authentic cleaning" but the fact is the soldiers 1861-1865 were soldiers. They had mean sergeants looking over them all day long finding them things to do and daily inspections like we do.