patch grease recipes?

[angus]

What kind of recipes do y'all have for lube that you use in the grease hole on your southern rifles?

[Dphariss]

What kind of recipes do y'all have for lube that you use in the grease hole on your southern rifles?

I doubt they were used for patch grease.
I for one would not want to grease my patches with dirt and grit.

Dan

[A.Merrill]

    I don't know of a recipe, but back in the 70's guys would use Zipppatch from DGW.    Good Luck    AL

[RonT]

Beezwax and olive oil...don't know the proportions, just kinda' played with the mix 'till I got it where it wasn't tacky to the touch (after cooling).  Remelt and pour it into the hole.
R

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

I use home rendered tallow and beeswax in mine,  Lon

[omark]

beeswax and vaseline.   if the hole wasnt used for grease, what was it for??  i do agree about the grease in it getting contaminated.    mark

[RonT]

Yep, a good chance of picking up unwanted abrasives...but as stated...there's a few old rifles out there with grease holes.  Makes me wonder why a person would drag their rifle through dirt and grit with out wiping the $#@* out.  But maybe that's the ol' Marine in me... I tend to keep my rifles clean.
R

[rick landes]

I was pondering how one of these shallow divots might be used in a real world situation. I wonder if rather than a carry area for the lube for general everyday purposes, if the hole was set for a speedy followup shot in a known emergency situation. I do not know the time period these grease holes are used but perhaps putting the rifle in historical context might help answer the question.

I had read an article in Precision Shooting magazine that spoke of a man carrying a ball in his cheek in an attack situation. He was running after an enemy and powdered the rifle and put the unpatched ball into the rifle and fired. Not greatly accurate, but surely minute of enemy.

Perhaps the "grease hole" was a variation on that type of a theme. Put grease into the hole. Quick load is to grab a ball scoop the grease gob up with the ball and shove it into the barrel. I might go as far as to say I could find the grease in a small divot faster than somewhere else.

One could reach for ball and bring it right past the right side of the rifle on the way to the bore...

This is probably not the best place for this type of discussion, but I will leave that to our administrator.

[Dphariss]

beeswax and vaseline.   if the hole wasnt used for grease, what was it for??  i do agree about the grease in it getting contaminated.    mark

Didn't say it was not used for grease, but it may have been for waterproofing the pan.
We must also remember that not everyone that used a rifle was all that savvy as to what they are doing to the bore.

I would recommend beeswax and PURE neatsfoot oil if you want to make a grease. Sperm Whale oil and beeswax is really good. But I don't know any Japanese whalers so getting a long term supply is impossible unless one finds a drum is some old warehouse.
Tallow seems to work very well and would be a good choice. Beef, deer ect. Its relatively easy to make.  
DO NOT us it as a preservative.

Dan

[RonT]

In my case I wanted "the look", and so made up a stiffer mix to achieve that and remain practical. 
PC would influence me to use homespun ingredients...the prev. mentioned deer tallow, hog fat...   This would prevent the "neener, neener" boyz from getting a legup.
R

[Jim Kibler]

beeswax and vaseline.   if the hole wasnt used for grease, what was it for??  i do agree about the grease in it getting contaminated.    mark

Didn't say it was not used for grease, but it may have been for waterproofing the pan.
We must also remember that not everyone that used a rifle was all that savvy as to what they are doing to the bore.

I would recommend beeswax and PURE neatsfoot oil if you want to make a grease. Sperm Whale oil and beeswax is really good. But I don't know any Japanese whalers so getting a long term supply is impossible unless one finds a drum is some old warehouse.
Tallow seems to work very well and would be a good choice. Beef, deer ect. Its relatively easy to make.  
DO NOT us it as a preservative.

Dan

Come on Dan.  You really think grease holes on all those Sothern guns were put there just to seal up the pan   I don't think a person would have cared if a little dirt or debris wend down the bore.  In fact, I doubt it would make too much difference to the bore in the long run.  By the evidence of surviving guns, it seems people were often less fussy about gun care than many are today.

Jim

[P.W.Berkuta]

Beeswax, Lard (un-salted), Crisco --- or Beeswax, tallow, Crisco. I use the Crisco to thin the mix - use beeswax to thicken (summer-winter). My ratio starts out like this --- Beeswax -50%, Lard - 30%, Crisco - 20%. 

[Dennis Glazener]

I doubt they were used for patch grease.
I for one would not want to grease my patches with dirt and grit.

Dan

I disagree, I am sure they used them for lubing patches. I know of several southern mountain rifles that still have some grease in the bottom of the grease hole. Also, many of my Gillespie ancestors angled and shaped the grease hole to fit their thumb better. The grease hole is angled toward the buttplate and is shaped to allow the thumb to drag a patch over the grease and up the ramp where it can then be removed and placed on the muzzle.

As to lube mix, I use beeswax and bear grease.
Dennis

[rsells]

I agree with Dennis that the grease holes were used for patch lubricant.  I have two examples of original butt stocks that have grease holes in them.  One of them still has the grease in the cavity (it is dried out a bunch and crusty) and the other has small amounts of residue in the bottom of the cavity.  Both examples have slight discoloration in the wood where the grease wicked forward and backwards in the wood  grain over time.  One has had a rat or mouse chew the wood around the grease hole in the past.  I also have seen original rifles that have the leading edge of the grease hole cut at an angle making it easier for the owner to put the patch into the cavity with their thumb to lubricate a patch.  I have always looked at a grease hole or two grease holes as an option that was less expensive and less labor intensive than a patchbox on this type of rifle.  In my area of TN, examples of original rifles seem to have a patchbox or nothing in the butt stock more often than
having holes in the butt for lubricant.  However, this is an option I like to use one some my rifles because of an example of original Bull rifles having them.
                                                       Roger Sells

[RonT]

"Also, many of my Gillespie ancestors angled and shaped the grease hole to fit their thumb better."  Ah ha...then I'm good to go with a "drag mark depressions"  out the front and back sides.
I put 100 years on that gun in 2 minutes.....
R

[Buzzard]

Figure's. 14 replies and only one actual recipe. Thanks Berkuta for keepin us on track! Should've known!

[Jim Kibler]

Figure's. 14 replies and only one actual recipe. Thanks Berkuta for keepin us on track! Should've known!

Take it or leave it, it's the nature of the beast.

[RonT]

Yep, I'm curious..."should've known" what?
R

[Darrin McDonal]

I have been mixing up bees wax & olive oil for a few years now and I really like it. I use differant ratios depending in temperature. We have our monthly club shoot this sunday and the temp is supposed to drop to- "freeze your ***" off, so I am not sure if there is a ratio that will fly in this case .
Darrin

[Darrin McDonal]

That brings up an additional point, what about sub freezing temp lube???

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Bear grease and beeswax.................

[Darrin McDonal]

Thanks , any idea who sells bear grease? I would like to try it.
Darrin

[marcusb]

I would like to find some quality bear grease myself, from what I hear its great stuff!

[Curtis]

I haven't tried this yet but have been contemplating ordering some.
http://www.octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=157

[Dennis Glazener]

I got mine from Curt Lyles. Curt, do you have any more?
Dennis