Author Topic: Red residue on my muzzle???  (Read 12220 times)

Offline curly

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Red residue on my muzzle???
« on: July 13, 2011, 03:06:42 AM »
Can any one tell me why there is a red residue on my muzzle after I finish shooting?

Curly

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2011, 03:12:11 AM »
It's just fouling - nothing to worry about.  The remains of black powder when burned, under certain atmospheric conditions, produce little red berries at the muzzle.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Offline curly

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2011, 05:00:13 AM »
Thankyou for your replies. I know a few people who would also like to know.

Daryl

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2011, 05:21:48 AM »
I also get the red flecks in the pan and around the vent...always visible when shooting during dry / low humidity periods for me

I've seen it in dry conditions as you say, RB, but last Sunday, my .69 was berrying up in the muzzle and it was very humid - probalby over 85%.  It just seems to happen, from time to time.  Perhaps bore size and powder charge has more to do with berries or barrel blood, than does atmospheric conditons, in that no matter what the humidity is, a certain bore size with certain powder charge will make berries appear.

I've also seen a reddish fouling building on an angle from the pan to the vent, and also have seen that as greenish coloured fouling.

Offline Standing Bear

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2011, 03:59:34 PM »
I am told that the red residue is sulphur that melted and hardened.  Not a problem with the gun or cleaning.

Tho I have seen it on quite a few occasions, I have not developed my own theory on what conditions cause it to form or to disprove others like the low humidity.  Could it be that the blackpowder was not thoroughly mixed allowing for a higher concentration of sulphur?

Daryl may be on to something with the bore and pressure observation.  I use two loads in my rifles.  One for 25-50 yard matches and another for 100 yard and hunting.  Will try to pay more attention in the future.
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Offline Kermit

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2011, 07:25:27 PM »
Back a few decades when I started with muzzleloaders, a couple of the old fellows--now long gone--told us that when you had the perfect combination of ball size, patching thickness, lube, powder charge, seating pressure, and maybe squinted and held your mouth right, you'd get the "berries," and should keep that combination as it was perfect for that gun.

Hogwash and hokum, but perhaps entertaining.
"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly." Mae West

Offline hanshi

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2011, 08:05:16 PM »
Yes, it's just sulfur from combustion.  Won't hurt a thing.
!Jozai Senjo! "always present on the battlefield"
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westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2011, 09:57:02 PM »
I get white residue on the bore in my slug gun. Looks like milk.  Whats that?   ???

         Joe.

Online smokinbuck

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2011, 03:02:28 AM »
Kermit,
Sounds like you ate something you shouldn't have!
Mark
Mark

Daryl

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2011, 04:10:25 AM »
Joe - should clean it more often, maybe?  HA!

westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2011, 07:53:43 AM »
It appears when I'm wiping between shots.    ???

          Joe.

Greyfeather

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2011, 12:46:34 AM »
Got Milk?
John

westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2011, 05:55:23 AM »
Got Milk?
John

I dont think you guys believe me! Lol!    A friend asked me to shoot the slug gun in Tacoma Sunday.  I'll have the camera ready.  I hope, it does it again.  I first saw it last spring at Cody.  It didnt wipe out.


                       Joe.

Offline Dan

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2011, 09:59:55 PM »
Joe, I had the same thing on the new gun I was shootin'.  Figured it to be an honorary salute from the biscuit fairy.

westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2011, 11:26:59 PM »
Bisquit fairy?   Could be, it was in Cody after all. Hmm?    ??? :-\


       Joe.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2011, 11:52:29 PM by westerner »

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2011, 04:30:30 AM »
Got Milk?
John

I dont think you guys believe me! Lol!    A friend asked me to shoot the slug gun in Tacoma Sunday.  I'll have the camera ready.  I hope, it does it again.  I first saw it last spring at Cody.  It didnt wipe out.


                       Joe.

If it didn't wipe out it was not powder fouling. Was the slug gun shooting bare or patched bullets.
In low humidity BP fouling will turn white but I don't expect it to do this in the Pacific NW, too wet.

Dan
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westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2011, 04:52:17 AM »
Paper strips and Jojoba oil. 

Come to think of it I have seen white fouling in my percussion rifles at Wenatchee. Hot and dry over there.

Didnt wipe completely out between shots.  Was in the corners of the grooves mostly. 

             Joe.

               


Daryl

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #17 on: July 16, 2011, 07:35:33 PM »
New one on me.

westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #18 on: July 16, 2011, 08:32:04 PM »
Looks similar to the white stuff in this 8 bore. 


http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m113/wwpete52/rilfe8.jpg


 Joe.

Leatherbelly

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2011, 10:12:35 PM »
   I used to, but it's too cold up here!  :o :o ;D

Offline Dan

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #20 on: July 19, 2011, 01:29:50 AM »
Looks similar to the white stuff in this 8 bore. 


http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m113/wwpete52/rilfe8.jpg


 Joe.

It do indeed.  I did not see that with the strip patched gun, but the grease groove had some of that.

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #21 on: July 19, 2011, 01:43:43 AM »
Paper strips and Jojoba oil. 

Come to think of it I have seen white fouling in my percussion rifles at Wenatchee. Hot and dry over there.

Didnt wipe completely out between shots.  Was in the corners of the grooves mostly. 

             Joe.

               


This is a 58 caliber heavily fouled from a proof load, 210 gr of FFF Swiss and 2 patched balls.
THis is about as white as it gets.

I wonder if its some reaction with the lube?
Fouling will turn white in low humidity and white fouling usually lacks enough moisture to be corrosive.



Dan
He who dares not offend cannot be honest. Thomas Paine

Daryl

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #22 on: July 19, 2011, 01:59:17 AM »
The white BP fouling is as normal as barrel blood/red berries, black fouling or whatever you want to call it or them.  It all depends on moisture, atmospheric conditions and pressure - perhaps bore condition also has something to do with both as well.

I like the white - it's normal here pretty much unless it's raining - I suspect the same for Montana.  The humidity can be in the 90% range and raining heavily, a downpour, or 78 to 85% and raining the same yet it doesn't feel 'moist' out.  Back East in South Western Ontario, the sun can be blistering, wrinkling and shrinking the hide on and off your arm, not a cloud in the sky and the humidity is 100%- heavy weight pressing down on your shoulders- sweating just sitting in the shade.  Nasty - plain nasty, we hates it's nastiness.

westerner

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #23 on: July 19, 2011, 01:59:41 AM »
Must be ash. 

       Joe.

Daryl

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Re: Red residue on my muzzle???
« Reply #24 on: July 19, 2011, 08:02:40 PM »
Is it then caused from Elephant powder? ::)