red burnt powder residue

[Turtle]

 Sometimes I get bright red little balls at the muzzle after a shot. I have been told this is good and it means good ignition. Is this so?
                           thanks,Turtle

[Frizzen]

I believe it has to do with the pressure .

[Bob Roller]

It says good quality powder,proper load.The old timers like Bill Large and others called it "Drawin'blood".It was a common occurrence with old DuPont and Curtis&Harvey.
What brand,granulation and load are you using?

Bob Roller

[Standing Bear]

Not a problem. Also known as brimstone. Sulphur by product of BP combustion.
TC

[Daryl]

Not a problem. Also known as brimstone. Sulphur by product of BP combustion.
TC

As I understand it, at certain atmospheric & humidity conditions, maybe both are requited, the "Barrel Blood", red berries will form and be seen at the muzzle.

As far as happening only at a "correct load", that's a interesting observation, due to when it happens in my 14 bore, it happens with any charge, from 82gr. to 165gr., which seems to support the hypothesis of it being a humidity or atmospheric condition phenomenon.  Maybe those are all m y best loads - they are only ones I use.

[Bob Roller]

We never had a 14 bore rifle here but I did have a Greener 16 bore double rifle and 90 grains regulated both barrels at 50 yards.If you are getting the "red berries" with such a spread in loads,I'd be inclined to think the quality of the powder may be the "culprit".
I don't remember if the 90 grain loads in the Greener created these "berries" or not because
I sold it in 1973.It was a common thing with the pre 1970 DuPont 3fg to see these "berries"
in a barrel of any caliber.My match rifle was 50 caliber caplock with a Bill Large barrel and I used it for about two years and then sold it.

Bob Roller

[snapper]

I cant recall any of these since I switched to swiss powder.  Anyone getting these while using swiss?

Fleener

[Dphariss]

Sometimes I get bright red little balls at the muzzle after a shot. I have been told this is good and it means good ignition. Is this so?
                           thanks,Turtle

Natural byproduct of the sulfur reaction.
What is means is you are shooting blackpowder.
I don't know its cause but I do know its not consistent.

Dan

[Flint62Smoothie]

As I understand it, at certain atmospheric & humidity conditions, maybe both are requited, the "Barrel Blood", red berries will form and be seen at the muzzle.

I think it's a combination of temperature and humidity and see it using Schuetzen powdah, which is all I use.

[gunmaker]

Someone told me way many years back that those are identifiers added to blk. pdr. so the gov'nt. can tracki t  ??  He mite a been nuts tho......I see 'em all time whatever load is in gun, GOEX  ....Tom

[WadePatton]

The myths and legends die hard.

mmm red berries! 

[mountainman70]

if we oldtimers dont pass the myths,etc along,the new comers wont know about em,and have sumpin to skritch the ol topknot over.  Bill Large told me way back then,to "load er up till ya get the red berries"That was when my rifle did the best,course,my eyes were only 25 then,hahahaha.Heck,now a days,I couldnt see them berries without the coke bottle glasses.Thanks for the memory.Dave F

[Mad Monk]

Someone told me way many years back that those are identifiers added to blk. pdr. so the gov'nt. can tracki t  ??  He mite a been nuts tho......I see 'em all time whatever load is in gun, GOEX  ....Tom

They never got into the program of adding taggents to any propellant powders.  Going back about 25 years.  I spent about 6 months consulting with some folks at the main ATF forensic lab regarding how you identify what black powder, or black powder substitute, was used in an "improvised explosive device".  I educated them on the fact that nobody uses 100% purity ingredients in black powder.  That each manufacturer has different sources for their three ingredients.  So each brand has something akin to a built in identification system that carries over into the powder's combustion residue.  Since I was only involved in BP I suggested they look into the same concept in smokeless powders and they found they could Id manufacturers and often the specific type of smokeless based on tiny traces of impurities found in their raw materials and side reaction products from the chemical reactions involved in making it.

The red berries are simply the way the powder residue condenses in the bore under certain weather conditions, loads, lube, etc.  Their presence or absence means utterly nothing.


Mad Monk

[Bull Shannon]

Sometimes this red residue or Brimstone is found in the bore and mistaken for rust.  No need to freak out as it's not and I've experienced the same conditions twice before, although both times were during much warmer weather.

[Darrin McDonal]

I see them all the time when I swab the bore. I have been wondering the same question for decades but just out of curiosity. Always figured it was just a combination of chemicals, pressure and atmospheric conditions, ie humidity- temp etc.
Darrin

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

well, I guess red berries are better than the brown ones 

my 58 Hawken with 100gr Olde Eynsford 2fg.
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[FrontierMuzzleloading]

[Ky-Flinter]

Quite often I will see a ring of the red residue around the edge of the touch-hole.  Goex 2F.  It's nearly always humid here in Kentucky.

-Ron

[Daryl]

Quite often I will see a ring of the red residue around the edge of the touch-hole.  Goex 2F.  It's nearly always humid here in Kentucky.

-Ron

That has happened here as well.

And yet again, Monk spits it out - meaningless - 'oft repeated 'story'.