Lube for .32

[redheart]

Hey Guy's,

Can anyone recommend an "off the shelf" lube that gives consistent accuracy and can also allow you to leave your squirrel rifle loaded for a week or so and not foul a 15 gr. charge. I imagine it would have to be a grease and not an oil.
I was looking at Track of the Wolf's mink oil. Has anyone used this product with success?
I'd also like to know what you think of using 2f for a .32, pros & cons.
I've been told that 2f creates more fouling but that the fouling is softer.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

track of the wolf mink oil is great.

For target shooting. Mr.flintlocks patch lube or even Birchwood Casey no.77 muzzle magic cleaner.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If you are going hunting with your .32 cal.  load the first ball dry -no lube.  Then, if you don't fire it, you can leave it for as long as you like without fear of contaminating the powder.  I wouldn't recommend leaving it for more than a few days though, because the powder and the cloth will pull moisture from the air, and you'll get oxidation (rust) around the ball.  But if you fire your rifle, even once, you will obviously have to clean it anyway, as if you'd shot a 50 target trail.  A little clean is like a little pregnant.

[Tony N]

Spit patch or Mr.Flintlock is all you need.

[WadePatton]

Hey Guy's,

Can anyone recommend an "off the shelf" lube that gives consistent accuracy and can also allow you to leave your squirrel rifle loaded for a week or so and not foul a 15 gr. charge. I imagine it would have to be a grease and not an oil.
I was looking at Track of the Wolf's mink oil. Has anyone used this product with success?
I'd also like to know what you think of using 2f for a .32, pros & cons.
I've been told that 2f creates more fouling but that the fouling is softer.

Welcome to the site.  Hope you like what you find.  The questions of "lube", "caliber", "FF vs. FFF", and practically every TOW product has been covered pretty good in the past here at ALR.  Saves a lot of rehash if you search these things up.  Internal or external (site specific) searches work great.

Some high points:

Fouling is best deal with by proper tightly patched loads-which can eliminate any wiping afield,
Try both granulations of powders (develop loads-don't just try "x" amount) and use the one that gives best performance-period,
Small calibers in general-see current squirrel thread for a pile of links with oodles of discussion),
Don't believe everything you hear/read but realize there are differences of opinion amongst the experts found here.  Try to learn BP from guys who PRIMARILY if not exclusively shoot BP.

Never stop learnin'.  

[Marcruger]

Good points Wade.

It occurs to me that Teflon impregnated patching material might work well in that application.  I do not believe the Teflon would degrade the powder, and Teflon also may decrease the propensity to absorb water from the air over a week. 

I haven't done this, but seems worth a try.  I am no expert, just my 2 cents worth. 

Best wishes,   Marc

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I confess:  I do not know the first thing about Teflon patching.  But I have my suspicions!  I know what works for me, and Teflon is not part of it.

[hanshi]

I rely on Hoppes #9 BP lube as my standard.  But if you are to leave it loaded more than a day or so a grease/oil type lube is better.

[SCLoyalist]

When off to  hunting camp, I leave my rifle (.62 cal) loaded for several days, and I load with about 50 gr by volume of cornmeal between powder and the patched ball.   I figure the cornmeal will keep the powder from becoming affected by the lube on the patch.    For a .32, you might try a proportionately smaller dab of cornmeal, or use  a fiber or felt wad like I think is sold for bp revolvers.

[David R. Pennington]

What does the cornmeal do to accuracy? Have you tried that load on paper targets? I've heard of using it as filler for revolver loads but not in a longrifle.

[JBJ]

An overpowder wad - either fiber or felt - work for me in my .32. The patched ball can be lubed per normal. Your mileage may vary.
J.B.

[SCLoyalist]

What does the cornmeal do to accuracy? Have you tried that load on paper targets? I've heard of using it as filler for revolver loads but not in a longrifle.

There was a MuzzleBlasts article a few years ago where cornmeal was suggested for barrels with accuracy issues; e.g. a barrel that may have some pitting that's compromising patch integrity, in turn ruining group size.   I've tried cornmeal and don't see where it has ever done any harm with respect to group size/accuracy and in one rifle it did some noticeable good.   The patches I've recovered have always looked pristine, not even slightly scorched, when fired over the meal.    I think what's happening is the cornmeal is a moving firewall and gas seal, so there's no blow-by or damage to the patch.   I've found I can use a thinner patch, which when hunting  makes for easier reloading in the field while maintaining the accuracy I could get out of a thicker, harder to load patch.   I reload from a 'quick-load' tube with powder in one compartment, cornmeal in the other, and then push the patched ball in with my thumb and seat with the rifle's wooden rod.   The rifle's a fairly short barreled .62, and I hunt in pretty thick woods. I've  paper tested it to 100 yards, which is about twice as far as I'm likely to get a shot at a deer.   

In a revolver, corn meal serves a different purpose.  You might get best accuracy with a 18 grain charge, but the chamber might have room for 37 grains, and the loading lever won't reach to firmly seat the ball atop the powder.   Then, the cornmeal is an inert filler allowing the ball to be firmly seated atop the reduced powder charge, and still be just under the face of the cylinder.

Corn meal is obviously an extra step in loading, and there's no reason to try it in a rifle if one is satisfied with the group size or as in Redheart's case if one wants to keep his powder away from any lube seepage.     (And, for a squirrel rifle that might be fired a dozen times a day, a felt wad would be a lot handier than cornmeal if you can find or make wads of the right diameter.)

[Daryl]

Couple years back, BKT- (before knee trouble), I shot a trail walk with my .32 using Mink oil on my patches. I scooped out a wad of it from Track's Mink Oil tin and melted it in a steel dish on a hot plate. (yeah- I know- didn't want to waste the time with boiling it) once melted - didn't take long as it has a very low melting point, I poured it over my patches, then with them in the tin, squeezed out the excess back into the Track tin.
The first patched ball - .311" (Lee Mould) with a .0235" mattress ticking patch loaded quite easily over the 40gr. 3F charge.
I shot the trail and found that each successive patched ball loaded more easily than the first one- ie: NO FOULING BUILDUP AT ALL- ZERO.

With NO wiping between first and last shot, the last shot of the day, probably #45 or #50 (don't remember how many I fired) loaded more easily than the first one of the day which was loaded in a virtually dry bore.

If concerned about fouling the powder over time, run a .320" small card wad down first- that's all. 

[redheart]

I thank you all kindly for the great advice.

[Dphariss]

Hey Guy's,

Can anyone recommend an "off the shelf" lube that gives consistent accuracy and can also allow you to leave your squirrel rifle loaded for a week or so and not foul a 15 gr. charge. I imagine it would have to be a grease and not an oil.
I was looking at Track of the Wolf's mink oil. Has anyone used this product with success?
I'd also like to know what you think of using 2f for a .32, pros & cons.
I've been told that 2f creates more fouling but that the fouling is softer.

Carefully refined beef tallow or PURE Neatsfoot oil with the patch squeezed fairly dry. Mink oil will work too I suspect though I never tried it.
Use FFF this is what its supposed to use. FF is for very large bores and brass suppository guns.
15 grains of FFF is a squib load in a 32. At least it was in mine back in the late 1960s. 15 gr of FF would be even slower. I am surprised 15 gr produces any accuracy.

Dan

[Dphariss]

The more extra stuff you put on top of the powder the more problems are likely to arise. Tallow, properly rendered for the use, will not foul the powder in 6 months. I have tried it...

Dan

[Dennis Glazener]

Using Lehigh Valley Lube really helped cut down the fouling in my 32 caliber. I know its not made now but Mr. Flintlock lube may do as well, I have never tried it.
Dennis

[redheart]

Thanks Dan and Dennis this is great additional info.
I always enjoy Dan's posts and never fail to read them. It's always straight information with no candy coating!

[Tony N]

Using Lehigh Valley Lube really helped cut down the fouling in my 32 caliber. I know its not made now but Mr. Flintlock lube may do as well, I have never tried it.
Dennis

I use Mr. Flintlock and get very little fouling and the cleaning is easier.
Tony

[WadePatton]

Yeah, and if you don't make meat out on the trail, at least you have something to eat with that cornmeal in your pouch.