Red Berries

[DICKH]

       Been looking through my 1960's Muzzle Blasts at Bill Large ads.In one ad he said that the
old timers use to listen for the report of a rifle and look for red berries at the muzzle to tell when
they had the right load. I can't remember the last time I found, using Bills term red berries on
the muzzles of my rifles.
 
       Has anyone found little red balls or beads on the muzzles of their rifles in the last few years?

Richard Henderson

[smokinbuck]

Once in a while they show up on a cleaning patch.
Mark

[T*O*F]

old timers use to listen for the report of a rifle and look for red berries at the muzzle to tell when
they had the right load.

Those are old black powder myths.  When the rifle cracks rather than booms, it simply means your velocity has exceeded the sound barrier.  The "red berries" are sulfur in the BP that has condensed under certain conditions of temperature and humidity.

[DICKH]

     I knew they were sulfur and what caused them,but I have not seen any in years.
 

Richard Henderson

[moleeyes36]

When the summer heat and humidity of Florida is really oppressive, it is not unusual to occasionally find them around the pan of a flintlock.

Mole Eyes

[mountainman70]

Lord have mercy !!1 I haven't heard about the notorious Red Berries in many moon !! Yep, good ol Bill Large, God rest his soul, was right there in the middle of the RedBerry Patch.
Popular rumour back then was, in addition to the aforementioned ballistics info, was   are you ready for this ?   that our friends in Washington  had taggants put in black powder to track it if used in a way that shouldn't be,as in blowin up stuff.
Man,the stories literally flew all over the place,like a white dandelion fuzz.
I remember drinking much  "refreshment" at campfires after big shoots, telling all manner of lies and talkin bout them Taggants.
Thanks for the sweet memories,bros. Dave F

[Flint62Smoothie]

The "red berries" are sulfur in the BP that has condensed under certain conditions of temperature and humidity.

I too have only observed this anomaly a few times ...

[axelp]

I see em every so often. same charge as when I dont see em... so its obviously a temp/humidity conditional thing and not some magical perfect load. Of course, fouling also changes depending on temp and humidity.

[T*O*F]

As an addendum, I only ever recall seeing them while using Goex powders.  Never with Swiss or Schuetzen brands.  That could be coincidence.

[stubshaft]

I've been shooting BP since the 70's and never seen this phenomenon.  I guess the temperature and humidity in my neck of the woods is not conducive to it forming.

[Turtle]

 a friend of mine used to get them a lot,
but only with one of his guns. same powder, same load ---curious. I get them on rare occasions and was also told it was a good thing. I use it a a confidence builder.

[Bob Roller]

I got them with nearly every shot using pre GOEX DuPont and Curtis&Harvey powders.
Bill Large knew what he was talking about.One day I was alone on his range with my
Whitworth 451 and after I was finished with a 200 yard target I went to his shop and
he asked me if I had my Model '95 Winchester shooting it.I told him it was the Whitworth
and he said "It cracked really keen" like that repeater did.
  75 grains of DuPont 3fg and red berries were there along with a 99/100 target to show
for my efforts.

Bob Roller