grease hole in southern rifles

[Larry Pletcher]

In traditional southern guns with grease holes, I'd guess that some form of animal fat was used.  What works best today?   I'm experimenting with a bees wax/olive oil mix.  On the side of a stock it would have to be stiff enough not to run and soft enough to coat the patch.  I'm curious what you fellows use.

Regards,
Pletch

[Ole Doc]

 My real po'boy built by Lange ... has the grease hole.
I use a mix of beeswax and cheap canola oil ...
Figure they both kinda come from flowers...
  works and does not run out
I use it for patchin and pretty much anything.
 Never tried it on a sore tooth.

[California Kid]

Larry, I made a concoction today of half beeswax and half olive oil, to use for cushion wads for my new fowler (in recent gunbuilding post). Seems like its going to work well, and would stay in a grease hole fine. There's not a lot of humidity here though, so in Indiana maybe you'd want to be a little heavier on the wax.
The recipe and method came from Capt. Jas of this forum. With a rifle I've always used spit or moosemilk for  the range, but for hunting this could be good. I think Daryl S is playing with a similar mix.

[C Wallingford]

Larry--
I have deer tallow in my squirrel rifle. It does get pretty soft in hot weather but, so far has not melted to the point of running down the stock.

[Dennis Glazener]

I use bear grease with enough beeswax in it to keep it solid in cool weather. Just don't take it out on hot days!

I have also used 50/50 mix of Crisco and beeswax.
Dennis

[Ole Doc]

   ... what would be the advantage of olive oil instead of canola oil.
 Found the canola oil to be cheaper ... then olive oil.
just wondering

[Larry Pletcher]

   ... what would be the advantage of olive oil instead of canola oil.
 Found the canola oil to be cheaper ... then olive oil.
just wondering

No Particular reason.  Figured to try peanut oil too.  I thought I'd try olive oil first because I already had a cake of 50/50 wax and olive oil from pan lubing conicals.  50/50 seemed a little hard to wipe a patch across, so I began adding more oil.  The last try is probably 80/20.  It's softer and easier to coat the patch.  This looks like it would work for bullet blocks too.

Regards,
Pletch

[Mike R]

The old timers used tallow.  Some friends of mine stiffen it with beeswax sometimes.  They were called "taller holes" in the backwoods..

[smoke]

Hi: Just curious. What is this grease hole you are talking about.I lube my patches just before i load. Dan

[Larry Pletcher]

Hi: Just curious. What is this grease hole you are talking about.I lube my patches just before i load. Dan

Hi Dan,
A grease hole is a hole drilled in the side of the stock about where you'd find a patch box.   This is found on southern guns - like a Tenn. hog rifle.  The hole is filled with lube for the patch.  If the tallow was too soft it might be mixed wth bees wax.  That's what the topic has been about.  Ken Guy has one on his site that has a pair of grease holes.  The site is: www.tennesseehogrifle.com  Scroll down his photos for a rifle called "Big_Nose_Kate"  I'd guess that original rifles of this type have worn places around the hole.

I like all of Ken's guns, but "Kate" is a favorite.
Regards,
Pletch

[Ole Doc]

  I juss luv HOG rifles ...
been readin some ... seems olive oil may have been use alot on the frontier.
  WD-40 was hard to come by ...
Been wantin to try bear oil but the one fella who promised me some
has memory problems ... real bad.
  KEEP YA POWDER DRY

[Mike R]

  I juss luv HOG rifles ...
been readin some ... seems olive oil may have been use alot on the frontier.
  WD-40 was hard to come by ...
Been wantin to try bear oil but the one fella who promised me some
has memory problems ... real bad.
  KEEP YA POWDER DRY

whereas olive oil ["sweet oil"] is mentioned in old texts and probably available on the east coast, I have trouble believing it was much used on the frontier--especially for gun/patch lube.  Tallow was almost universally used.

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

I like  a mix of brown beeswax and home rendered beef tallow, about 45/55 in the grease hole.  Like bar soap at freezing, but wipes off on a patch, and a like lip balm at 90 in the shade. Wipe on my finger then on patch in hot weather. For a .32 SC style caplock.   Lon

[Ole Doc]

  I would agree that tallow n fats were used very often ... but stuff like oil and tobacco and salt ... were available and of course done without when gone.
 A great deal of money was made in TRADE in the west.
The trade of fur n hides for goods.
  Did read a post from a friend on another forum that Crisco MAY CONTAIN SALT
which would not be a good thing.
  Finding the right mix of ingredients for warm n cool weather is always fun.
Whale oil I hear does not freeze but was and is too expensive...
just ask the whale.
lol

[Pete G.]

I always sorta wondered what kept dirt from making sort of a mud when mixed with the tallow. Just doesn't seem to me to be the best way of doing things.