Video showing intentional chain fire

[Maillemaker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ne4VgCdAy7Y

Steve

[Ron/The Old Reb]

Had it happen to me once, back in the early 1960's with the first cap and ball revolver I owned a Navy Arms 1858 Remington. The jerk that sold me the revolver sold me a bag of 44Cal. buckshot and said that it was you shot in it. At that time I didn't know any better. The first time I shot it all six chambers went off at once. Amazingly the revolver held together and I shot it for many years afterward. The ball that came out and into the loading leaver smeared along the side of the frame like a piece of chewing gum. One of the times I considered myself lucky.

[Maillemaker]

I think it goes to show the importance of having an interference fit when you press the bullets into the cylinder.

It would have been interesting to see if grease over the loose bullets would have prevented the chain fires.

Steve

[Steve Weems]

I think it goes to show the importance of having an interference fit when you press the bullets into the cylinder.

It would have been interesting to see if grease over the loose bullets would have prevented the chain fires.

Steve

Have a .36 Remington Belt Model Repro --loaded it up with .375's and well greased them--all cylinders went off--turns out it has oversize
charging holes and had to go to .380's .

[Eggman]

There is another hazard. I have a .36 Patterson with extra large nipple holes. Even though the .38 balls loaded super tight (with the proverbial lead shaving), and even though all chambers were filled with Crisco, I had a double fire -- because-- I was capping and firing one chamber at a time. This allowed flash to enter a chamber from the back side. No damage - just the strange sensation of two rounds going off in rapid succession. The second fired along side the barrel leaving no trace on the gun.

[Maillemaker]

Have a .36 Remington Belt Model Repro --loaded it up with .375's and well greased them--all cylinders went off--turns out it has oversize
charging holes and had to go to .380's .

This is kind of what I suspected. I personally doubt that the over-the-bullet lube does much of anything to prevent chain fires. When you watch the slow-motion video of revolvers firing the blast around the cylinder opening is monstrous. Much of the lube in adjacent chambers is probably blown away. I certainly find it all over the sides of the gun after firing. :)

You want tight bullets and tight caps to prevent chain fires, I think.

Steve

[jaxenro]

I never had a chain fire I think tight bullets are the key and a clean cylinder especially. I don't use grease over the balls but a lube pill under them (to keep the fouling soft). I think all the grease over the balls either blows away with the first shot or makes things sticky to trap powder grains for the next load

I also lightly chamfer the mouth of each chamber, just a touch, which I think helps swage the ball into the chamber for a tight fit