Cleansing power of Cream of Wheat...

[Tim Lyne]

I discovered when shooting one day that the breech area in a Swiss Federal Rile I own is slightly pitted, enough so that I have to make sure the bullet isn't seated below a certain point in the barrel. Below that point and I get flyers. (The rest of the bore is pristine; probably had a load in it for some time.) So, to bump it up without altering my powder charge, I use about 5-10 gr. of COW. Makes sense.
Besides the obvious improvement in accuracy, what I immediately discovered was that the bore was much cleaner between shots, so much so that there is hardly any force needed to run the bullet home.

I also shoot a few single-shot cartridge guns. Same deal there; my .56/56 Ballard shoots a 25gr load of 3f under a Rapine bullet. I need about 5gr. or so to fill the case to the base for a very slightly compressed load. A look through the bore between shots with a COW load shows about 6" of fouling at the breech, then very little to no fouling from there out. Without COW the bore is dirty to the muzzle.

I know from BPCR shooting that Compressed loads are cleaner burning. Cases are cleaner at the mouth and I don't get any gas or fouling back through the action. If I don't use COW in the Skirmish guns, cases are cruddy, the block/interior of the action is cruddy and so is my face.

So, I know compression plays a role,I know COW plays a role, but what's going on during "the burn" that makes this happen?

Tim Lyne
Knap's Batt
#2952V

[Tom Robey, 5369v]

Tim,

It's the fiber

[Kurt Lacko 7862]

I would suppose its like glass bead blasting except your using COW instead of glass beads.

[Tim Lyne]

Tom, ya know, I have discovered that I'm much more, well, "regular" since discovering this....

Ya just gotta love this organization folks!

Tim Lyne
Knap's Batt.
#2952V

[DAVE FRANCE]

I use corn meal to fill the chambers of a revolver because it doesn't have to be measured. It compresses so much it can fill the chamber on top of the powder and not have to measure. I use it the same way for revolver cartridge rounds

I didn't know it helped to reduce fouling of the barrel.

David

[Jim Brady Knap's Battery]

This reminds me of a day way back about 30 years ago. I was at the local gun club's pistol range. Next to me was a friend from the small bore team who also shot his Colt Gold Cup in the summer league. I set up next to him and started loading the Remington while we chatted about the differences of 45 ACP and 44 Cap & Ball shooting. After putting the powder in the chambers and while starting to add the COW he asked what it was and why I was using it. While explaining the theory of using COW as a filler I seated the balls and was applying the Crisco for lube when he asked what the Crisco was for. After explaining Crisco he said in an amazed tone, "Cream of Wheat? Crisco? What? Are you shooting revolver or having a Betty Crocker Bake Off?"

We got down to sending rounds down range and while he was dressing one up I unleashed the Remington. A spray of black Crisco blasted his Gold Cup and right hand which got his attention. I calmly advised him he better wipe that off since it would lift blue in a heart beat. With a slightly panicked look in his eyes he wiped it off with some WD-40 and moved two positions down. Asked me to never shoot that damned thing next to him again. Never understood that. How could you not like a Remington?

Ah memories!!

Jim Brady
2249V
Knap's Battery

[DAVE FRANCE]

JIM,

What does the Latin sentence mean? I can decipher part of it, but I am sure it is funny.


David

[Jim Brady Knap's Battery]

Ave Citizen,

In a nutshell it means,

"When catapaults are outlawed only outlaws will have catapaults."

It's an first century B.C. Roman saying from the time when the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla was trying to limit private ownership of catapaults, ballistae, and scorpions. Risking the wrath of Sulla people, mostly members of the National Ballistae Owners of Roma, were wearing tunics emblazoned with the saying in protest while some patrician class types were known to have slaves who's job it was to traverse the city of Roma chanting the saying. It was also seen on the sides of chariots and litters along with wall graffiti. The campaign of resistance was successful and some villas continued to have the devices in their atriums and gardens but ammunition was severly restricted and permits were required for big round stones and scorpion bolts.

OK... :roll: .....I made that up but it sounds good eh?


Jim Brady
2249V
Knap's Battery

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

My favorite:

"Quid quid latine dictum sit, altum videtur"
- Anything said in Latin sounds profound

[DAVE FRANCE]

Jim and Gary,

Ver Good! You should be proud of yourselves to come up with something so funny.

David