Shiloh Rifle Forums

I got a tub of what Dixie Gun Works tallow once and it was like lard, very soft. I mixed up some lube with it and what I didn't use up I poured in a cake pan and made a block and put it in a old fridge in the basement that don't work I keep my lube blocks band other stuff that needs to be kept at low moisture. A couple weeks later I wanted some lube and that block with the Dixie tallow was black with mold. Picking up the block and throwing it in the garbage the mold on my fingers was gritty.
Put that stuff under a microscope or strong magnifying glass and look at it.

Another reason to shoot paper patch bullets, get on the true path and leave all that behind you. bobw

As BFD said, its not mold....heck its not even on the lube except for one bullet that looks like it was rolled up against the others.

A bit more data on this. Placing a sample in water the grains float, not surprising due to the small size and having been in contact with the lube. Under a microscope the grains are ill-regular and look something like a mineral. Compared with 4 fg it’s not the same. The 4fg is globular and consistent in color. I’m not familiar with moth poop but wonder how one would enter a closely closed plastic box and spread its droppings so evenly.

Just curious if you touched a match to it?

might be lead dioxide, which according to the all knowing Wikipedia is soluble with acetic acid, you could put a few in some vinegar and see if it disolves]

Put a drop of household bleach on it and see if it reacts to it. Mold will be gone at once if that is what it is.

Theory one:
Do you have tight fitting wads.
With loose wads it is possible to force your BP up above the wad (when you compress the powder) where it will migrate into the lube on your bullet.

Theory two:
Salted lard instead of pure lard may have been used to make their lube.
This will start corrosion of the brass.

Take sample to a University (Chemistry Department) and they can analyze it with an infrared spectrometer and determine what it is made of.

OP said only one cartridge was loaded, the rest were in a box.

what did you have on your fingers when you previously handled the ammo? art

James - I can't offer a clue as what the contamination is on your bullets, but:
* If you are using SPG which was stated to contain mutton tallow - mutton tallow does not go rancid and form a mold. I have several old open 8yr old lube jars where 40% of the lube is pure mutton tallow = Zero contamination or mold
* And if you look at the lube in the lube grooves, there is no contamination of the lube in the grooves - only on the lead
* As for it being lead oxide ... old unloaded cast bullets in a tray go from a shiny lead to a gray color in about 10 years and then over 30-40 plus years the bullets will start to go to a lead oxide coating. I state this based on loaded rounds in my collection that are 30-40 years old ... example being a brick of Lapua 22LR vintage 1970's. I have many collectible loaded rounds under 30-40 years old in the collection and the bullets are a dark gray
Recommendation? Wipe the contamination off - load them and the bore of your rifle will never know the difference that the bullets were cleaned

John Boy, the cartridges both old and modern in my collection show the same grayness as yours. As does my unlubed bullets that I cast long ago, but these are still a puzzle to me. I tried putting some of the grains in vinegar and found no reaction. They didn't burn with a match either. I don't handle any thing other then the bullets and lube while lubersizing so contamination in that way is doubtful. Apparently I've found something undetected by science or the shooting community before!