mouth area. The primer should be sealed with lacquer, as is done with rifle and pistol ammunition. The mouth of the case can be sealed with candle wax or lacquer as well. The main consideration in sealing the mouth of the case is to remember that too good a seal will create excessive chamber pressures that might split the case. You want a seal that keeps out moisture, but which is thin enough that it will rupture easily when the shell is fired. Chapter 5 Clean Machines Because most of the powders and primers listed in this manual are hygroscopic or oxidizers, their use dictates careful cleaning of a firearm shortly after firing. Failure to do so can cause extensive rusting in the barrel or — in the case of gas-operated semi-auto weapons — in the gas system of the rifle, as well as in the bolt and trigger group in guns like the AR-15. Except for this headache, however, corrosive ammunition works just as well as modern cartridges. And a properly cleaned and oiled firearm will last as long (or nearly so) firing corrosive ammunition as with noncorrosive ammo. If you're unfamiliar with the following cleaning procedure, you'll likely think it sounds like a good way to ruin a gun. But as many black powder fans who decide they know better have discovered, failure to follow the "standard" procedure of cleaning a gun of corrosive powder and primer residues will leave you with a rusty firearm in no time. The secret to removing corrosive powders is to run boiling, soapy water down the bore several times, as well as into the action of the firearm or other areas where fouling is likely. A good copper or brass brush run up and down the bore, along with some elbow grease, will loosen everything for a final washdown with hot water. This is followed by cleaning the bore, which most shooters are used to doing to remove the last of the fouling. Then the gun gets a light coating of oil to prevent any rust. Notice the temperature in the water specification above: boiling. The hotter the water, the better because the firearm will tend to heat up and the water will quickly evaporate off its surface, minimizing the chance of rust forming while you're cleaning it. However, you can clean a firearm even if you don't have hot water. If you're in the field, find a stream, pond, or even a mud puddle to supply the water to rinse out the firearm. Soap or washing soda, if you have either of these available, will also help loosen the potassium chlorate. (Soldiers on the battlefield have made do with oil, grease, or even saliva to clean guns of corrosive residue, but water is best . ) Careful oiling of the bore, interior, and exterior of firearms is all the more essential after cleaning them with soap and water, so don't skimp on this task once you've removed the corrosive powder. Modern lubricants that combine lubrication and bore-cleaning fluids simplify this task. A good bore brush and strong cleaning rod are also effective. If you've been firing lead bullets, consider investing in some of the new cleaning products designed to remove lead from the bore; they save a lot of elbow grease. Chapter 6 Caching In Ammunjtjon can be cached as easily as reloading equipment and firearms, and caching all three now would be Wise. Who knows whether such items will become contraband? You should realize that even though the government might turn a blind eye to some black-market activity, it isn't likely to ignore trading in such banned materials as ammunition. But you need to weigh the pros and cons carefully before setting out to disobey any law, no matter how unjust it may seem to you. It's obviously a lot easier to get arrested when you're doing things that are illegal than when your nose is clean (even though being innocent isn't always enough in this day and age) . Caching can be used to separate you from your contraband while still giving you access to it when needed. If you place your cache on property that isn't owned by you and isn't close to your home, then you've also created an extra safety margin that may enable you to stay out of jail . There are two secrets to caching that, if remembered, will practically guarantee your success in preserving your reloading equipment and ammunition. One is that moisture and, to a lesser extent, heat are the enemies of almost anything you cache. The other thing to remember is that the cache must be positioned so its site won't be discovered by casual searches.