Hello, everyone.  I obtained a quantity of lamb kidney fat & so last weekend rendered some down in old crock pot.  When everything was as liquid as it would get, I strained thru coffee filter into Pyrex bowl with very hot water..stirred mix quite thoroughly & let harden.  Nice cake of creamy white tallow.
   Back in the early 1990's, I did a test for salt in mutton tallow with the help of Dennis Marshal..we found trace amounts.  As a result of this, I only plan to use this stuff in B.P. loads..that will be cleaned up with water-based cleaners.
   Has anyone had any trouble with rusting or pitting from tallow/lard use in lube formulas?  Maybe I'm just being paranoid..but I would rather be safe than sorry.
    I have mixed up small batch of 3pts. tallow to 1pt. beeswax..the old S&W lube of the 19th century..looks & feels good.  I plan on making up an experimental batch of this 3 -1 with the addition of anhydrous lanolin & castor oil.

The little bit that I used was in civil war type muzzle loaders and was given to me. It seemed to keep the fouling very soft. But I do not know what the mixture was or the kind of tallow. I know the guy told me the kind but I do not remember. But I always clean any BP guns barrel before it gets too far from the firing line so I cannot say. I had no rust issue, but always cleaned with soapy water very shortly after firing.

I have four sticks of mutton tallow, it isn't pure white, in fact it is slightly yellowish I would say. I have it with the intent of mixing some of the formulas suggested in old stevens and maynard catalogs for some "recreated" shooting I want to do.

Will be very interested in what you find with the Smith and Wesson formulas.

Merwin

Any suggestions as to a source of tallow for those that are not into rendering fat?

Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT