whale oil

[Don McDowell]

I think there is some confusion on what the Sharps lube is. I read a lot in the old Forest & Stream http://books.google.com/books?id=S0khAQA...er&f=false and someplace in those old magazines I read an article that the mix was made from the oil of the Sperm Wale blubber.

In the reprint of the 1877 Sharps catalog I have, under the directions for reloading metallic cartridges it says "Insert upon the wad and lubricant disk composed of 1 part pure beeswax to 2 parts sperm oil in weight, to occupy 3-16 of and inch in length in the shell."