Powder measure

I found a MEC 600 jr reloader for $3.75 in a thrift store the other day. I was thinking of using it as a powder measure for making cartridges. All the bushings for powder are in smokeless measures. How could I, short of making my own bar and drilling the size to make right powder drop, work this. Is there a cross from black powder to smokeless measure? What size bushing could I use to get 70-75 gr of black? Or maybe a big boom for my blanks like 100gr. The guy at the sporting goods store looked at me like I was an idiot :yakyak: when I ask him. Of course the have no black powder.

Ronnie

Even though there is chart that Mec. puts out for various measures of powder drop with different bushings, it is a guess at best. I would either use the press to measure out into your powder measure as a way of testing powder drop, or use a good scale. With modern powders I use a scale and weigh the powder to make sure of an accurate powder drop. Remember also, that modern powders may only use 18gr. of powder to get a 3dram (82gr) equivilant(sp) load. So the bushings that came with the press, will probably be extremely small.

Caution... Static electricity can cause an explosion with ungrounded loaders when using it with black powder..
If memory serves me I've loaded cartridges without a bushing in one of my loading bars.. I just can't recall if it was with the 1 1/8 or the 1 oz bar....
Just don't forget to ground the loader.

Static electricity can not set off black powder. This has been disproven.

I personally know a young man that shot himself through his arm with his charged Flinter pistol .He was wearing a nylon jacket......
best to be safe than sorry.....

Take a look at this :
[url] http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html[/url]

It will show you that static electricity does not ignite black powder.

Second, your friend must have done something else, becuase modern BP is coated in graphite to reduce the chance of even friction setting it off. Why would he by putting a loaded pistol with the hammer cocked and the flashpan primed in the crook of his arm?
Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy. "

` Your friend will not be the first shooter to violate that safety rule, particularly with any handgun.

I stand Corrected :hatsoff:

I find that little page with its experiment very interesting. Who would a thunk?

Twice Boom, Thanks for the advice. I had thought about using the shot side of the bar because of its size. If you happen to think which one you used snd how much it was please let me know.

Ronnie

Give me a day .I think the bar I used last is in the loader still as I only use it to load BP Cartridges. I throw couple of charges and see what they weigh .. But come to think of it, it should not matter what it throws if you load by the 1 to 1 principle. It would be same as dipping equal amounts of powder and shot with the same dipper.Me think.

I'll let you know by tomorrow.

Twice B..

Great post. Thanks. :v

The bar in my Mac is a 7/8 oz charge bar. What I had done was to open with a rat file the shot hole until it dropped an ounce load and with fingernail polish I coated the inside of the powder hole to drop a tad under 80 grain,weighted ..

My ounce bar drops exactly 90.7 grains with no bushing in the bar according to my scale..So you should not need to do anything with the ounce bar when loading Blanks......

Hope it helps.
Twice B.

Paul,

Just a thought, electricity will not set off BP. However, static electricity frequently results in a spark, which could set off the powder.

Possible?

bramble

Not if the spark is not hot enough it won't. Lots of folks still buy into the old myth about static electricty and black powder, and a lot of companies make a lot of money selling all brass powder dispensers for reloading BP cartridges. They are both expensive and unnecessary.

Have you noticed that there are few topics that cause more static, than static electricity?

Obviously, that was a great thrift shop purchase you made! If the project doesn't work for you, at least you could sell the reloader at a tremendous profit and buy some more goodies for the shooting pouch.

Its takes heat, not flash to ignite Black Powder. Static electricity is released so fast it does not have time to create sufficient heat to ignite the powder. If anything, static electricity actually cools the powder by creating a vacuum around it when it turns into visible light. The surrounding air rushes in, and acts to cool the surface of the powder granule.

Thanks guys. I think that I will keep my little find and put it too good use. I like 90 gr for blanks. I am using the swiss powder that is "reenactor" grade and priming out of brass primer. Old Bessie makes a heck of a noise at 100 gr, lot of smoke too. Makes all the tourists oooh and aaah. 90 should do real good. :blah: :rotf:

Ronnie

If anything, static electricity actually cools the powder by creating a vacuum around it when it turns into visible light. The surrounding air rushes in, and acts to cool the surface of the powder granule. [/quote]

So that's why a nearby lightning bolt can send a shiver up my spine??

NO. The amount of electricity in a bolt of lightning in thousands of times more than a static electricity flash. The bolt heats up a lot of air, which expands, and the surround air rushing into the vacuum causes the Thunder Clap we hear. Because the bolts cover thousands of feet in altitude, the thunder can be heard for miles.

The same principal works to cause the muzzle blast with BP loads where the ball does not exceed the speed of sound. It doesn't matter much how fast the ball is going, if the gases leave the muzzle at more than 1100 fps. Its the gase expansion, and then the air rushing back together that produces the blast.

Now, if the bullet is also going above the speed of sound, it will also contribute to the blast. Its that ' blast " that can be heard down range by people if a ball or bullet passes close to them, as there is air rushing into the vacuum behind the ball or bullet until the projectile slows considerably below the speed of sound. Even then, certain projectiles will be throwing off air waves from the nose, and shoulder of the bullet, causing vacuums and " noise ".

Boy, this all sounds so familiar!!!