MODERN POWDERS IN MUZZLELOADERS

FOR THE IDIOT who doesn't feel black powder has enough kick I suggest he review the photos taken at Gettysburg right after the battle.
Muzzleloader barrels were made to handle the pressures created by the slower burning old time black powder.
The modern powders are quicker and more powerful than the old sweet smelling stuff and the old steel probably won't be able to contain it.
If you are near someone experimenting with the new stuff, step back, get away as pieces of steel may soon be flying about.
I had a thought that if we all agreed to say that 5 grains of 4ƒƒƒƒ placed in the breech before the main charge was dangerous we may misdirect these clowns in a safer direction.
What scares me about the stupid practice is people endangering other people unknowingly standing near by.
Dutch Schoultz

Which “modern powders” are you referring to? Are you talking about original muzzleloaders or more recent stuff?

I know that "duplex" loads were used in ML's in the 40's and 50's, with about five grains of smokeless "shotgun" powder being used with the rest being black powder. I'd never even consider it today, unless I was at a lab doing a controlled experiment to see if there was some sort of advantage they thought they gained back then.

LD

QuinnTheEskimo said:

Which “modern powders” are you referring to? Are you talking about original muzzleloaders or more recent stuff?

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I'M SORRY. I GUESS SWISS COULD BE CALLED A MODERN POWDER. I MEANT THE SMOKELESS POWDERS USED IN TODAY'S CARTRIDGE RIFLES.
DUTCH

Dr5x said:

I'M SORRY. I GUESS SWISS COULD BE CALLED A MODERN POWDER. I MEANT THE SMOKELESS POWDERS USED IN TODAY'S CARTRIDGE RIFLES.
DUTCH

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I figured there was a reason that the modern replicas have " use black powder only" on the barrel". 30 years back a gentleman bought a Parker double barrel in the shop. He had purchased this gun at a farm sale and run home to shoot it. The barrel had blown out the side and darn near took his hand off.
The old gun had Damascus barrels (wire twist). A beautiful old gun destroyed by using modern smokeless powder.
Yes the gun was a cartridge fired shotgun, but was built in the day of black powder cartridges. I wished we had the digital age for photos back then.

With all the information sources we have today regarding muzzle loaders, there's no excuse for someone to not know about NOT using modern powders in them. And after all that if somebody still does use smokeless powder in one. then frankly they're stupid.

William Greener wrote quite a bit about the strength of barrels and the number of failures. He also did a lot of destruction testing, and powder testing. Today's guns are arguably made with stronger steel and definitely made heavier than originals.
"Stupid proofing" has turned some modern factory guns into over built logs, IMO.
Much of the finer ergonomics and handiness of original guns has been built out modern guns for the sake of making them "safer" and more profitable to manufacture.

Part of that problem stems from folks today being completely ignorant of how to safely use black powder. The myth that "you can't overload it" and the modern fetish for tons of muzzle velocity will take the noob right down that path and it might not end pretty.

dave951 said:

Part of that problem stems from folks today being completely ignorant of how to safely use black powder. The myth that "you can't overload it" and the modern fetish for tons of muzzle velocity will take the noob right down that path and it might not end pretty.

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And combine that with a noob behind the counter, grabbing the wrong container 'cause reading and understanding what is written takes too much effort for some..., and the goofy new guy opens the can without reading it either, as he asked the clerk what he should use and the can he has is what he was given by the clerk....and the powder sorta looks blackish gray..... the result is FOOOM and a noob who can only pick his nose with the remaining hand....

LD