Just a reminder about using BP only in a BP gun...

[TheSpamPotential]

Many people do.



Hasn't ruined any of my guns yet, but then I know How to use it too.

I was joking. I don't use it in my BP guns because I hate cleaning out the fouling. I do use it as gopher gasser.
So I guess I've been using it right, all along.
I did get a couple of TC rifles for $30/each, because the previous owners didn't get all the Pyro fouling out and it pitted the bores.

 

[Half-Cocked]

They all work ok as long as you wipe clean. We all still know how to wipe clean yes? Lol.

I always clean them right after I shoot them or within a couple hours. I always say the main issue is salts as the corrosive and the best way to get that stuff out is by flushing with water.

All the stuff is water soluble water is your best friend.

 

[Sam squanch]

Real black powder last forever in a dry place. The powers that be hate that.....pyrodex decomposes after a while.....I think the powers that be LOVE that. Remember the “tanggent” the government wanted to add to smokeless powder? That turned it bad after a while?

 

[Irishmusket]

I say WHY? Why in the world would you try smokeless in bp? More power? Get a modern gun.

As others have mentioned I learned smokeless can be position sensitive and way to powerful. As others have mentioned as well I learned the difference before I was even interested in firearms.

Then again I am a read the manual kind of guy. Then I look up YouTube videos on how to tear a firearm apart and reassemble. Learning how they work internally.

If no black powder in your area use triple 7. I recommend it and it's worked fantastic so far. I use bp but at times I want more kick and need a larger volume of powder I use triple 7. Sold by weight and lighter by volume than traditional bp makes it more economical in powder heavy firearms.

triple7 only works in percussion guns And some traditional percussion guns not well at all lots of hang fires ignition issues misfires delayed ignition a real issue with some.How ever its not bad to clean up

 

[Half-Cocked]

triple7 only works in percussion guns And some traditional percussion guns not well at all lots of hang fires ignition issues misfires delayed ignition a real issue with some.How ever its not bad to clean up

I heard from others that it doesn't work well with flintlock rifles. I use it in an inline and once in my pietta 1851.

Hmm I may have to buy a flintlock rifle now.

 

[SamTex1949]

I was joking. I don't use it in my BP guns because I hate cleaning out the fouling. I do use it as gopher gasser.
So I guess I've been using it right, all along.
I did get a couple of TC rifles for $30/each, because the previous owners didn't get all the Pyro fouling out and it pitted the bores.

Ok you got me curious now ! tell me about how it is working on the gophers ! My "gopher exterminator" sadly got run over (Black cat) so the buggers are back .

 

[TheSpamPotential]

Ok you got me curious now ! tell me about how it is working on the gophers ! My "gopher exterminator" sadly got run over (Black cat) so the buggers are back .

Gophers go boom.
Gophers that don't go boom, get cancer, silicosis, and liver damage.
They end up dying in gopher hospice.
Or their tunnels get condemned, and they have to move to new tunnels across town,

Supposedly, the gases put off from combustion of Pyrodex are toxic, and not in a good way.

Gopher Gasser is sulfur, saltpeter, carbon, and dextrin in percentages of 45/45//8/2.

Pour the Pyrodex onto heavy duty aluminum foil. Insert fuse. roll up and twist ends.
Shove into gopher hole. Light fuse. Enjoy smoked gopher for dinner. Or not.

 

[TheSpamPotential]

Disclaimer: Much of my previous reply was written in jest. I don't try to give cancer/silicosis/liver damage to gophers.
However, it suffocates them with smoke, just like gopher gassers, only you get a LOT more gopher gasser for the money.
That, and you can make them any size or shape and capacity you want.
Light fuse, shove into tunnel, cover tunnel, laugh maniacally. Damn those gophers.

 

[Newtire]

'Ve grow too soon old, und too late vise...'

Live and learn. Next time, I'll know to do that.

I took a class in reincarnation. Cost $5000.00! I figured, what the Hey, you only live once.

 

[Dude]

I got to thinking - why BP only? I mean, these are new built BP guns with much better steel than they had in the 19th century. So why not? Dug around a little and found a good article that made a lot of sense to me.

https://capandball.com/black-powder-only/
Then I found this year-old thread that sort of covered some of the main issues. I think the capandball article covers it better - issues like containing breech pressures, smokeless pressure rise is almost instantaneous compared to the gentle push of BP, the affects of empty space around smokeless, and design/metallurgy parameters when building a BP gun.

Containing breech pressures is probably the most telling (though all the factors mentioned are important) because the nipple is essentially open to atmosphere. I recall an account of a shooter trying the max amount of BP in a Ruger Old Army. He loaded it with the max it would hold. The recoil and smoke was amazing. The gun survived just fine, but the hammer would blow back to half cock. Then he realized his forehead was bleeding. The pressure had blown back through the nipple, cocked the hammer and blew off the cap which flew back hitting his forehead.

And that was with black powder, not even smokeless.

Black Powder is fun and relatively safe. Smokeless isn't to be taken lightly! A minor mistake reloading an unmentionable cartridge can blow up a gun so keep that in mind.

 

[deerstalkert]

years ago i had a hole in the wall gunshop. catered to LEO's.
they would bring me guns that had blown up. i had a plate rail that ran around the shop 8 feet up.
the shop was 18x24. i had the entire rail lined with every type weapon imaginable in various states of destroyed.
when i left i gave the collection to Jack First for parts.
most revolvers were destroyed by double charges of blue dot.
i had numerous cap and ball revolvers totally blown apart by smokeless.
several smokeless muzzle loaders blown apart by over charging.
many of the incidents occurred right after the statement " here hold my beer while i ....."