New BP shooter question.

[Blueliner67]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a reproduction 1861 Springfield and I am very much looking forward to shooting it someday soon. I am having some trouble, as I imagine many are, of finding powder and musket caps here in the Chicago land area.

It would seem that we have a good supply of Pyrodex, but very short supply, actually none, of real FFG BP. Would powder pellets be an option for this firearm or not? If not, I guess I would have to use the pyrodex rs, seems to be the only option I can find locally.

Thank you.

Scott
Blueliner67

 

[user 49399]

Pyrodex works fine in any percussion gun.

And, howdy from East Tennessee.

 

[deermanok]

Loose Pyrodex would be OK. Not sure that pellets would be consistent.

 

[hawkeye2]

Pyrodex will work, the important thing is to get shooting and make some smoke. If you can't find musket caps you could replace the nipple with one that takes #11s, they'll work fine too, of course that's assuming you can find some of those.

 

[Tumbledown]

Pellets are for modern inline guns, which we don't discuss here beyond saying we don't discuss here.

Loose pyrodex should work for you. Measure by volume the same as you would for black powder. Pound for pound, pyrodex has more energy but it is formulated to take more space, giving similar results for a given volume.

Pyrodex stinks more, and the residue should be cleaned as soon as you can after you finish shooting, but it will do the job for now.

 

[david w]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a reproduction 1861 Springfield and I am very much looking forward to shooting it someday soon. I am having some trouble, as I imagine many are, of finding powder and musket caps here in the Chicago land area.

It would seem that we have a good supply of Pyrodex, but very short supply, actually none, of real FFG BP. Would powder pellets be an option for this firearm or not? If not, I guess I would have to use the pyrodex rs, seems to be the only option I can find locally.

Thank you.

Scott
Blueliner67

Well, if you were looking for dope in Chicago, you have no problem. Other supply chains may vary. Extreme politicians prefer ciaos, so they can grow their bank accounts through nefarious means.

 

[CyrusP]

Welcome and please post some pics of the1861 Springfield. Yet another option is to get a replacement nipple for #10 or #11 caps. Order a kit from 22sharpshooter.com to make your own caps from soda cans and toys caps (paper roll) or buy the priming mixture from the same company. Works great!

 

[Bad Karma]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a reproduction 1861 Springfield and I am very much looking forward to shooting it someday soon. I am having some trouble, as I imagine many are, of finding powder and musket caps here in the Chicago land area.

It would seem that we have a good supply of Pyrodex, but very short supply, actually none, of real FFG BP. Would powder pellets be an option for this firearm or not? If not, I guess I would have to use the pyrodex rs, seems to be the only option I can find locally.

Thank you.

Scott
Blueliner67

Grafs have Scheutzen musket caps last time I looked. A thousand will set you back a hundred bucks. They may not last as long as you’d think. Smoke is addictive! But they should have no problem lighting off a charge of Pyrodex or Triple Seven.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Grafs have Scheutzen musket caps last time I looked. A thousand will set you back a hundred bucks. They may not last as long as you’d think. Smoke is addictive! But they should have no problem lighting off a charge of Pyrodex or Triple Seven.

I agree that musket caps aren’t so impossible. I think I saw some at Dixie gunworks recently. No, but Graf and Sons does have Schuetzen four wing musket caps.

 

[frankie]

Well, if you were looking for dope in Chicago, you have no problem. Other supply chains may vary. Extreme politicians prefer ciaos, so they can grow their bank accounts through nefarious means.

well put, true

 

[Pukka Sahib]

I suggest you point your car South, keep driving until you find a store that has some black powder in stock - then move the rest of the family there too.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I have been shooting Pyrodex RS out of a couple of T/C Renegades (.54 and .56 SB) fitted with Musket nipples. I am using CCI Musket caps I bought a while back from Grafs. I bought them before I read (here) how supposedly weak the CCI Musket caps were, but have not had any issue with them setting off my loads.

 

[dave951]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a reproduction 1861 Springfield and I am very much looking forward to shooting it someday soon. I am having some trouble, as I imagine many are, of finding powder and musket caps here in the Chicago land area.

It would seem that we have a good supply of Pyrodex, but very short supply, actually none, of real FFG BP. Would powder pellets be an option for this firearm or not? If not, I guess I would have to use the pyrodex rs, seems to be the only option I can find locally.

Thank you.

Scott
Blueliner67

If you really want to get into the weeds and find out just how accurate a musket can be then come hang out with us in the North South Skirmish Association. We shoot Civil War arms in competition and that includes cannons. Ain't no blanks on our range, it's hard core competition shooting with live ammo.

 

[rafterob]

Check Crater Fireworks...Up there in Illinois somewhere.