Black powder shortage

[Big Rviers]

Well it's finally happened, there is no black powder available in all of Canada and I'm down to my last pound of FFFG. Now I have heard and read you can't use Pyrodex in a flinter. But I have not read where anyone has actually tried Pyrodex in the bore and used Black powder in the pan to ignite the charge. Yes, I'm that desperate to keep shooting and I can stretch that last pound of 3F for a long time. If that doesn't work I have choices left but convert my treasured Bedford long rifle to percussion or make it a wall hanger or ?

 

[Bearkiller]

About the only way you might get Pyrodex to work is to drop a few grains of black powder down the bore first then drop the Pyrodex and use Black in the pan.

 

[Notchy Bob]

@Bearkiller beat me to it. Ten grains or so of your FFFg black powder goes down the barrel first, then your load of Pyrodex minus the ten grains taken up by the black powder. And, as he said, black powder in the pan. You would be using about 13 grains of black per shot, which will eventually use it up, but that pound of FFFg ought to last a lot longer.

This was actually discussed in a thread earlier today. Don't mix the powders. Just put the black down the barrel first. It will detonate and light up the Pyrodex.

The GOEX facility closing is causing some panic, and there has been a shortage anyway. Do the Canadian dealers sell Scheutzen or Swiss black powder?

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Daryl Crawford]

My uncle shot straight Pyrodex out of his TC Renegade with pretty fair ignition rate. I think it takes quite a bit more to clean it, but I've seen it work. I even tried it in my Investarm .50 in the late 90s and had pretty good ignition for a range session (70%) but wouldn't trust it on a hunt. I didn't love cleaning it and don't use it. In a pinch, I'd try to make it work as mentioned above.

 

[Cpt Flint]

Don’t criticize old people for hoarding because we have lots of powder for times like this. If you need a pound of power, buy five. EVERY TIME.

 

[smoothshooter]

Never buy less than 5 pounds at a time.
10 to 25 pounds is much better.
For the foreseeable future, shooting components and fixed ammunition availability are going to be sporadic and more expensive. This will speed up the decline in popularity of the shooting sports in general forever.
The days of going out and burning thru bunches of ammo for fun are pretty much over.
Sometimes I am glad I am getting old and lived most of my life in better times, and will miss a lot of the accelerated national cultural suicide just over the horizon.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Never buy less than 5 pounds at a time.
10 to 25 pounds is much better.
For the foreseeable future, shooting components and fixed ammunition availability are going to be sporadic and more expensive. This will speed up the decline in popularity of the shooting sports in general forever.
The days of going out and burning thru bunches of ammo for fun are pretty much over.
Sometimes I am glad I am getting old and lived most of my life in better times, and will miss a lot of the accelerated national cultural suicide just over the horizon.

I turned to my Nephew in law last season out......"We are going to be the last to do this" I told him. How little did I know at that time that I might have been correct.

 

[Sparkitoff]

The Pyrodex RS plastic can I have days right on it …” can be used effectively in flintlocks when a 5 grain black powder charge is used as a base. Reduce total charge by the 5 grains “.

I’ve not tried it, but there it is….

 

[M. De Land]

The Pyrodex RS plastic can I have days right on it …” can be used effectively in flintlocks when a 5 grain black powder charge is used as a base. Reduce total charge by the 5 grains “.

I’ve not tried it, but there it is….

Ought ah, technically that is a duplex charge ! Sounds like a good idea to me though !

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’ve got ruffly a 3 year supply of authentic black stocked up.

I’m hoping the supply has somewhat improved by then.

If not, I can’t continue the hobby any longer. And I’m not going to stop shooting it either. That’s why I bought it.

 

[M. De Land]

My uncle shot straight Pyrodex out of his TC Renegade with pretty fair ignition rate. I think it takes quite a bit more to clean it, but I've seen it work. I even tried it in my Investarm .50 in the late 90s and had pretty good ignition for a range session (70%) but wouldn't trust it on a hunt. I didn't love cleaning it and don't use it. In a pinch, I'd try to make it work as mentioned above.

I tried it years ago in my TC .50 cal and it worked fine until cold weather shooting then it would hang or not fire repeatedly. I went to black and never looked back.

 

[Big Rviers]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I'm going to try loading 10 gr. of black down the bore and top with Pyrodex and black in the pan. I'll report back here how that works for ignition, accuracy and reliability as suspecting there may be many more out there like me soon.

 

[tenngun]

There was a philosopher in Greece, who was told philosophy was a waste of time and could serve no practical purpose
He decided to prove he could make wealth. And in spring when no one needed them he bought up all the oil presses around cheap.
That fall he made a killing when the presses were needed.
Never wait till a shortage to keep in stock of a rarely used low profit supply

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I agree with a post above. Shoot the rifles you love. An inventory of BP won’t matter to me when I’m gone. And we’re a long time dead.

 

[Miles42]

soon this hobby will go by the wayside, I'm afraid

 

[springfield art]

Don’t criticize old people for hoarding because we have lots of powder for times like this. If you need a pound of power, buy five. EVERY TIME.

Good thought.

 

[tenngun]

soon this hobby will go by the wayside, I'm afraid

There are not many people getting into it. Most of us when young were fascinated with the past in one way or another.
Most ‘tech work’ was something anyone could do.
Today it’s all about tech, most of us can only use but not do on our own.
Much do it your self is made to be easy. Skill is less important, self reliance, admired when most of us were young is now taught as a danger to the community
Our sport was dying before there was a powder shortage

 

[springfield art]

There are not many people getting into it. Most of us when young were fascinated with the past in one way or another.
Most ‘tech work’ was something anyone could do.
Today it’s all about tech, most of us can only use but not do on our own.
Much do it your self is made to be easy. Skill is less important, self reliance, admired when most of us were young is now taught as a danger to the community
Our sport was dying before there was a powder shortage

Yep. The main body of BP people came out of the Baby Boomer generation. Whenever I see a "Traditional Crafts" display, they have everything BUT long-rifle making, unless it's a Black Powder show, of course. I'm going to the Eastern Long Rifle show in Morgantown, Pa., Friday 10/1.

 

[springfield art]

I’ve got ruffly a 3 year supply of authentic black stocked up.

I’m hoping the supply has somewhat improved by then.

If not, I can’t continue the hobby any longer. And I’m not going to stop shooting it either. That’s why I bought it.

You'll be good to go. I liked the spelling of "Ruffly", and gotta remember that!

 

[Eddie Southgate]

No shortage here .