Black powder shortage

[Notchy Bob]

Black powder and percussion cap shortages have occurred periodically for as long as I can remember. Powder plant fires and explosions, too. I'm not making light of that, but just pointing it out. A lot of us are old enough to have been adults during the seventies, when there were shortages of all kinds... Gasoline, toilet paper, coffee, and black powder, too. As brother @tenngun pointed out in his parable of the philosopher, wait it out, and stock up between shortages so you can be prepared for the next one. There is a differerence between hoarding and being prepared.

Folks on this very forum are talking about not buying flintlocks, the end of the hobby, and all that sort of thing. The WANO Corporation, which produces Swiss and Schuetzen powder, is still very much alive, and hoping to fill the breach if GOEX does not revive, or to continue filling their market share if GOEX does resume production. It's hard to get powder now, but it should be available again when supply catches up with demand.

I would recommend that we don't stop shooting. We bought the powder so we could shoot it, right? Just maybe shoot 15 shots instead of 25 in trips to the range. Maybe clubs can have three shot relays instead of five shots. Use your .45 for plinking instead of the .58, for now.

I've found that Hodgdon is now an enormous mega corporation. GOEX black powder is a small portion of their operation, and it appears they are hoping to sell it off, not eliminate it. I'm hoping someone will recognize that there is a viable market, and maybe a somewhat smaller outfit will get it and resume production.

I don't want to forget that we, the consumers, are not the only ones hurt by this closure. GOEX was a major employer in an area that probably doesn't offer a lot of job and career options. A big bunch of hard-working Americans are going to lose their jobs with this closure. That ought to carry some weight in the discussions. If they could organize an employee-owned company it would benefit everybody, I believe.

The sky hasn't fallen yet!

Notchy Bob

 

[MAPMFF]

Was out and about today, and for the hell of it stopped by Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, ME. (closest place that sells powder to me) Grabbed a couple of pounds. But they were out of FFg of all brands and only had some F,FFF,FFFFg of Goex.

It may get scarce for a while, but it won't go away for ever.

 

[Ben Meyer]

IF, one were to have to do the 10grs BP 70gr of Pyrodex thing with a Flintlock, is there a "best" type of Pyrodex to buy? Or 777, Buckhorn, etc? Or does it not matter at that point?

 

[tenngun]

I recall all the companies that cared for us.
Golden age arms, mountian man expo, ect. It used to be the magazines filled with suppliers. Now there are few.
Only so much market.
So I suspect Swiss will be happy to supply all the powder americas need, because the fact is we just don’t need very much, small market doesn’t need to many suppliers

 

[Big Rviers]

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

Right. This last pound is the last of my three year stock that I bought planning to replace as I go.

Black powder and percussion cap shortages have occurred periodically for as long as I can remember. Powder plant fires and explosions, too. I'm not making light of that, but just pointing it out. A lot of us are old enough to have been adults during the seventies, when there were shortages of all kinds... Gasoline, toilet paper, coffee, and black powder, too. As brother @tenngun pointed out in his parable of the philosopher, wait it out, and stock up between shortages so you can be prepared for the next one. There is a differerence between hoarding and being prepared.

Folks on this very forum are talking about not buying flintlocks, the end of the hobby, and all that sort of thing. The WANO Corporation, which produces Swiss and Schuetzen powder, is still very much alive, and hoping to fill the breach if GOEX does not revive, or to continue filling their market share if GOEX does resume production. It's hard to get powder now, but it should be available again when supply catches up with demand.

I would recommend that we don't stop shooting. We bought the powder so we could shoot it, right? Just maybe shoot 15 shots instead of 25 in trips to the range. Maybe clubs can have three shot relays instead of five shots. Use your .45 for plinking instead of the .58, for now.

I've found that Hodgdon is now an enormous mega corporation. GOEX black powder is a small portion of their operation, and it appears they are hoping to sell it off, not eliminate it. I'm hoping someone will recognize that there is a viable market, and maybe a somewhat smaller outfit will get it and resume production.

I don't want to forget that we, the consumers, are not the only ones hurt by this closure. GOEX was a major employer in an area that probably doesn't offer a lot of job and career options. A big bunch of hard-working Americans are going to lose their jobs with this closure. That ought to carry some weight in the discussions. If they could organize an employee-owned company it would benefit everybody, I believe.

The sky hasn't fallen yet!

Notchy Bob

Well said. If any group can survive indeed thrive during these shortages and cutbacks it's this one. Think back on the early frontiersmen and women who pioneered our great lands. They improvised, practiced and learned the hard way to survive. We can too.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Thinking on it some I agree with notchy bob. I don’t think I should not consider a flintlock. Let’s hope for the best that things turn around.

 

[smoothshooter]

Black powder and percussion cap shortages have occurred periodically for as long as I can remember. Powder plant fires and explosions, too. I'm not making light of that, but just pointing it out. A lot of us are old enough to have been adults during the seventies, when there were shortages of all kinds... Gasoline, toilet paper, coffee, and black powder, too. As brother @tenngun pointed out in his parable of the philosopher, wait it out, and stock up between shortages so you can be prepared for the next one. There is a differerence between hoarding and being prepared.

Folks on this very forum are talking about not buying flintlocks, the end of the hobby, and all that sort of thing. The WANO Corporation, which produces Swiss and Schuetzen powder, is still very much alive, and hoping to fill the breach if GOEX does not revive, or to continue filling their market share if GOEX does resume production. It's hard to get powder now, but it should be available again when supply catches up with demand.

I would recommend that we don't stop shooting. We bought the powder so we could shoot it, right? Just maybe shoot 15 shots instead of 25 in trips to the range. Maybe clubs can have three shot relays instead of five shots. Use your .45 for plinking instead of the .58, for now.

I've found that Hodgdon is now an enormous mega corporation. GOEX black powder is a small portion of their operation, and it appears they are hoping to sell it off, not eliminate it. I'm hoping someone will recognize that there is a viable market, and maybe a somewhat smaller outfit will get it and resume production.

I don't want to forget that we, the consumers, are not the only ones hurt by this closure. GOEX was a major employer in an area that probably doesn't offer a lot of job and career options. A big bunch of hard-working Americans are going to lose their jobs with this closure. That ought to carry some weight in the discussions. If they could organize an employee-owned company it would benefit everybody, I believe.

The sky hasn't fallen yet!

Notchy Bob

I would think it is a pretty small employer with a lot of automation for safety and insurance liability reasons.
20 people perhaps?
Check out the shipping container shortages that ships use. Thousands and thousands are waiting for months to get unloaded but there are few workers on the docks to do it. I do not think we will see any new shipments of European BP in this country until next summer or fall at the earliest. And that’s if the EU unelected bureaucrats decide not to interfere with the increased export of BP.
We are totally at their mercy now. And they do not like guns.

 

[Hawken]

Oh, they like guns just fine. They hate you.

 

[SPQR70AD]

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.

70% ignition rate with pyrodex? did you mix it with water? I had 100% ignition with it for 30 years. the refusal by shooters to condemn any substitutes to me has led to powder companies not improving the subs or coming out with cleaner better subs. who would want to spend on research and development when shooters denigrate powder subs?

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

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
[/QUOTE]
According to the Schuetzen website, this is a Canadian dealer. Maybe contact him for powder??

@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

According to the Schuetzen website, this is a Canadian dealer. Maybe contact him for powder??

 

[Big Rviers]

Purchased my first pound of Pyrodex and it says on the label....use 5 grains of black powder to ignite charge in flintlocks. So 5 for the booster in the bore and 2 in the pan means that last pound of of Black will last 1000 shots or about a couple months of shooting. Lets see how well that puts the lead out.

 

[Joemolf]

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

I seriously doubt that it has always been a niche hobby. Heck I like shooting them but I also like looking at them and admiring them especially a custom rifle there’s nothing like it. I sure this group can put together a pool of people that would be willing to sell you a pound or two it will be a PIA but you’ll be able to get powder. It’s an option it’s not illegal to ship black powder unless restricted by your town you have to know the buyer be 21 and ship under hazardous label. I’m sure guys here will help those in need as long as no one is taking advantage of.

 

[M. De Land]

70% ignition rate with pyrodex? did you mix it with water? I had 100% ignition with it for 30 years. the refusal by shooters to condemn any substitutes to me has led to powder companies not improving the subs or coming out with cleaner better subs. who would want to spend on research and development when shooters denigrate powder subs?

Well then keep right on using it if it's working for you but I don't care for it after giving it what I felt was a fair trial. Never have had black powder balk fire in cold weather or clump up in balls in the factory container when stored for a year or two.
Course I may have to care for it if BP dries up . I guess hang fire is better than none !

 

[springfield art]

No shortage here .

GOEX also made Pyrodex, Triple 7, etc.

 

[ZDC]

I have a shortage. I'm probably going to make my own. Does anyone know if homemade will blow as easy as bought stuff.

 

[SmokepoleSam]

Goex didn't make any of those other powders, Hodgdon makes them and bought Goex when Dupont got out of the business.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Since the hazmat fee is the same for five lbs or twenty five lbs. My nephew and I always buy a twenty five lb case at a time. We lucked out since we had just got a case.

 

[springfield art]

Goex didn't make any of those other powders, Hodgdon makes them and bought Goex when Dupont got out of the business.

Thanks for the update!

 

[CaptainKirk]

Since the hazmat fee is the same for five lbs or twenty five lbs. My nephew and I always buy a twenty five lb case at a time. We lucked out since we had just got a case.

Curious...what do your state regs say about storage and quantity of black powder?

 

[Baby Huey]

Why not just make your own black powder?