BP inhalation concerns

[RDavidP]

When I am at the pistol bay, after firing only 5 rounds from my '58 Remington, most shooting stops for several seconds, depending on wind. I imagine in a saloon, it would get dark quick.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Ah, the Egg Fart! True sign of a BP shooter! When I reenacted, I naturally breathed enormous amounts of smoke, especially when I was a file closer and ate a good deal when tearing cartridge. I and the guys in my unit were unfit to live with for days afterwards. I love the smell of burnt powder! But the substitutes! EEEUUUWW! One of the guys at my club was shooting some Pyrodex in a percussion gun Saturday and I accused him of shooting wet dog hair out of his gun. That was nasty! But BP? Now that's a breath of fresh air to me!

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you watch some of the old Hollywood westerns, like the very early John Wayne Grade B pictures, when they were still using black powder blanks in the guns, you get a pretty good idea about how much smoke filled the rooms when a shooting took place in doors.

 

[Pork Chop]

Living in California, the law requires that I protect myself from black powder smoke inhalation. :winking:

That sure doesn't look like a period correct mask to me!

 

[DCF]

The accumulation of unburnt black powder on the floor and the effects of trying to vacuum it up should cause more concerns.
I guess the smoke is easier to see!

 

[bob308]

i have been shooting for 40years. casting for 30 years. and shooting bp for 25 years. all with no ill affects.
the third hand that grew out of my back is nice to hold my hat on in the wind.

 

[Stony]

Just a little FYI, during the Zulu war, the British used gatling guns. One of the battles took place where there was no wind to carry off the cloud of smoke from the BP. In order for the guns to keep firing, soldiers were placed near the muzzle with boards to fan the smoke away.

Where I've done most of my CAS shooting, they spray the targets white. In those clouds of smoke, the targets tend to disappear. One of the tricks I've learned is to look for the outline of a target. One time I was at a match where you had to shoot a hole in a piece of cardboard with your shotgun, then shoot at a target on the other side of the "wall" with your rifle. Yep, you guessed it, the cardboard caught fire. Made for an interesting run, They were able to put the fire out before the "wall" went up as well, but I did hear that the following BP shooters had to wait while some buckets of water where scrounged up just in case.

 

[faw3]

WAL 1 Can you see me shooting the Zephyr 62 barrel with a full load od 210 grs 2f out of my H+A?? :rotf: They wouldnt even bother asking me to leave, if any of them could still stand after the shock. :rotf: :rotf: FRED :hatsoff:

 

[faw3]

Rick Ive had guys on out door ranges pack up and go saying BP would ruin the 300 to 500 buck scopes on the rifles they shoot, guess they should use one of the long brass ones like mine, 17 yrs later and dang if I can see anything messed up about it. :rotf: Fred :hatsoff:

 

[bob308]

you have found the secret of getting the range to your self. i get up wind when ever i go to the club to shoot. does not take long and they pack up their ak's and leave.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Love the smell of that big, blue/grey cloud hanging in front of my firing point. Hasn't hurt me yet. In fact, I think it makes me stronger. :rotf:

 

[wulf]

I never got the chance to fire a shot in an in-
door range but i did ask...NO.!! I ask the reason
and they answered it effects the ventilation sys-
tem..That made sense to me with all that smoke to
have to move out of the area after each shot would be a big job for any conditioner...But i did
not to really shoot indoors any way as it is too
expensive for so little time..note to the issue;;
The whole place smelled from cigarette smoke...
that was far worse than PB and day.. To me.