GOEX PLANT

[Brokennock]

I love how our new moderators and staff keep warning us to keep politics out of everything....
Even though in our current world politics is effecting everything we do.

The closing of the plant is a business issue. Thank you to American shooters using subs and foreign powders.

 

[B P Arn]

I started in 1970 at the age of 15 .
Dupont was $ 3 .00 a lb. back then .

What was your pay per hour back then? For me, the price of powder now is a lot cheaper now than in the bad old days, when you consider time worked per pound of powder.

I guess none of that matters now, since it will not be available anyway! LOLOLOL

 

[Osseon]

And what was the minimum wage?

$1.60 in 1970 which is $11.28 in 2021's dollars when accounting for inflation.
The powder at $3 be $21.15 in 2021

So basically the minimum wage was higher back then and powder cost almost exactly the same

 

[B P Arn]

... It looks like Hogdon has capitulated to the political correctness side of society.

Hmmmmm... either that, or it just was not profitable enough for them to justify making it.

 

[FishDFly]

In all honesty, Corps. are managed by the Accountants who answer to the Stockholders. You must make a profit to survive.

Where is Sears, Montgomery Ward, Packard or Pontiac?

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

1960. I was 15 that year. Started re-enacting with a history prof from U Maryland. 1961, had my first job, stocking shelves at an auto parts place. Minimum wage was $1.25, and IIRC, Black Powder was around $1.50/lb. Glass pop bottles got you 2 cents each. Mowing the neighbors lawn was an easy $2.50.

 

[Osseon]

1960. I was 15 that year. Started re-enacting with a history prof from U Maryland. 1961, had my first job, stocking shelves at an auto parts place. Minimum wage was $1.25, and IIRC, Black Powder was around $1.50/lb. Glass pop bottles got you 2 cents each. Mowing the neighbors lawn was an easy $2.50.

Back when Pennies were worth more then using for interesting floor tile projects! Haha.

 

[Buckskinquin]

Has anyone heard that the GOEX plant is shutting down? Something just came across Instagram.

I heard about the fire and am concerned about Hodgkin’s decision whether or not to rebuild. However, I am as concerned about the distributors we have developed relationships with and their futures, along with ours.

 

[Loja man]

How about shooting with 4F instead of 3F?

 

[FishDFly]

And what does that accomplish?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Time to bombard Hodgdon with phone calls, emails and letters. "Don't shut the Goex plant down!"

Maybe bombard them with "Sell the Plant to the Employees".... then we GoFundMe for the funds to fix the place ???

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Pyrodex doesn't work well in a flintlock priming pan at all. It can work if mixed with real BP inside of the bore. So if you want to mix half and half BP/Pyrodox in the bore, and still prime with 4F, its a good way to stretch your supply. You can probably get away with more than 50/50 mix but I'm not well educated on the matter.

I've been corrected below, please refer to that post for the accurate way to use substitute powder!

To be honest, I'd rather NOT.... but sincerely, thanks....

You see HODGDON owns Pyrodex, so my finding a way to use Pyrodex in my flintlock is rewarding the company that killed the only American sporting black powder manufacturer....

In Fact I'm considering my modern reloading, and may switch to other brands for that stuff too.

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have always tried to keep my allowable limit on hand and now I am really glad I have. I am having a 40 cal flintlock built and will plenty of powder to get it up and running. I worry about all of the small shops that have stayed dedicated to the sport this will hit them very hard.

I too have a .40 and I'm thinking maybe the .40 and/or the .45 will get a lot more Love than they have in the past, depending on the minimum size allowed in each state for deer. Maybe we will see a .40 REAL bullet mold too...???

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Just like the modern-ammo, you're right; by tomorrow, all gone or hoarded. What will the N-NSA and re-enactors do?

The reenactors..., won't.

OH if Scheutzen steps up it might be OK, but there is a big difference between burning an $18 can of powder for blanks on a weekend, vs. a $30 can of powder on a weekend. It doesn't seem like much per person... but it adds up. A lot of units buy in bulk to mitigate hazmat and shipping fees. A group fielding an average of 12 muskets per event, and doing one event per month, the old cost for powder even after COVID was $3000 per year, but now if all one can get is Swiss..., that'd be $4800 per year, and that's not figuring smaller events and and such. Some groups don't have that kind of cash.

LD

 

[JaeBeah]

If importation of foreign BP occurs, I will bet on the entrepreneurial spirit and the adaptability of traditional Americans…
I give it less than 1 year after any such ban, before some folks begin experimenting and making their own BP successfully. I give it 3 years or less before a few of these individuals get funding and get licensed to manufacture small quantities which they will sell at $100/lbs….to sell out demand. Where there is high demand, there is profit, and that is pure fertilizer for can-do types.

 

[Planefixr]

Traditional muzzleloading represents a small minority of a marginalized sport. GOEX manufacturing isn't profitable and thus it's being closed. Providing other brands on black powder are profitable they will continue to be available. Very few gun shops I buy from, sell blackpowder, primarily because the low interest in the sport deters investment. It's a highly regulated explosive and not worth the aggravation for most dealers to carry.

This is the reason they will not rebuild the plant, the investment is not worth it!

 

[Loja man]

And what does that accomplish?

Because many places still have 4F available. For those of us who don’t have a stockpile of 3F I wondered about using 4F.

 

[Brokennock]

For those of us who don’t have a stockpile of 3F I wondered about using 4F.

Send Britsmoothy a p.m. and he can give you the lowdown on this. Discussion of it here becomes ridiculous...

 

[springfield art]

This is the reason they will not rebuild the plant, the investment is not worth it!

One over-arching factor that people often fail to take into account: INSURANCE for any given endeavor. Would most of us want to insure a freakin' GUNPOWDER factory? Even the vaunted DuPont factory on the banks of the Brandywine blew up back in the day. DuPont made a fortune making BP starting in 1803; probably made most of the BP for the military and navy.

 

[springfield art]

The reenactors..., won't.

OH if Scheutzen steps up it might be OK, but there is a big difference between burning an $18 can of powder for blanks on a weekend, vs. a $30 can of powder on a weekend. It doesn't seem like much per person... but it adds up. A lot of units buy in bulk to mitigate hazmat and shipping fees. A group fielding an average of 12 muskets per event, and doing one event per month, the old cost for powder even after COVID was $3000 per year, but now if all one can get is Swiss..., that'd be $4800 per year, and that's not figuring smaller events and and such. Some groups don't have that kind of cash.

LD

And, the price will continue to rise. I forsee a pound being $50 or more; if people are willing to pay 50 cents a round for modern pistol ammo, they will pay equivalent per shot of black powder eventually. Modern rifle ammo is often a buck a round currently.