Modern steel/Smokeless powder

I just finished a caplock double made from a set of newly made Stevens tubes that were intended for a modern double cartridge gun.

It is well breeched and solidly fit with aircraft grade plugs.

What would be a good smokeless powder load for this gun?

:hmm:

 

[silverfox]

O'boy I think you have opened a can of worms. I would not use smokeless in any design of flint or caplock weapon. I would be afraid of the pressure blowing the nipples or blowing the hammers back due to the high pressure generated with the smokeless powder. I know savage uses smokeless but the gun was designed to do so. Just becsuse you use modern steel doesn't necessally mean it's safe in aad old design.
Just my opinion now lets see what other and more experenced gunsmiths have to say.
Fox :thumbsup:

P.S. That should make a fine black powder weapon.

 

[DanChamberlain]

I'm sorry, but I simply cannot fathom why someone would first make a muzzleloader and then eschew the reason for a muzzleloader.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

Mister: YOu have a hole in that back of that chamber that leads to the nipple of the gun in the direction of your head and face. Why in the world would you want to load that gun with something that is going to have all that pressure heading right for your face? I don't care how terrific the barrel steel is, or what you use for the breechplugs, they will simply be adornments on your tombstone. The percussion action is not designed to take the pressures of modern, smokeless powder.

Once again, you are someone trying to re-invent the wheel. Are there " Light " charges of certain smokeless powder tht could be fired off in that gun without blowing it up? Yep! Are there certain very light loads of some smokeless powders that wond blow that nipple through your forehead? Yep. But I am not going to give you a hint, because there is no point, and you are needless risking your own safety doing such a thing.

If you want to shoot smokeless powder loads in a shotgun, buy a modern Breechloading, cartridge shotgun. If you want to shoot black powder, then use black powder. Those are the choices.

Savage now has a " Muzzle Loading " rifle that is designed to be used with smokeless powder, with the plastic sabots, and pistol bullets. Its one of those guns, with only a slight different. It uses the company's famous and standard Bolt Action with its locking lugs, to house the primer during firing. The entire system encloses the charge, and primer, so that there is not path for gas to escape back towards you. Take that HINT, if you won't listen to what I say.

 

[jeepwj992002]

ghost, I am going to have to agree with paul on this one. That system was not intended for smokeless powder. However it does sound like you could have a nice strong blackpowder shotty on your hands.

 

[mbw907]

Ghost, I'm not going to blast you on this one.You have had enough chewing for today. Everyone is concerned for your safety first. Listen to the voices of experience.And be safe and have fun. I'd love to see a picture of your finished project. Let us know what you decide, but by all means, use B.P. or a good substitute. :thumbsup:

 

[Claude Mathis]

What would be a good smokeless powder load for this gun?

Okay, you've signed on using Ghost's account, right?
Wait until Ghost finds out about this. :grin:

 

Smokless powder is designed to be burned in a cartredge (unless it is burned in a Naval Rifle or other very large bore gun in which bags of the stuff are shoved in behind the projectile) that has safety venting schemes in the breach. If you laod with smokeless I am concerned that the nipples will act as the natural path of least resistance for the overpresure and as such spit back fire in the general direction of your face. Please don't do it.

 

What would be a good smokeless powder load for this gun?

Okay, you've signed on using Ghost's account, right?
Wait until Ghost finds out about this. :grin:

Actually, the hammers strike the nipples at about 45 degrees and any blow by would go over my head! I al;ways shoot with my eyes closed anyway, and with the safty classes I thought I might be OK.

I was thinking about putting an aimpoint on it and using it with steel saboted slugs and the rifled screw in choke tubes!
:grin:

 

[Claude Mathis]

Actually, the hammers strike the nipples at about 45 degrees and any blow by would go over my head! I al;ways shoot with my eyes closed anyway, and with the safty classes I thought I might be OK.

I was thinking about putting an aimpoint on it and using it with steel saboted slugs and the rifled screw in choke tubes!
:grin:

And, it's not even April first! :rotf:

 

[bob1961]

where does one sign up to be a beneficiary on ones will :shocked2: :v ...........bob

 

I would not be worried about using any charge, it will go off. By the way would you will me your boots?

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Having the name Ghost, have you tried this before? :grin:

 

[silverfox]

What are you planning on shooting besides yourself, Battleships? Saboted steel slugs maybe aircraft. Are we at War with someone and I haven't heard about it yet.
Fox :thumbsup:

PS: Where is our old Ghost?

 

[RedFeather]

There are probably no safe loads for this gun. Smokeless doesn't have the same burning characteristics as BP or substitutes. Many are coated to control their burn rates and are meant to be confined within a certain shaped cartridge to achieve proper burn times. I don't see how you can get a sufficiently designed breech to ensure you will get a safe combustion.

Even though the tubes are from Stevens, their strength is based upon using a shell with a brass base. This provides some measure of support along with the breech walls. Are these from a set of barrels or are they replacement tubes (the kind that are usually shanked into the old receiver?) Either way, I imagine you've cut the chambers out and plugged them somewhere around the forcing cones or further on up. That would be the thinner part of the breech and wasn't intended for taking the force of the powder.

What are "aircraft" plugs? When I see aircraft I think of aluminum.

At any rate, trying to build a smokeless muzzle loader is a dicey business, at best. My biggest concern with any of these guns, be they the Savage or home-built, is what will happen if they are double-loaded. And we all know that's happened before. A well constructed BP gun will make it through that, but doubling a smokeless load can produce multiples of the intended pressures.

I've had four major eye surgeries. Believe me, it's no fun going around bandaged for a couple of months. If you shotgun works out, there's nothing wrong with using black in it. Find some Clean Shot or equivalent if you don't want all the smoke and soot.

 

[jeepwj992002]

I think ghost was outside too long yesterday. Sounds like overexposure to the cold. ghost is hallucinating from the hypothermia. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[roundball]

:hmm: :hmm: Maybe he's gone over to the dark side...could be a mole for tony...and tony knows how to blow up a rifle with smokeless for sure...
:hmm: :hmm:

 

[jeepwj992002]

:shocked2: Could be. We'll have to keep an eye on him.

 

[No Deer]

Things were getting too quiet, he was just trying to stir up some conversation :rotf:

 

[George Holton]

Go ahead Ghost formerly from Michigan . Build a bomb! I do the interrments at the local cemetary, send the burial cost now in cash. I will hold a place for you. Lonesomebob