new to black powder, i want to shoot my 1861 springfield

[roger evanko]

hi,
i am new here and new to black powder. i have a original mint 1861 springfield that i want to shoot. i like to shoot everything i own. what size caps and what type of powder should i use and how many grains. i have bought some pyrodex powder for my 1858 starr revolver i shoot. can i use that powder? and i do have a bunch of .58 cal mini balls that came with the rifle.also, where can i get the caps, balls ect?

any info. would be great!
thanks!

 

[Zonie]

Welcome to the forum.

Your rifled musket will use Musket caps.

These are larger than the normal #11 caps used on non military guns and they have a split flange around the bottom of them.

They look like an old fashioned top hat.

The normal powder load used with these guns was around 60 grains.
Your Pyrodex will work just like black powder and is measured by volume just like black powder.

Do NOT weigh out your powder loads on an actual scale that measures weight if you are using Pyrodex. It is less dense so it doesn't actually weigh as much per cc as real black powder.

A measured volume of Pyrodex has the same energy as black powder so a powder measure can be used.

Because your gun is almost 150 years old it is a good idea to have a gunsmith inspect the barrel for rust/cracks/flaws before actually shooting it.

 

[54ball]

In my opinion there is no way I would consider shooting a subsitute powder in an original. A well preserved CW rifled musket deserves real BP or nothing at all.
Save the pyrodex for repros or off the rack guns. Pyrodex is more corrosive than BP, some love the stuff, and that's OK but they are not shooting a piece of history.

 

[aeatwood]

If you have a truly mint gun, IMO it would be a horrible mistake to shoot it. It is an utterly irreplaceable piece of history.

If it is in merely fine condition, then some shooting will not hurt it if you are careful, but please do NOT use Pyrodex. The metal in the older gun will have pores that is is practically impossible to get all of the salt from, and it will deteriorate rapidly.

The only point to shooting an original is to re-created the conditions when it was new. Goex or Swiss BP are easy to clean with water, and the fouling is much less corrosive, especially in low humidity.

Be safe and have fun.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I shoot an original 1861 Springfield but it is far from mint. I envy you your good fortune. :applause:

 

[roger evanko]

thanks to all of the great responses. the rifle is truly mint. i traded an orig. remington ww2 1903a4 sniper rifle with scope for it. i also have a 1863 dated springfield which is almost in the same cond, but just a tad under i traded two ww2 jap pistols for that. they both came from the same guy, he was getting out of the civil war stuff. i will try to post some pics.

on the 1861, he gave me paper work from springfield armory stating it was a shop model for a sub-contractor co. here in ct. who received a contract for the mfg. of springfield rifles at the beginning of the war. i will have to get the papers out of my safe for the details. i think i will not shoot that one, but the 1863 dated one will go to the range.

who sells the caps and black powder that i can order??

 

[Jason Lewis]

track of the wolf is a pretty good starting place.
www.trackofthewolf.com

 

[TexasYankee]

hi,
i am new here and new to black powder. i have a original mint 1861 springfield that i want to shoot. i like to shoot everything i own. what size caps and what type of powder should i use and how many grains. i have bought some pyrodex powder for my 1858 starr revolver i shoot. can i use that powder? and i do have a bunch of .58 cal mini balls that came with the rifle.also, where can i get the caps, balls ect?

any info. would be great!
thanks!

Hey there Roger,
I use Pyrodex RS Premium for my reproduction 1861 Springfield. Pyrodex and black powder charges are different. I use 40-50 grains of pyrodex for my live fires. If the pyrodex powder you have now is labeled "P" I wouldn't use it for live firing, but for blanks it would work fine! Reason being it might not have strong enough force to push the ball out and I heard it might explode...

 

[SmokepoleSam]

Texas Yankee
First off this topic is almost 10 years old. When you are saying 40-50 grains of powder are you talking weight or volume? With blackpowder we use volume measurements only to change between real blackpowder and substitutes. 40-50 grains of pyrodex is more powerful than 40-50 grains of blackpowder. By volume they are approximately the same. Pyrodex P is like 3f blackpowder and pyrodex RS is like 2f. Equal amounts of 3f/pyro P will give more pressure & velocity than equal amounts of 2f/RS so if RS is shooting your projectile out with no problem pyro P will have no problem. People on this forum including myself have no trouble shooting a dryball out with as little as 5-10 grains of powder put in under the ball by trickling it in the nipple hole with the nipple removed and replaced. If it wouldn't shoot the ball out, as long as you reseat the ball after you put more powder in you will not explode the barrel. Welcome to the forum and ask a lot of questions and read a lot of topics. I don't think you should rely on the person who gave you this information. You don't have to take my word just read topics on here.