Pyrodex in Matchlock

[D.Summers]

So that is at Jamestown! I thought I recognized it. Next time I'm there I'll see if I can find you!!

 

[Jay Templin]

So that is at Jamestown! I thought I recognized it. Next time I'm there I'll see if I can find you!!

I’m pretty much in the Fort, often doing woodwork or agriculture.

 

[D.Summers]

I live in northern Albemarle County. I usually get down to Jamestown and Williamsburg at least once a year! I actually may have already spoken with you. I try to never miss the shooting demos, and always walk around chewing the cabbage with the craftsmen/women.

 

[TobJohn]

I live in the same area and was planning on making the trek this fall. It seems like a lot of the volunteers/employees are active on this forum.

 

[Willy]

She’s a .58 caliber Dale Shinn copy of a 1580s Dutch caliver shown in deGehyn’s manual of arms. I was issued that gun when I started working on James Fort in 2003. The museum bought her brand new in 1985.
Jay

Thought I recognized that fort wall. I did my last tour in the Navy in the Norfolk area in the mid to late '90s and used to hang out there and Williamsburg a lot on weekends. The gunsmith and blacksmith shops at both places fascinated me.

 

[sportster73hp]

I too recognized the wall and elevated cannon position

 

[trettie]

So a little while back, the question had come up on one of the boards here: “can you shoot Pyrodex in a Matchlock?” And for all that there were a lot of opinions about it, it didn’t seem like there was a lot in the way of experience-based information. I’ve been shooting black powder for over 30 years, but had never fired any Pyrodex. So I acquired a can from a friend and this morning I set out to see…
This first one is a flash-in-the-pan. Probably my fault- I grabbed a dirty musket, scraped the bore, but didn’t pick out the touch hole. I will say, I was surprised at how long the match sat in the pan before the stuff ignited.
And when it went, it halfway snuffed the match.
Jay
View attachment 157649

There’s grass next to the bulwark? I’ve been away far too long.

 

[Jay Templin]

Flintlocks were not out in 1620 era, but they came out sometime later in the 1600's. The Pilgrims did use Matchlocks.

There’s grass next to the bulwark? I’ve been away far too long.

During the shutdown, nature started healing itself. I’ve done what I can to encourage it, including moving the demos outside the back of the Fort all summer so that the crowd (and musketeer) are in the shade!
But it HAS been too long! Miss you guys terribly.
Jay

 

[CVA Enthusiast]

Now interesting I know flash pans and flash holes have issues it does make sense match lock not being hot enough.

 

[Jay Templin]

Now interesting I know flash pans and flash holes have issues it does make sense match lock not being hot enough.

That match was burning just about 700°F! It was totally hot enough. I’m going with “Pyrodex is of the Devil.”
Jay

 

[Sidney Smith]

Why after all these years, people are still trying to use Pyrodex in matchlocks, flintlocks, etc, guns that it is not meant for?

 

[Jay Templin]

Why after all these years, people are still trying to use Pyrodex in matchlocks, flintlocks, etc, guns that it is not meant for?

Because I figured why should I let people continue to speculate on it when I was perfectly capable of providing evidence? I hope you recover your curiosity one day soon.
Jay

 

[Sidney Smith]

Because I figured why should I let people continue to speculate on it when I was perfectly capable of providing evidence? I hope you recover your curiosity one day soon.
Jay

People should know better by now. How long has Pyrodex been on the market? Many decades!

 

[Jay Templin]

People should know better by now. How long has Pyrodex been on the market? Many decades!

Yeah, but I never messed with it before this experiment because why would I? When I got into burning powder, Goex was $4.25 a pound and Pyrodex was $6. Besides, all the old timers assured me that wasn’t suitable for my flintlocks based on their own experiences, and I never questioned it back then.
I actually had to bum a can off a buddy of mine specifically for this experiment. I’ll finish it off in my cap and ball revolvers for squirrels and woodchucks and probably never use the stuff again in my life, as I was fortunate enough to fall into a deal on Goex before the explosion.
Jay

 

[BillinOregon]

Jay, thank you for the demonstration -- and I agree that Pyrodex doesn't smell right among other serious deficiencies.

 

[skoda]

I got several cans of it for a super low price when the store was getting rid of it. I use it in my flintlock musket just fine but I use 4Fg in the flash pan. But real BP would definitely be a first choice.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I got several cans of it for a super low price when the store was getting rid of it. I use it in my flintlock musket just fine but I use 4Fg in the flash pan. But real BP would definitely be a first choice.

Can you count the seconds before tje gun fires? I bet you can, if it fires!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW one can use it as part of a duplex load. , 10-grains real black down the bore then Pyrodex to make up the remainder of the charge. I have a lot of friends that do this due to cheap price of Pyrodex and/or BP availability or storage concerns with real BP (condo/apt rules et al ... ) so don't judge the reasoning unless you're in their shoes ...

Duplex loads work, they were even used on the 1st BP cartridge Schuetzen guns when smokeless powdah 1st came out.

 

[skoda]

Can you count the seconds before tje gun fires? I bet you can, if it fires!

No worse than BP on BP. But once I shoot it up I will go back to BP in the barrel because I don't like modern things.