Pyrodex triple 7 BP Substitute

[Don Mackay]

Has anyone had experience with this BP substitute?
I am tempted to try it but I hear that it is difficult to ignite? I have a Lyman GPR percussion rifle in .45" Cal, any comments, experience of problems etc, would be really helpful.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Coot]

Pryodex and Triple 7 are two different products. Both are black powder substitutes. They will work in most caplocks but not in flintlocks as they are harder to ignite than black powder. Their main advantage over black powder is that in some areas they are more readily available over the counter - some locations have such restrictive laws/regulations that local gun shops figure that it is too much hassle for a relatively small sales market. So, if shooting a caplock in an area where black powder is not available, Pryodex will get/keep you shooting. Many have used it with success for years.

 

[daniel collums]

i used it for many years and found it to be a very good substitute powder. it does require a very good cleaning after using it, but all powders do. the tough part of clean up using this powder is the hard crud ring that it makes at the breech end of the barrel, it requires some extra effort and brushes to get it super clean. i never had any problem with it going off, i always used cci caps. i have used it in both type rifles and that's how i know about the crud ring because you can see it and know how hard it is to get all of it out of your barrel. when using it in a traditional type rifle after a few shots if you don't swab it can very hard to seat a prb without pounding it and doing that will change your point of impact. so if your at the range just shooting swab after each shot. the reason i stopped using substitutes was the stores stopped selling any type powder around me so i had to order online and real black powder was priced right and i wanted to try it. now after using both substitute powder and black powder i can say i will never use substitute powders again unless forced to. so if you ask if i would give a good thumbs up to it i would say its alright but if i had to order it or if it was sitting on the shelf beside black powder i would buy the black powder. even when you add the shipping price to the black powder its still cheaper to shoot than 777.

 

[mooman76]

I have 777 but haven't tried it yet. I believe it works better in the inlines. I have used Pyrodex quite a bit when I couldn't get real black. Yes they are a little harder to ignite but don't let that stop you if you need it. I never had a problem getting Pyrodex to ignite and you shouldn't in a gun in good shape that has been properly cleaned. The real stuff is better but if all that is practical for you to get is the sub. Then use what you can get.
Pyrodex you substitute equal to black by volume but 777 is a little stronger so you have to adjust and use a little less.

 

[Billnpatti]

Substitutes work just fine in percussion guns but will not work in a flintlock. Since your gun is a caplock, or percussion, it will work just fine with either of those products. You may find that using the magnum #11 caps will help in making sure that you don't have any misfires. Some folks will tell you that using either of these products will ruin your gun. :bull: I used to use both Triple 7 and Pyrodex and never experienced the corrosion problems that these folks will claim happens. Of course, I never let my rifle sit uncleaned after shooting it. The substitutes are a bit hotter and you may have to adjust your load by reducing by as much as 10% to get the same results that you get from using real black powder. So, if you can't get real black powder, those substitutes are pretty handy for percussion guns. :hatsoff:

 

[Adui]

Real world experience: I've been using Pyrodex almost exclusively in my BP guns. YES i have caplocks only, and I suspect though I cant prove or disprove it, that the flint crowd is correct in saying subs wont work well in flinters.

That said, I have yet to have a misfire, or hangfire from either of my BP guns that could be attributed to the powder, unless you count wet powder.
For my rifle, the ONLY time its ever not fired was due to wet powder, (or the one time I dryballed :redface: )
For my C&B revolver, well it hasnt been the most reliable in recent times, but its OLD and in need of new nipples. Even so, the only misfires I had were when I tried paper cartridges for it. Mia Culpa there..

 

[Rat Trapper]

Tripple Seven is a really great powder. I have several TC Hawken rifles that prefer it. Some of my other TC rifles like Goex, I use what they like.

 

[Don Mackay]

Thanks for your views, very helpful.

Regards,

Don Mackay/

 

[Poor Private]

Now to look at the other end of the spectrum. Pistols. I have used trip 7 in all my pistols, and have never had a problem with them. I think fouling is a bit less than "true". I still prefer the BP over the Trip 7, but when your given several pounds from friends and family you use it. They generally give me what the have when they decide to quit BP shooting,and hunting. I even use the trip 7 as blanks at civil war reenactments in my pistols.

 

[Big John]

777 B.P. substitute cut down 10 percent works fine, it has a higher ignition rate than real b.p. but if that's all you can get, use it. In the cold weather it is harder to ignite, on biathlon walks at 10 below, i'll use real powder.

 

[Cowboy2]

Triple Seven works great in caplocks. The notion that it won't ignite reliably is due to ignorance of the fact that it comes in two different forms. The solid pellets are made for inlines, not sidelocks. The stuff sold in 1lbs jugs is in powder form, just like bp. That's the stuff you want.
It works fine, and cleanup is ridiculously less work intensive than real bp. Its all I use in cap guns.

 

[strato50]

Allow me to toss a wrench into some of the gears here.

Yes, subs WILL work (and work well) in a flintlock, particularly the larger ones like Bess', reliably and consistently.

I myself use APP in my Bess with no failures at all yet. Trick is to prime the pan with Goes FFFFg.

I've watched videos on Youtube ( This one!), and asked about his experience and says it's gone off every time.

I love my old flinter, it's a blast (pun extremely intended), but you CAN use BP subs reliably.

Thanks

 

[Carl Fowler III]

I've heard this stated before that substitutes work in flintlocks, and since yea hale from up north what were your results in frigid weather? Did yea have reliable ignition everytime, any delay upon igniting the main powder charge? Have yea tried 3F for priming your pan? :hmm: Inquiring minds want to know! :v

 

[strato50]

I haven't owned mine long enough to try cold weather shooting, but 2 weeks ago during our 37°C 100% humidity, 4Fg Goex in the pan and 1Fg Goex BP in the main charge failed 25% of the time.. and when it did go off liquid powder residue dripped from the barrel!!

I posted a video of ignition with APP in my own thread Here