Real black powder

[snakebit]

I use black in my revolvers and rifles, with exceptions. I use pyrodex P in my 32 caliber cap locks. Reason being I can get more shots off before swabbing. And I miss a lot of squirrels, so I need every edge I can get.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Don’t understand why some are using substitutes when it’s very easy to have the real thing. In my area out west many BP clubs order BP by the case and then sell to members as needed. Currently my club charges $27 per lb of BP which to me seems quite reasonable. My club purchases mixed case from “Travelers Antiques and Trading“. In Texas.
Doc,

I totally 110% agree.
I don't understand why subs are used either when BP is available.
Geez...its as simple as calling up a business, tell them what you want, pay & then wait at your door for the FedX man.
It doesn't get any easier than that.

 

[PathfinderNC]

In the most learned of circles, the common parlance for “ real Black Powder” is simply, “the Holy Black”.

 

[Sentry44]

Gents if you live in free states it all seems like a simple choice. But in the Northeast it isn't. You will never, ever find black powder in a gun shop here. So your only option is the internet, which gets expensive. But LGS do carry Pyro and T7. So what I do is use T7 in my in-line and new-to-me percussion gun, and save my black for my flintlocks. This works fine, and I can nurse my supply.

Sentry44

 

[Walkabout]

A few weeks ago I was shooting 777 out of my little Baker shotgun. After the third or fourth misfire, I got fed up and dumped it all out and filled my flask with Schuetzen 2F. NO misfires after that. Lesson learned.

 

[Bunk]

Real BP works in everything. Subs only do well with percussion guns. I keep it simple & use BP for flint & revolvers - no subs to stock up on.

APP in any disguise works well in percussion guns but does not like compression. Cleaning is the same with water and elbow grease.
Not for rock lock guns a bit too hard to ignite but iI did have some success in a paper cartridge Sharps with a small (2-3 grain) priming charge of FFFg or priming the nipple with FFFFg.
Really not worth the effort there but good in regular rag nose cap locks.
Bunk

 

[leadhoarder]

In the most learned of circles, the common parlance for “ real Black Powder” is simply, “the Holy Black”.

What is this blasphemous stuff you speak of? Are you talking abut "powder?"

 

[Bunk]

What is this blasphemous stuff you speak of? Are you talking abut "powder?"

Actually Du Pont de Nemours who stated making the stuff back in 1802 called it...GUNPOWDER!
I guess they knew what it was and being the resident curmudgeon I still do.
There is GUNPOWDER and that other fad stuff which is unmentionable here so I won't mention it here.
Bunk

 

[Sam squanch]

Some guys just can’t afford to drop a lot of $$ on a case of real black, or the wife will blow her top. And the hazmat rip off fee is ridiculous. Best thing is to get some interested people to go in on a case- if that’s still legal…..

 

[PastorB]

Been using Pyro since 1977 in my percussion Investarms Hawken, barrel looks pristine. MY experience with real black in MY rifles runs contrary to what most others report. For example, in my original 1861 Springfield, I can only load 6 or 7 Minies before reloading is impossible with real black, whether Swiss or Goex. With Pyro, I can load and shoot until my arm gets tired of ramming. Same with all my rifles. Clean up is no different, hot soapy water until clean, dry and then some 3 in 1 Oil (the Horror of it all!) down the barrel. I do use real black when hunting, just to absolutely maximize my probability of instant ignition, but honestly that has never been a problem when using Pyro and regular old #11 caps. The only time I use black nowadays is in my flintlocks, as Pyro is "cheap" and readily available anywhere. Triple 7 is very good powder, but expensive, twice the price of Pyro in my area.

 

[Old-Duckman]

Some guys just can’t afford to drop a lot of $$ on a case of real black, or the wife will blow her top. And the hazmat rip off fee is ridiculous. Best thing is to get some interested people to go in on a case- if that’s still legal…..

And the reason you can't go into any Walmart or sporting goods store and pick up a can of BP is due to the insane storage laws required to store, thus sell BP. I guess there was an instance or two that gave the Government the opportunity to write those restrictive laws. But then again...maybe there wasn't but just some activist scared enough lawmakers to have them write said laws.

Sorta along the lines of DDT and the book "Silent Spring" (I think that was the book that doomed DDT) or "Unsafe at any Speed" which doomed the Chevrolet Corvair. Great car, would love to have one and once DDT went the way of the DoDo...well bedbugs made a great comeback. Good intentions, bad results.

 

[Bunk]

Been using Pyro since 1977 in my percussion Investarms Hawken, barrel looks pristine. MY experience with real black in MY rifles runs contrary to what most others report. For example, in my original 1861 Springfield, I can only load 6 or 7 Minies before reloading is impossible with real black, whether Swiss or Goex. With Pyro, I can load and shoot until my arm gets tired of ramming. Same with all my rifles. Clean up is no different, hot soapy water until clean, dry and then some 3 in 1 Oil (the Horror of it all!) down the barrel. I do use real black when hunting, just to absolutely maximize my probability of instant ignition, but honestly that has never been a problem when using Pyro and regular old #11 caps. The only time I use black nowadays is in my flintlocks, as Pyro is "cheap" and readily available anywhere. Triple 7 is very good powder, but expensive, twice the price of Pyro in my area.

If it works for you good on you. Keep making smoke that is the important thing.
Bunk

 

[bpd303]

old black powder still burns ok after long storage

I have pulled loads from some old guns that I have worked on that the owners said the gun was over a fireplace or door for over a hundred years. When I finished the work, I put that same load back in the gun and it goes bang. One gun was a civil war 1861 Springfield the owner said was used at Antietum by his Great Grandfather, it had 5 loads stacked one on top of the other. Every load fired just fine (one at a time). That was fun.

 

[Bunk]

I have pulled loads from some old guns that I have worked on that the owners said the gun was over a fireplace or door for over a hundred years. When I finished the work, I put that same load back in the gun and it goes bang. One gun was a civil war 1861 Springfield the owner said was used at Antietum by his Great Grandfather, it had 5 loads stacked one on top of the other. Every load fired just fine (one at a time). That was fun.

Exactly so. Gunpowder has no shelf life as long as it is kept dry. Unlike the unmentionable propellant it is composed of a stable chemical, potassium nitrate and two elements sulfur and carbon as charcoal.
I still have and occasionally shoot some DuPont made in 1970 according to the lot ,umber and have and have some FFFFg in the very old Gunpowder marked decorative label. I may have had that 60 years or more.
I have been shooting Gunpowder (AKA Black Powder) for a long time.
Best regards
Bunk

 

[joevic57]

Like DIY percussion caps, learn how to make your own homemade black powder. There is a learning curve like everything else, but it is not as difficult or dangerous and some would make it out to be. You can make very fast and relatively clean black powder with a small ball mill or rock tumbler, a small digital scale, sizing screens, various and sundry containers, 70/30 isopropyl alcohol, DIY charcoal from willow or grapevine or mesquite or mimosa or a number of other woods, and potassium nitrate and sulfur of good purity. Five dollars a pound versus I cannot find it and $30 a pound is a pretty good motivator.. Have to deep your work area clean and be double sure there are no ignition sources close by. Lots of good info on the internet. Try it as you just might like it!

 

[Daveboone]

Is sometimes hard to find, I use Triple 7 and satisfied with it.
So here a question. If you could get real black powder would you go back? Or would you stay with the substitutes?
Personally, I kinda like 777 over the real stuff.

I used triple seven for a while. When I went back to the "real stuff", I was much happier. Better ignition, better consistency, and I needed to make sure I clean my rifle after use...whasa big deal? I found with the 777 I was more likely to neglect my gun....and then of course the same problems you have with normal (black) powder.

 

[Howard Pippin]

Gents if you live in free states it all seems like a simple choice. But in the Northeast it isn't. You will never, ever find black powder in a gun shop here. So your only option is the internet, which gets expensive. But LGS do carry Pyro and T7. So what I do is use T7 in my in-line and new-to-me percussion gun, and save my black for my flintlocks. This works fine, and I can nurse my supply.

Sentry44

I was told that A Miles City, Mt store has holy black, but MT is a big place, and from where I live, it's about 240 miles one way, and this is suppose to be a "friendly" state. Seems to be the result of fed regulations for storage.
Squint

 

[Okie Hog]

Seems to be the result of fed regulations for storage.

It's not just federal regulations. The fire codes in some locations forbid stores from keeping black powder.

Know several shops that formerly sold black powder. They stopped selling black powder because it was no longer profitable to keep the stuff.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Just for giggles I just went to Graf’s website and looked at per pound cost if I ordered 5# of Schuetzen powder. With shipping and hazmat it was a bit over $152 or about $30 per pound to my door. If I bought their Grafs it would be about a buck a pound less and Swiss is about $7 a pound more. To put that in perspective that is probably what someone pays for a couple of rounds of golf if they use a cart at a public course.

 

[rp77469]

It's not just federal regulations. The fire codes in some locations forbid stores from keeping black powder.

Know several shops that formerly sold black powder. They stopped selling black powder because it was no longer profitable to keep the stuff.

Yes indeed. About 20 years ago, the largest Collector gun shop in Houston was approached by the Fire Marshall. He told them that if they continued to stock black powder and they had a fire, that his crew would block off the streets and stay safely away until it was out and cold. Guess what the gunshop decided to do? Yep, they caved. I don't like it but can understand why they did.

No place in the area carries it now.