The Blackhorn 209 Story - How Toby Bridges Tested the Prototype Powder Named Silver Strike

.... Just a month or so before this was written, I completed a test conducted with two .50 caliber No. 209 primer ignition in-line rifles, a Traditions Vortek StrikerFire LDR and a CVA Accura V2 LR, to see how many rounds could be fired before the bores had to be cleaned to maintain accuracy. This test began in January 2017.
I concluded the test on January 15, 2018. During basically that one year period, the Traditions rifle had 482 rounds fired through it … the CVA rifle had logged 493 shots during the same period. Neither of these rifles had a single cleaning patch pushed through the bore, and both were still consistently producing 1- to 1 ½-inch hundred yard groups. Both rifles cleaned up with a couple of Blackhorn 209 Solvent dampened patches … a few dozen strokes with a .50 caliber bronze wire bore brush … a couple of more solvent dampened patches … a dry patch … and a lightly lubed patch. Both bores looked like new. (Note: Primer carbon fouling was cleaned from the breech plugs every 150 shots.).....

Our Side of the Blackhorn 209 Story by Toby Bridges --->>> http://namlhunt.com/bh209anniversary.html

*Note the warnings on the BH 209 label, always clean your gun as soon as possible after using BH 209 powder.

red rick said:

I will not use it for hunting . I have experienced hang fires using it in my CVS V1 . Yes the breech plug was cleaned with a drill bit and using CCI 209 magnum primers . It cost me a nice buck and what would have been my first buck on my property . Triple 7 of hunting , blackhorn for fun .

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That's too bad.
Maybe that CVA breech plug design requires a little booster charge.
Can't the plug be drilled out just a little bit, or perhaps an aftermarket plug, or an o-ring used to seal the primer pocket.
Or is there a way to adjust the head space by adjusting the firing pin by shiming the threads?
I recall someone describing how to do that.

Check this out:

"Once that was done I installed a new Western Powders Blackhorn209 breech plug, snugged it up TIGHT to mate the face of the plug to the chamber inside the barrel. Next i removed the firing pin bushing, cleaned it out, relubed and then added a .005" shim to the bushing to adjust the "head space" to keep a snug fit against the primer to prevent blow by. This MR had excellent head space to begin with so only a thin shim was needed to make it perfect." --->>> https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cva-accura-mountain-rifle.675158/#post-8377000

Do you know how to check this?
I've seen other posts by frontiergander where he has described that and other ignition tuning procedures in more detail.
There should be a way to fix the problem within reason if others with the same model have resolved it.
If I find anything else I will post.

red rick said:

The breech plug was drilled out and the firing pin screw was shimmed . I had a few hang fires working up a load so I should have known better than to use the Blackhorn . I have never had a hang fire using triple 7 in that muzzleloader .

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Is this happening after you installed the replacement CVA BH 209 breech plug?
I'm curious why you drilled out the new breech plug if it was already a replacement and what diameter did you drill it out to?
That must have been a warning sign.
Did you ever ask CVA about it?
Is this typical of CVA V I's to have hangfires even with the replacement breech plug? --->>> https://vitalarms.com/cva-ac1611bh-...MIwcG4zs_Q6wIVUvDACh221Q6AEAQYASABEgJn3fD_BwE

Have you ever tried a booster of charge of any other powder when using BH 209 to improve the ignition?
Did the booster charge work?
I've heard of problems igniting BH 209 with some guns, but if you really wanted to use the BH 209 powder instead of 777, why not try a booster charge of it to at least see if it could resolve the problem?
Since you had bought the breech plug and did the drilling, and everything else that you could, then why not try the booster charge as a last resort before hunting with it?
Lastly, I'm curious about the projectile that you were using, if that or how it seals the bore has any contributory affect.
I would probably be more disappointed with CVA for selling a breech plug that didn't work well than with the powder itself.

Placing an O ring in the primer pocket was intended to stop blow back past the primer, to obtain a tighter fit when the bolt or action is closed.

"Buy the hexhead breech plug for the cva optima, accura, wolf,kodiak and install it in the hunterbolt. Before installing it though, use a 006 size o ring and put it into the primer pocket. Should give a nice tight fit when you close the bolt and keep all the primer blow by out of the action." --->>> https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?search/45068585/&q=o+ring&o=date&c[node]=12&c[user][0]=69904

red rick said:

There is no replacement plug for the V1 only the V2 . I didn’t drill it I bought it from a shop . Yes I contacted CVA and they said they didn’t see a problem with the V1 . Maybe because they already discontinued the V1 .

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Thank you.
My mistake, I didn't notice the V2 in the replacement plug description.

There's still a question about the diameter of your flash hole.
There are folks who must have resolved the issue for similar guns.
Or else they sold their guns off to be able to use the BH 209.

Some people install replaceable vent liners and can experiment with flash hole size.
I don't know all of the ins and outs, but if a model is known to not work then there's usually a next step.

What about the booster charge? You didn't want to try it?

There's $200 guns that reportedly shoot BH 209 reliably, such as the TC Impact.
Some folks have an ocassional problem but the great majority who follow instructions do not, such as following cleaning tips and using the right components like primers and tight fitting sabots.

But I'm still curious about not trying the booster charge method.
To buy the BH 209 powder and then to not try to get it to work reliably, seems a shame that it cost you a deer.
Especially with the crud ring problems that 777 can cause.
And trying a booster charge wouldn't cost an extra cent.

Okay, here's your fix.
It needs to have a vent liner installed.
It's not an easy project but it's doable. --->>> https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/cva-breech-plug-modification-for-blackhorn-209-powder.283398/
The original fix is from a thread on hunting.net
The OP ronlaughlin might even help you out if you asked and offered him some change. --->>> https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/359236-cva-hex-breechplug-modification.html

It appears that the vent liner modification allows the powder to be closer to the primer, and enlarges the entire flash channel.

red rick said:

I don’t know that you can find anyone that makes them anymore .

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The hunting.net thread mentions the outfits that sell vent liners.
And if ronlaughlin did the work, he makes his own vent liners.

1. https://www.lehighbullets.com/product-category/muzzleloader-ventliner/
2. https://www.badgerridgeind.com/store/p11/LehighVentLiner.html
3. https://www.arrowheadrifles.com/product/savage-vent-liner-4-pack/

Badger Ridge also installs the vent liner as another commented that they converted his 2004 CVA breech plug to shoot BH 209.
The service is listed at costing $54.99 and the page has a contact link to inquire.
It's worth it. --->>> https://www.badgerridgeind.com/store/p70/BPventlinerconversion.html

Home page: --->>> https://www.badgerridgeind.com/store/c1/Store

eastbank said:

why should you have to pay money to get a new gun to work? unless all you can buy is 209 BH.

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The problem with new CVA's is similar to the short arbor problem with Uberti Colt revolvers.
Do those need to be fixed and does it cost money to fix them?
Do new Colt revolvers need to have a cap post, hammer modifications or new nipples installed to not have cap jams?
In this case. CVA doesn't want to re-design their V2 Quick Release Breech Plug [QRBP] that comes standard with the gun.
They would rather that a customer buy a 2nd special QRBP from them that works with BH 209.

There are "design details" involved with producing a breech plug that provides the optimum ignition characteristics that BH 209 requires.
The details involve the length and diameter of the flash channel that runs through the entire breech plug which can affect the strength of the primer flash.
The depth and diameter of the powder chamber at the end of the breech plug can also make a difference.
And the diameter of the hole at the base of the powder chamber can make a difference.
If the breech plug design doesn't optimize those features, then it can cause problems igniting BH 209.

Some customers might consider the lack of optimum design details to be flaws or defects.
After all, CVA could simply provide their better all around QRBP with every gun.
But it would seem that they would rather not which leads the owner to favor the other brands of powder besides BH 209.
Even though they could simply use a booster charge to ignite the BH 209, many don't want to use BH 209.

Most folks are aware of CVA's V2 shortcomings before buying them, and simply buy the 2nd improved CVA breech plug at added cost.

But the owners of older CVA V1 guns can't simply buy a replacement plug because CVA doesn't offer one.
So they need to make the necessary modifications on their own or go to an after market service provider.
Since BH 209 has been on the market for about 12 years, other companies have improved their breech plug design to work with BH 209.
But CVA has lagged behind in that respect.
It's not a big deal unless those folks want to use BH 209.
As long as they're willing to use a booster charge then they don't need to spend any extra money.

*Note the warnings on the BH 209 label, always clean your gun as soon as possible after using BH 209 powder.

This photo thread shows how ronlaughlin modifies a standard CVA V2 Quick Release Breech Plug [QBPR] with a vent liner to use BH 209 . --->>> https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/368693-make-your-blackhorn-qrbp.html