45 Colt and Pyrodex

[Ken C]

Going to try putting together a few .45 Colt 'black powder' loads. I have some Pyrodex FFFG equivalent, 200 gr RNFP bullets (Missouri Bullet Cowboy #4), filler wads, lube, and, of course, empty brass.

A Ruger NV will be the pistol of choice.

What would be a good mild to medium power load ?

And, afterward, just pull the grips and drop the gun in a pail of soapy water to wash out the residue ? Then a normal cleaning and oiling.

Also, anyone know of a local store in the Phoenix, AZ area to buy real black powder ?

TIA

 

[snuffy]

45 Colt and Pyrodex
Going to try putting together a few .45 Colt 'black powder' loads. I have some Pyrodex FFFG equivalent, 200 gr RNFP bullets (Missouri Bullet Cowboy #4), filler wads, lube, and, of course, empty brass.

A Ruger NV will be the pistol of choice.

NV means New Vaquero?

What would be a good mild to medium power load ?

I have no clue.

And, afterward, just pull the grips and drop the gun in a pail ofHOT soapy water to wash out the residue ? Then a normal cleaning and oiling.

Disassembled of course! Pyrodex is actually more corrosive than real black. There's a chance the corrosive elements will get into the trigger/lock area, so it too needs to come apart. Finish your clean-up with plenty of BOILING water. The hotter you get the steel, the quicker it will dry. Then waste no time getting oil on it, the heat will draw the oil into the steel pores.

Also, anyone know of a local store in the Phoenix, AZ area to buy real black powder ?

Whut do TIA mean?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

With Black Powder and substitutes you should fill the case to the bottom of the bullet and call it good. You can't fit enough powder in the case to cause overpressure with Black Powder or their substitutes. (as a general rule)

Pyrodex was developed to mimic Black Powder loads so you can load the standard Black Powder load in the .45 Colt which was 30gr BP under a 250gr bullet. I would think you can use 35gr under a 200gr bullet. (remember, those are by volume numbers, not by weight)

 

[Ken C]

Whut do TIA mean?

TIA = Thanks in advance


When you say disassembled, you mean more than just removing the grips and pulling the cylinder pin. I have not yet gone any further than that. Might have to read the Ruger manual a few times.

I wonder what the cowboys of 1876 did ??

I remember reading somewhere where someone cleaned the gun in an automatic dishwasher, lots of hot water, strong detergent, and a dry cycle !

If I wanted to use less than a full charge, could a filler wad be used between the powder and the base of the bullet ?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If I wanted to use less than a full charge, could a filler wad be used between the powder and the base of the bullet ?

I'm not totally sure but I see no reason why you couldn't use a filler between the powder and the bullet base.

 

[Foto Joe]

To begin with, over-charging really isn't an issue other than your own comfort. It is possible to stuff 40gr of 3f into the 45 brass but it takes a drop tube and a compression die. The result will be a wicked recoil when fired.

I load a LOT of 45 Colt among other pistol cartridges with Black Powder. Using a 200gr bullet 25gr of powder will give you a nice boom and the recoil of about what a Cowboy load smokeless load does. That just happens to be the exact load I use for 44-40.

Keep in mind that you need to ensure that the bullets you are using have Black Powder lube on them. The petroleum based lube used for smokeless will cure you of black powder cartridges in a hurry, the stuff will turn to tar. Using a lubricated wad between powder and bullet can lead to powder fouling depending on what lube is on the wad, so finding bullets with the proper lube can make your life a little easier.

If you wanted to load "Gallery Loads" you could do so using round balls or EPP Ultra Gamers. If you used round balls you would need to scrape lube into the mouth of the brass before seating the ball, in which case using a lube wad would probably be best since a Gallery Load has a substantial amount of filler on top of the powder.

I did a video a few months ago that is a step by step of making and shooting Gallery Loads. It's pretty elementary, but it might give you some help.

Most people have an opinion about Pyrodex, myself included. But if you can't get the real thing, then Pyrodex will work fine, just DON'T weigh it!! When the day comes that you can lay your hands on real Black Powder, get as much as you can afford. Until then do what ya have to do to make smoke.

As far as cleaning is concerned, I personally don't dunk my SAA's in the sink. I use Ballistol mixed 1:1 with water and it melts away the crud when sprayed on and/or brushed down the barrel. I pull the action apart probaby every 300-500 rounds and give it a good cleaning, but the Ballistol mixture that gets into the action during regular maintenance will act as an alkaline grease and pretty much makes them trouble free until you get something in there that doesn't belong.

If you're like a lot of us who try loading cartridges once or twice, you will get hooked on this part of Black Powder in a hurry!!