Black powder question

[JLaw]

I've got a Kentucky pistol that calls for a starting charge of 20 grains of FFFg powder, a maximum charge of 40 grains of FFFg. Does Pyrodex FFFg weigh out the same as traditional black powder for a charge? In other words, is 25 grains of Pyrodex FFFg equal to 25 grains of FFFg black powder?

JLaw

Add-- Can I keep things simple and after cleaning with hot, soapy water simply lubricate/protect everything inside and out with Bore Butter? By everything I mean barrell inside and out, external metal hardware, trigger/sear & associated parts. Do I need to disassemble & clean the trigger/sear stuff after every shooting trip also?

 

[pohill]

Pyrodex and black powder are dispensed the same. I use about 25 grs of BP in my pistol. I strip it, clean it and lube it (inside & out) with Bore Butter after every shooting session. Great gun.

 

[Jim Watson]

Pyrodex will NOT weigh out the same as real black powder, it is substantially less dense. Pyrodex and all the other fakes I know of are meant to be used by volume. Set a volume measure to deliver 25 grains of black, then just take however much Pyrodex it delivers, ballistics will be close. There is really no such thing as grains volume but it is a shorthand way to express how to use Pyrodex. Read up at www.hodgdon.com

I don't think it necessary to completely dismantle the gun every firing, if the lock and trigger plate inletting are reasonably close so as to keep fouling from wafting inside.

 

[JLaw]

"Set a volume measure to deliver 25 grains of black, then just take however much Pyrodex it delivers, ballistics will be close."

Okay, I'll try that. The Remington measure I've got dispenses 21.5 grn black powder per my uncle who owned it, and it dispenses approx. 14 grn of Pyrodex. I didn't think about volume being the factor of dispensing powder, I'm used to reloading my .38 Spl's by weight. Thanks for the info.

JLaw

 

[JLaw]

From the Hodgdon website:

"All charges of Triple Seven or Pyrodex should be measured by VOLUME not weight. A simple, adjustable blackpowder measure is the correct tool for this job. All loads listed in this brochure are measured by VOLUME.

Pyrodex is lighter in weight than blackpowder and weighs only about 70% as much as blackpowder. However, because Pyrodex yields more energy per pound than does blackpowder, the same volume of Pyrodex gives similar performance to blackpowder. Pyrodex loads given in this manual for muzzleloading guns are measured by volume, not weight."


Clear as day!! Thanks for the useful link, Jim.

JLaw

 

[Jim Watson]

Yup.
14 gr Pyrodex is pretty close to 70% of 21.5 gr black, isn't it? Guess Hodgdon knows what they are talking about.