Black Powder
- Thread starter Roooster
- Start date
- Status
Fingers McGee
Member
Which is about twice what it's worth. I guess having to deal with BPS has it's costs.
"...Which is about twice what it's worth..."
Not to hijack your thread but...
where I'm at in N.E. Ohio the ONLY place that I know that I could actually drive to and buy black powder ( and 45 miles away at that !) charges damn near $25.00 a lb. for Goex and something close to $33.00 a lb. for Swiss, And thats before you get dinged another almost 7% for sales tax.
If you're close to my area, and would like to know where they're at, look up the Log Cabin Shop in Lodi,Ohio.
Apart from charging what the market will bear for black powder they are a great group of long time enthusiasts with a really well stocked & interesting business.
If I had some BP shooting buddies I would certainly convince them to do a "group buy" of a case or so of powder from Graf's. It's a little rough for myself,alone, to spend near to $500 for a case of powder and three or four thousand caps, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that that-there's just what I'll end up doing someday before long.
I am lucky in that I have a place removed from mine and my neighbors living quarters to store my allotted 50 lbs. or so of bp and the 10k primers/caps that a lot of State's fire law and insurance companies outline as safe to keep in a small battery without endangering my living space and/or garage areas. I'm certain that not a whole lot of us can say that though. So I guess there is SOME reason for the pricing structure of black powder, but... I'm not convinced that it calls for "...about twice what it's worth..."
Not to hijack your thread but...
where I'm at in N.E. Ohio the ONLY place that I know that I could actually drive to and buy black powder ( and 45 miles away at that !) charges damn near $25.00 a lb. for Goex and something close to $33.00 a lb. for Swiss, And thats before you get dinged another almost 7% for sales tax.
If you're close to my area, and would like to know where they're at, look up the Log Cabin Shop in Lodi,Ohio.
Apart from charging what the market will bear for black powder they are a great group of long time enthusiasts with a really well stocked & interesting business.
If I had some BP shooting buddies I would certainly convince them to do a "group buy" of a case or so of powder from Graf's. It's a little rough for myself,alone, to spend near to $500 for a case of powder and three or four thousand caps, but the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that that-there's just what I'll end up doing someday before long.
I am lucky in that I have a place removed from mine and my neighbors living quarters to store my allotted 50 lbs. or so of bp and the 10k primers/caps that a lot of State's fire law and insurance companies outline as safe to keep in a small battery without endangering my living space and/or garage areas. I'm certain that not a whole lot of us can say that though. So I guess there is SOME reason for the pricing structure of black powder, but... I'm not convinced that it calls for "...about twice what it's worth..."
arcticap
Member
A special license is required to sell black powder and the dealer also needs a storage magazine and perhaps extra insurance too.
That means that XXX number of pounds needs to be sold before the dealer is able to cover those extra costs. If they don't sell enough pounds then they'll lose money just for being licensed to sell it and keeping it in stock.
One of our few state gun shops that carries it charges $25 or more per/lb..
That means that XXX number of pounds needs to be sold before the dealer is able to cover those extra costs. If they don't sell enough pounds then they'll lose money just for being licensed to sell it and keeping it in stock.
One of our few state gun shops that carries it charges $25 or more per/lb..
Last edited:
Fingers McGee
Member
I guess I have the luxury of being close enough to Grafs to buy it there and avoid the Hazmat charge if I want to drive up there. My friendly LGS will also pick it up for me when he goes there on a resupply run. I was down to my last pound of fffg; but, didn't need to drive up, and missed the LGS trip, so I ordered 25 lbs (on sale) for delivery. It cost me a total of $353.76 with Hazmat and sales tax; or $14.15 a pound for Schuetzen powder delivered. I've already loaded 5 lbs of it in 44-40 and shotgun rounds and have a few hundred more empties to fill.
Admittedly, not everyone uses 25 lbs - or more - in the space of a year; and don't have other BP shooters near that are willing to go in on a big order. I've found that shopping around and watching sale prices at either Grafs or Powder Inc. will make your $$$ go further.
Admittedly, not everyone uses 25 lbs - or more - in the space of a year; and don't have other BP shooters near that are willing to go in on a big order. I've found that shopping around and watching sale prices at either Grafs or Powder Inc. will make your $$$ go further.
Last edited:
MCgunner
Member
I'll stick with pyrodex, but I do want to try to make my own BP soon as I can get set up....like have a home, let alone a shop.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
WoW! $25/pound really stinks.
I can understand how a front stuffer shooter might feel compelled to pay that, you just are not going to go through all that much powder in a year shooting a front stuffer.
But in CAS, we shoot a lot of rounds. Figure 60 rounds pistol, 60 rounds rifle and maybe 25-30 rounds of shotgun for every match. Multiply that times how many matches per month and it really adds up. I also completely understand why so many of my fellow CAS shooters stick with Smokeless. Figure maybe 5 or 6 grains of Smokeless in a 45 Colt vs 35 or so grains of BP in a 45 Colt. It really adds up.
I can only get 4 boxes of 45 Colt or 44-40 out of a pound of BP. 4 boxes of 12 gauge out of a pound too. With those kinds of numbers, we have to buy in bulk. I go in every year with a pal and we buy 25 pounds at a time from Maine Powder House. Schuetzen FFg is going for $16/pound right now, Goex FFg is $15.75/pound when you buy in bulk.
P.S. I would not dream of trying to make my own powder.
WoW! $25/pound really stinks.
I can understand how a front stuffer shooter might feel compelled to pay that, you just are not going to go through all that much powder in a year shooting a front stuffer.
But in CAS, we shoot a lot of rounds. Figure 60 rounds pistol, 60 rounds rifle and maybe 25-30 rounds of shotgun for every match. Multiply that times how many matches per month and it really adds up. I also completely understand why so many of my fellow CAS shooters stick with Smokeless. Figure maybe 5 or 6 grains of Smokeless in a 45 Colt vs 35 or so grains of BP in a 45 Colt. It really adds up.
I can only get 4 boxes of 45 Colt or 44-40 out of a pound of BP. 4 boxes of 12 gauge out of a pound too. With those kinds of numbers, we have to buy in bulk. I go in every year with a pal and we buy 25 pounds at a time from Maine Powder House. Schuetzen FFg is going for $16/pound right now, Goex FFg is $15.75/pound when you buy in bulk.
P.S. I would not dream of trying to make my own powder.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
That's absolutely true. I used to be able to buy powder at a shop only about an hour away. I would drive up there every few weeks and grab about 3 pounds at a time. It is a great shop, so I never minded the drive, I've bought lots of used guns there.
Then a couple of years ago because of some paperwork screw up the shop stopped carrying BP. Was not worth it to them to make the changes the BATF demanded. Can only buy the subs there now. If I want to buy real BP over the counter, I have to drive about an hour and a half now.
targetshooter22
Member
Yup, I think if you want only 1 or 2 pounds, you are stuck paying premium. I know here in the upper midwest it is common for 3-6 people to organize a group buy on a case (25) or even 50 pounds if enough people want some. Then we can get the price down to that $11-14/pound range after factoring in the hazmat fees. There are several suppliers including Deer Creek Products in IN, and powderinc.com that can get you there if you have friends to go in with on the purchase. That is of course for the cheap stuff; if you want Swiss or other premium brands, expect to be in the $20+ range pretty fast.
The local hardware store that used to carry it stopped when the regulations became more trouble than the sales would justify. They told me that now, in addition to the BATFE regs, the Department of Homeland Security demands fingerprints and background checks on all employees of any business dealing in explosives, which is how blackpowder is defined. That's not required for smokeless powder, Pyrodex, of Tripple7. Yet.
Cosmoline
Member
I pay $25 a pound and am HAPPY to do so. Only one outfit stocks it and if they stop, that's it. No way to ship it in without enormous headaches.
In other words, our customers don't mean very much to us.
I asked my LGS why, in the face of all the trouble it takes, they still stock real black powder (Swiiss and Goex). Their answer: "Because our customers want us to."
BTW, 1 lb of Goex fffg is $18 plus 6% sales tax.
ridgerunner1965
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 768
boys its getting to be a pain to git real bp.i think its high time to bite the b.ullet and order what yu think you need for the rest of your lifetime.rite now im looking at a 25 lb purchase thru powder.inc.or whoever yu want.i really don't want to have to make it myself. I make or produce so much stuff now its just not feasible. 25 lbs would last me till I couldn't lift a smokepole anymore.and ill promise yu, if yu buy it now it wont be cheaper next year.they WILL outlaw bp as soon as they can.its explosive! but bp guns will be the last to to get outlawed cuz they cant justify it.my advice is to stock up,not like it don't last forever?
Pete D.
Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 2,658
BP
Try buying BP from an online supplier like Powder Inc.
Order 10 lbs and the cost is $17.90 per pound, shipping and hazmat charges included.
http://www.powderinc.com/catalog/order.htm
Pete
Try buying BP from an online supplier like Powder Inc.
Order 10 lbs and the cost is $17.90 per pound, shipping and hazmat charges included.
http://www.powderinc.com/catalog/order.htm
Pete
- Status
