BP in .357 Magnum

[zxcvbob]

How well does it work? I know .38 Special used to be available loaded with black powder "back in the day." I don't expect .358 Magnum smokeless performance out of it, but maybe something like .38 Special +P.

I assume I should only shoot these in my single-action revolver and avoid DA because the DA would be too hard to clean, is this correct?

 

[theotherwaldo]

Not even close. More like a smokeless .38s&w or .380 acp.

Still, a fun cartridge.

 

[74sharps]

I've used 777 in a Ruger BH .44 mag. It's still dirty but a blast with all that smoke.

 

[zxcvbob]

I'm loading up some .45 Colt cartridges tonite with homemade BP. I shot a few 2 weeks ago and the recoil was about like smokeless loads. But .357 Magnum brass is an awful lot smaller than the big .45, so I just wondered if anyone has tried it.

 

[RyanM]

.357 magnum only holds 4 grains volume more than .38 SPL. That's not going to really improve power by anything you'll notice.

 

[Wildfire]

Wow.

Hey :
Not sure why you would want to do that .
Unless maybe you have an old junker laying around and just want to play with the BP thing. Hope it's not an expensive gun. I can see some doing this for Cowboy shoots, they have some what of a reason to shoot BP.
But there will be no gain in power and only serve to really mess up a center fire arm. Don't get me wrong here, It's your gun and I would not even dream of condeming what you do. But BP revolvers don't really cost that much and are a lot more fun then trying to convert . But then again ya still have to clean the BP revolvers too so I guess , Have fun with it. Let us know how it worked. But I agree that you will end up more in the .380 class.....

 

[zxcvbob]

Unless maybe you have an old junker laying around and just want to play with the BP thing. Hope it's not an expensive gun. I can see some doing this for Cowboy shoots, they have some what of a reason to shoot BP.
But there will be no gain in power and only serve to really mess up a center fire arm.

I want to do it because I can. That's why I load my own ammo, cast my own bullets, and now make some of my own powder. (don't think I'm gonna try making my own primers though)

I have a stainless ROA already -- an old one that I bought a long time ago, with adjustable sights and a long barrel. I'll bet it's probably worth more than any of my cartridge guns.

My .45 Colt is a Ruger Bisley (blued), and it's still in great shape after thousands of smokeless powder rounds, and maybe a hundred or so with BP. You just gotta clean them right away after using black.

 

[Wildfire]

I knew it.

Hey there:
Thats cool . I knew if I said any thing it would come back to bite me.
I good with it. Sounds like you got it under control. I thought maybe it was a beginner asking. I can see you are not. So have fun with it.

 

[zxcvbob]

So it'll work, but the extra powder capacity over a .38 is insignificant. Thanks. I thought the extra space might make up for my low-density powder (I don't have a hydraulic press, so I'm just pressing the dampened powder thru a screen to make the granules.) When I load the .45's, I fill the case all the way to the brim, then compress the powder with the bullet when I seat/crimp it.

 

[RyanM]

I forgot to mention, I did try making some BP .357s once. Filled the cases up to about 1/8" below the brim with 4F, and used 158 gr JHPs. Recoil was the mildest I've ever experienced in a caliber larger than .22 LR (but I've never shot 148 gr wadcutters). Couldn't have been going faster than 500 fps, I'm guessing. Handloaded standard pressure .38s with 800-X and the same bullets had noticably more kick.

BP rounds would be a great way of introducing centerfire handgun shooting to someone who's very recoil-shy, though. No kick, and the report is a nice, low "booooom," rather than a sharp "crack."

 

[longboard]

I've done it in my Ruger Security Six, it was fun. You may want to use 2f, 4f is for priming the pan in flinters I think.
Good luck and enjoy the smoke cloud.
Longboard

 

[tightgroups]

3F or 4F are finer, which means you get more bang if you use them. A lot of deer hunters I know shoot using 3F instead of the recommended 2F. You can use either one if you like but you just have to understand the differences between the grain sizes and how it will effect your load/weapon.

 

[Jim K]

If you like cleaning BP crud out of a closely fitted modern revolver, have fun. Been there, done that (yes, because I could), won't do it again.

Jim

 

[tightgroups]

Don't blame you Jim, I stay away too. Bp guns get BP, modern get smokeless. The way I like it but to each his own.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Actually, this is how I use up those old, clapped-out clunkers like RGs and Arminius'.

 

[tightgroups]

To each his own. Fun way to say goodbye to a gun that is on it's last leg.