How many grains by weight for cap & ball revolver

[grxy]

I just bought a Prieta Colt Navy style revolver with a brass frame.

My local gun shop only had Pyrodex so I bought a pound of it.

How many grains of powder by weight should I use in each chamber?

I also bought some CCI #10 caps, I have to push hard to get them
down on the nipples, is there much danger of setting them off when
I'm pushing them down.

Thanks!

 

[GRIZ22]

I also bought some CCI #10 caps, I have to push hard to get them
down on the nipples, is there much danger of setting them off when
I'm pushing them down.


Try #11. Your gun shop should have known this if they sold you the gun.

To answer the rest of your question you have to state caliber and round ball or bullet.

The manual you got with the gun should tell you a starting load in BP. If it's say 20 grains use a 20 grain measure of Pyrodex. Pyrodex is lighter than BP and to use it by weight can result in an overload.

 

[grxy]

Thanks,

It is 44 cal and I have 0.454 round lead balls. The manual does give the
#of grains but I though this was a volumetric measurement. (I have
a scale that measures weight in grains). Also the manual that came
with the gun does not match the little guide that Cabella's sent with it.

Thanks again!

 

[junkman_01]

Measure the Pyrodex by VOLUME or you'll be sorry. :banghead:

 

[GRIZ22]

The easiest way to measure BP in the field is with a flask and volume measure that screws onto the end. This is the way they did it back then, You get the measure marked in grains of BP and 20 grains of blackpowder would be a good load and give you about 800 fps from a 8" barrel. You can see what this volume measure throws in grains of Pyrodex if you want but weighing each individual charge seems like a pita and a waste of time if you're using the proper measure.

 

[BHP FAN]

CCI # 11's or Remington #10's.

 

[arcticap]

A 9mm cartridge case holds 13.3 volumetric grains of powder.
Loading 2 of them will make a 26 grain load
So you can load two full 9mm cases, weigh the powder and then subtract 20% of the weight to obtain the basic equivalent of 20 volumetric grains.
If volume measuring using a 9mm cartridge case isn't possible, then below is a conversion sheet to convert the weight of powders like Pyrodex RS to the approximate equivalent volume & weight of black powder.
Remember that the weight of black powder in grains basically equals its volume in grains.

See conversion chart #1:

http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

According to the chart, the equivalent of 20 - 25 grains of black powder is 13.7 - 17.1 grains by weight of Pyrodex RS.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I just bought a Prieta Colt Navy style revolver with a brass frame.

Your Pietta .44 brasser can handle about 22grs max. I would start with a 18gr load. If you load to steel frame levels you well peen the recoil shield. Possibly loosen the arbor over time.

General rule of thumb for steel frame cap and ball revolvers is the start with a load one half the caliber size, ie a .36 would start at 18grs and a .44 would start at 22grs. For brass frame revolvers I would consider this the max load if you want any longevity from the gun.

 

[Sniderman]

Listen up Class, This will be on the final exam.

BLACK POWDER IS ONLY MEASURED BY VOLUME, NOT WEIGHT! :banghead:

You can go by weight but probably only once!

 

[Noz]

One last time and as simple as possible. There is no such thing as a volumetric grain. Grains are a unit of weight.
The volume measurements for shooting black powder guns is a grain equivalent, ie "this many grains of weight take up this much space". The reason grain weights are not normally stated is that none of the powders used for black powder shooting are consistent, even from can to can in the same lot, enough to make such a statement relevant.
When shooting real black powder, not a substitute, an error of a few grains is in no way dangerous.

The easiest way is to select a recommended black powder weight from a chart, weigh out that amount of the powder you intend to use, make a dipper out of an old brass case that is the proper size or can be cut to the proper size and use that to dip your powder for each charge. Most charts will tell you you should reduce your powder charge by about 15-20% when using Subs such as Pyrodex and 777. In most cases, that reduced charge is equivalent to the black powder volume measurement in the dipper you have constructed.

If you are starting from Pyrodex rather than real black, take the weight recommended by the chart and reduce it 15% or so to make your base line load.

 

[arcticap]

One last time and as simple as possible. There is no such thing as a volumetric grain. Grains are a unit of weight.

There is a volumetric grain equivalent, but for the sake of being able to type one less word for every post that relates to it, it's common practice here to simply shorten the term to volumetric grain.

Definition of volumetric:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/volumetric

 

[jtscuba02]

Dang, just when I thought I had this figured out. So according to that conversion chart, if I switch between Goex and Pyrodex I need to change the spout? I have been using about 9.5 extra grains of Pyrodex per load.

 

[dodo bird]

Alright everyone got me curious.... I load a .44 brass frame Pietta with a .38 special empty case. Should be about 24 grains. I use Pyrodex. Is this acceptable?

 

[TheRodDoc]

Always use, write or tell someone a black powder load in volume. saves a lot of confusion. never in powder weight.

the volume grain weight is the weight of water. not powder.

a measure is made for a 20 grain load by weighing out 20 grains of water, then making a scoop that holds exactly that much water.

Goex and Pyrodex both use the same volume measure or spout.

 

[jtscuba02]

Dodo, It looks like you are overloading by about 4-6 grains.

 

[TheRodDoc]

If you would read the pyrodex label you will see it says to use an equivalent volume to real black powder.

 

[jtscuba02]

Doc, you would still have to change the volume of the spout if you changed between powders, right?

Ahhhhhh!!! I'm about to start pulling my hair out. Hahahaha!!!!!

 

[TheRodDoc]

No. use same volume measure for pyrodex as black powder.

If you want to know what a 38 case holds as a volume measure you fill it with water with a tiny bit if soap in it and weigh it. dump the water and dry it out and weight it again. difference in weight will be the volume weight of black powder it will hold. Or pyrodex.

 

[junkman_01]

If you weigh the case first, you don't have to dry it out to get the empty weight.

 

[[email protected]]

So, How much volume weight is there in a 1lb can which is 7,000 grains of
Black Powder? I always weigh my powder in grains on a powder scale.

 

[jtscuba02]

Ok, so I can use the same AMOUNT of BP and Pyrodex? Sorry, but I keep reading this and it just isn't sinking in.

 

[junkman_01]

Yes you can use the same AMOUNT of Pyrodex as black powder and vise-versa. :banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[jtscuba02]

Thanks Junkman. Now what about Goex? Hahahaha!!!

 

[junkman_01]

So, How much volume weight is there in a 1lb can which is 7,000 grains of
Black Powder?

I'm not going to empty a can of my powder to fill it with water and weigh it just for your amusement. If you really want to know, do it yourself.

 

[napp]

It's really pretty simple. When I want to measure BP at the range, I use a powder measure. When I want to measure liquid after I get home, I use a shot glass.