zxcvbob
Member
If you want to see peeing-in-pants hysteria, just mention making one's own black powder at home. 
Hysterical about loading black powder into cartridge?
- Thread starter ClemBert
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mainmech48
Member
Like many other folks in my age group it wasn't until I managed to acquire my first personal CF arms that learning about how to cast my own bullets and reload ammunition so I could afford to actually shoot them became a high priority.
Back then, several "authorities" such as Elmer Keith advised novice reloaders to start out using only black powder as, in his considered opinion, it reduced the process to its simplest terms and that reduced the chances for catastrophic error to an absolute minimum.
My father and grandfather tended to agree, so that's the condition they imposed to allow me to start making my own cartridges at home. I was eleven at the time.
While I didn't care much for the extra cleaning and maintenance chores involved, I did get through my adolesence shooting and hunting a great deal more than I would've been able to otherwise and without blowing-up either of those rather elderly guns.
Back then, several "authorities" such as Elmer Keith advised novice reloaders to start out using only black powder as, in his considered opinion, it reduced the process to its simplest terms and that reduced the chances for catastrophic error to an absolute minimum.
My father and grandfather tended to agree, so that's the condition they imposed to allow me to start making my own cartridges at home. I was eleven at the time.
While I didn't care much for the extra cleaning and maintenance chores involved, I did get through my adolesence shooting and hunting a great deal more than I would've been able to otherwise and without blowing-up either of those rather elderly guns.
Ignorance is bliss it seems when it concerns Black Powder cartridges. Last year while in a non-local gunshop, I got into a conversation about reloading 38 S&W for 1889 H&R. The employee basically said I was "NUTS" if I reloaded for that gun. It got better when I told him my standard load was 8gr of Black Powder, he almost fell over!! Apparently he thought that Black Powder and Unique were comparable.
45-70 Ranger
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There's an idiot born everyday!
Yup,
Some folks freak out about using BP in a cartridge. Some think you can use smokless in a BP gun as well!
Think I posted a thread where one of my son's "sorta friend" blew his brass framed .44 cal '51 navy clone apart with a full charge of Trail Boss. This guy had recieved printed documentation on how to load with BP or it's subs. But noooooooooooo,,,,,,,,He liked the picture of the cowboys on the container of TB and said "I like them cowboys on that there powder. I'm a cowboy and that's what I outta shoot too." No dumber words have been spoken outside congress! The fool blew up his pistol. Creased the metal plate already in his head. And damn near lost his whole hand in the process! What a moron!
So I can understand why folks act as they do. It is simply lack of information, intelligence, and common sense. Again, that describes most politicians too
YEEE HAAAAA!! Pass me that can of powder! Don't care what it is, just gimme some. I'm a gonna load this here gun up with it 'n shoot it!
Wade, laughing at the idiots!
Yup,
Some folks freak out about using BP in a cartridge. Some think you can use smokless in a BP gun as well!
Think I posted a thread where one of my son's "sorta friend" blew his brass framed .44 cal '51 navy clone apart with a full charge of Trail Boss. This guy had recieved printed documentation on how to load with BP or it's subs. But noooooooooooo,,,,,,,,He liked the picture of the cowboys on the container of TB and said "I like them cowboys on that there powder. I'm a cowboy and that's what I outta shoot too." No dumber words have been spoken outside congress! The fool blew up his pistol. Creased the metal plate already in his head. And damn near lost his whole hand in the process! What a moron!
So I can understand why folks act as they do. It is simply lack of information, intelligence, and common sense. Again, that describes most politicians too
YEEE HAAAAA!! Pass me that can of powder! Don't care what it is, just gimme some. I'm a gonna load this here gun up with it 'n shoot it!
Wade, laughing at the idiots!
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I think the interesting thing about this is that those who are ignorant of what we do, don't realize that loading smokeless puts them in a position to make many more life threatening mistakes. For instance: If while loading 44-40's I have a momentary lapse of attention and inadvertantly double charge, I'm going to have a bench covered in about 30+gr of Black Powder. Using Universal Clays if I were to do that, I would more than likely experience something much more lethal, like a gun in more pieces than I could count.
I am extremely paranoid while loading smokeless. My SOP when charging is to tip each brass into the catch tray under my powder dispenser before putting powder in it. Also, all cases that are uncharged are "Primer Up" in the rack. And before bullets get seated I physically look into each case with a flashlight for uniform powder level. Additionally I will be adding a small digital scale to the bench which I can weigh each cartridge quickly before boxing just to make triple sure I haven't made a grenade out of one.
Overkill?? Probably. Do I feel guilty about it? Not a chance!!
Black Powder may be more labor intensive to load, but mentally it's not as stressful, at least in my case.
I am extremely paranoid while loading smokeless. My SOP when charging is to tip each brass into the catch tray under my powder dispenser before putting powder in it. Also, all cases that are uncharged are "Primer Up" in the rack. And before bullets get seated I physically look into each case with a flashlight for uniform powder level. Additionally I will be adding a small digital scale to the bench which I can weigh each cartridge quickly before boxing just to make triple sure I haven't made a grenade out of one.
Overkill?? Probably. Do I feel guilty about it? Not a chance!!
Black Powder may be more labor intensive to load, but mentally it's not as stressful, at least in my case.
Hi BRM,
Ye'd mentioned -
It was something I had noticed merely incidentally, as, after shooting, I was just real busy the rest of that day, and, and then all day every day, and, kept procrastinating on the Clean-Up.
Well, days becasme weeks became months became another shooting Session with no clean from the prior one, or after that one, and, days became weeks became months and, well, even though the WALKER I have is a regular old Steel one, there has not been one hint of anything like rust or corrosion.
I imagine the Vaporized when fired blend of the Bee's Wax and Oil I use in making the thin Lube Wafers, simply coats everything very slightly, inside and out.
All the other Revolvers I have used BP in, I always did the clean up right soon of the same day...so, this 'experiment' with not cleaning the WALKER began incidentaly, and, continues, and, I will let it go on for however long, just to see how things go.
Ye'd mentioned -
It was something I had noticed merely incidentally, as, after shooting, I was just real busy the rest of that day, and, and then all day every day, and, kept procrastinating on the Clean-Up.
Well, days becasme weeks became months became another shooting Session with no clean from the prior one, or after that one, and, days became weeks became months and, well, even though the WALKER I have is a regular old Steel one, there has not been one hint of anything like rust or corrosion.
I imagine the Vaporized when fired blend of the Bee's Wax and Oil I use in making the thin Lube Wafers, simply coats everything very slightly, inside and out.
All the other Revolvers I have used BP in, I always did the clean up right soon of the same day...so, this 'experiment' with not cleaning the WALKER began incidentaly, and, continues, and, I will let it go on for however long, just to see how things go.
Hi Foto Joe,
You describe correct practices there with that.
I do the same - when loading Cartridges with any sort of low bulk Smokeless, I am very methodical, and double check everything about the Bullet weight, seating Depth and Powder kind and the Loading Table I am regarding for the info...and I weigh every Charge individually, and use a little Pan and Funnel to put the Powder into the Case one-at-a-time, and I check things many times as I go, inspecting each individual Cartridge Case for the Volume of Powder it has in it, prior to inserting and seating the Bullet/Boolit...etc, etc.
Far as inviting some 'hysteria' -
Try starting a Thread about 'Duplex Charges' for old Revolvers.
Lol...
I know, I have done it!
You describe correct practices there with that.
I do the same - when loading Cartridges with any sort of low bulk Smokeless, I am very methodical, and double check everything about the Bullet weight, seating Depth and Powder kind and the Loading Table I am regarding for the info...and I weigh every Charge individually, and use a little Pan and Funnel to put the Powder into the Case one-at-a-time, and I check things many times as I go, inspecting each individual Cartridge Case for the Volume of Powder it has in it, prior to inserting and seating the Bullet/Boolit...etc, etc.
Far as inviting some 'hysteria' -
Try starting a Thread about 'Duplex Charges' for old Revolvers.
Lol...
I know, I have done it!
Oyeboten,
As far as your experiment with BP residue. It probably wouldn't work in Houston or Atlanta. Your humidity in Vegas is slightly lower.
Speaking of "Duplex Loads". I was in a local gun shop a couple of days ago where they understand my affliction. The lady who owns the shop had been waiting for me to come in so she could show off her latest arrival. It's a 20 shot revolver!! Quite small really and only ten chambers but you load each chamber twice with what appears to be .31 RB's. There are twenty nipples on the back and ten of them are connected to flash channels which go a little over halfway to the center of the cylinder. It also has two hammers. I believe she called it a Welsh or a Walsh. Interesting piece and in pretty good shape but you'd better make sure you're cocking the right hammer when you shoot this thing!!
As far as your experiment with BP residue. It probably wouldn't work in Houston or Atlanta. Your humidity in Vegas is slightly lower.
Speaking of "Duplex Loads". I was in a local gun shop a couple of days ago where they understand my affliction. The lady who owns the shop had been waiting for me to come in so she could show off her latest arrival. It's a 20 shot revolver!! Quite small really and only ten chambers but you load each chamber twice with what appears to be .31 RB's. There are twenty nipples on the back and ten of them are connected to flash channels which go a little over halfway to the center of the cylinder. It also has two hammers. I believe she called it a Welsh or a Walsh. Interesting piece and in pretty good shape but you'd better make sure you're cocking the right hammer when you shoot this thing!!
Mr_Pale_Horse
Member
LOL. I have had days where I could not get through 500 rounds of 45 ACP rounds loaded with Unique and Gold Alox lubed 200 gr LSWC without a cleaning. BP is not the only mess maker.
The internet is full of DB know-it-alls. I'm much more paranoid about loading with smokeless powder.
I've yet to see a BP load that generated pressures as high as .357/.44 mag, much less .30-06.
Gotta wonder, would the idjits that are afraid to load BP in cartridges be willing to shoot an old Damascus barreled shotgun with modern smokeless loads? Not more than once, I bet.
I've yet to see a BP load that generated pressures as high as .357/.44 mag, much less .30-06.
Gotta wonder, would the idjits that are afraid to load BP in cartridges be willing to shoot an old Damascus barreled shotgun with modern smokeless loads? Not more than once, I bet.
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royal barnes
Member
In loading BP cartridges for cowboy action shooting for about 15 years I have found that a powder charge requiring 1/16th to 1/8th inch compression gives the best results. Filling a case to the top will result in crushed powder and difficulty in properly seating a bullet. A gap between powder charge and bullet will cause excessive fouling and promote inconsistent accuracy. When it comes to maintenance I clean visible surfaces, chambers and barrel within 48 hours. I totally strip them for complete cleaning once a year. I have never seen any rust. Proper big lube groove bullets and a good BP lube allow me to shoot 10 and 12 stage matches with my 44-40's and no maintenance until after the shoot is over.
andrewstorm
member
Black powder the original projectile propellent
Beware of subtitutes, such as semi smokeless,smokeless,cordite,pyrodex,ect.:d
Beware of subtitutes, such as semi smokeless,smokeless,cordite,pyrodex,ect.:d
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