New to Black Powder

[hawg]

I've never touched anything besides true black powder since my adventure with 777.

I started using Pyrodex back when real black started getting so hard to get and it was the only game in town. I was happy with it for years. When T7 and the other subs came out they were almost twice the price of Pyrodex so I never considered them. When I got my 63 Sharps Pyro didn't work so well so I had to order real bp online. I figured if I was going to have to order it I might as well get the best. As far as I can tell without a chrono they both shoot about the same and cleanup is the same. The Swiss starts to corrode a little faster is all. Swiss does smell better and I do prefer it so when I can afford to order powder that's what I get. Living on disability limits how often I can get it but I do have about four pounds of Swiss and about three pounds of Pyro so I'm good for awhile.

 

[Zulch]

I had two pounds, and gave them away.

Oops, Disregard this Ugly Sauce. I should have started further back in the thread. my sincere apologies guys.

Ugly Sauce, sir, what did you experience with 777 that made you give it away? I have some but have not used it to date. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks. Z

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Thanks. So are you saying that you only recommend chamfered cylinders or am I misunderstanding?

It's up the individual if he wants to see a ring shaved off a ball, I don't so I chamfer my chambers. I'm expressing my opinion on it and not necessarily recommending that everyone do this.

 

[Zulch]

It's up the individual if he wants to see a ring shaved off a ball, I don't so I chamfer my chambers. I'm expressing my opinion on it and not necessarily recommending that everyone do this.

Roger that Jackrabbit1957. I understand now Thank you.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Ugly Sauce, sir, what did you experience with 777 that made you give it away? I have some but have not used it to date. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks. Z

Well it was like this. I had my 1860 Colt Clone for many years. Shot it many years with nary a chain fire. Had another .44 before that (a "Yank" kit) with nary or ever a chain fire. No ring-o-lead with them, and used pinched caps. Always used black powder.

After shooting the 1860 for 20 years I tried 777, and it chain fired on the seventh or eighth shot. Blew the front sight and loading lever latch-stud off the barrel. So, I was just so disgusted with it that I gave it away. I've possibly been shooting that pistol for another 20 years (has 777 been out that long?) with pinched caps up until fairly recently, with no chain fires. So yes-sir-reeeeee, I do not trust it. !!!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I started using Pyrodex back when real black started getting so hard to get and it was the only game in town. I was happy with it for years. When T7 and the other subs came out they were almost twice the price of Pyrodex so I never considered them. When I got my 63 Sharps Pyro didn't work so well so I had to order real bp online. I figured if I was going to have to order it I might as well get the best. As far as I can tell without a chrono they both shoot about the same and cleanup is the same. The Swiss starts to corrode a little faster is all. Swiss does smell better and I do prefer it so when I can afford to order powder that's what I get. Living on disability limits how often I can get it but I do have about four pounds of Swiss and about three pounds of Pyro so I'm good for awhile.

I used Pyrodex in my 1863 Remington contract rifle for a while and it seemed to work okay. But I never found an advantage to using it, and used to always have plenty of black powder around, and everyone in the nearby little city sold it, (for cheap, even in them days!) so yeah, never a reason to switch to or use a sub. Tried it out of curiosity, but that was about it, and I don't think I ever shot much of any in my pistols.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Well it was like this. I had my 1860 Colt Clone for many years. Shot it many years with nary a chain fire. Had another .44 before that (a "Yank" kit) with nary or ever a chain fire. No ring-o-lead with them, and used pinched caps. Always used black powder.

After shooting the 1860 for 20 years I tried 777, and it chain fired on the seventh or eighth shot. Blew the front sight and loading lever latch-stud off the barrel. So, I was just so disgusted with it that I gave it away. I've possibly been shooting that pistol for another 20 years (has 777 been out that long?) with pinched caps up until fairly recently, with no chain fires. So yes-sir-reeeeee, I do not trust it. !!!

. Aha!! Pinched caps!! That is more than likely what led to your chain fire rather than the T7. I have shot a lot of T7 over the past number of years with absolutely no problems. I don't like the cost so I don't shoot it so much now. I have found that checking the nipple size at the middle of the cone should be around .165 to .174 for a decent fit on #11 CCI caps. This gives a snug fit without having to force the caps on.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

. Aha!! Pinched caps!! That is more than likely what led to your chain fire rather than the T7. I have shot a lot of T7 over the past number of years with absolutely no problems. I don't like the cost so I don't shoot it so much now. I have found that checking the nipple size at the middle of the cone should be around .165 to .174 for a decent fit on #11 CCI caps. This gives a snug fit without having to force the caps on.

I would not argue with that. However, since I used pinched caps up until the 777 with not a chain fire, and for a while after with black powder, and no chain fires....??? But I agree, the pinched caps most likely had something to do with it. But it does burn at a higher temp I believe. Perhaps it was all just the "perfect storm". I've never heard of a rash of chain-fires happening with T7 in general. Have heard of some damage to guns with it. Dropping rammers, sheared off rammer latch-studs, and damage to side-lock rifle locks with it. (and everything I've heard on the internet HAS to be true!)

I am now completely sold on getting the perfect cap-fit. Even if a loose cap does not cause one, or "facilitate" a chain fire, it sure is annoying when they fall off the nips from recoil. !!!! What I plan to do with all my revolvers (all three of them) in the future is to start off with overly large nips, and then turn them in the drill press until I get that perfect fit. I like a little force to fully seat them because I think that makes them more water-proof. In all the videos I've watched about water-testing BP revolvers, it seems like it's always the caps that get wet. Change the cap, and the gun goes off. ? That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. !

Anyhow, the cones on my 1860 were too big for the CCI's, fit the Remingtons perfectly, but I'm about out of them. Sizing them down to fit the CCI's (of which I have 1000) was really fast and easy to do. My Remington New Model Army and 1860 both fit the CCI's well. But I'll double check that soon. I may have shot them last with Remington caps, and forgot, but I don't think so.