Powder Flask

[tkcomer]

A few years ago, I bought a Colt repo and powder flask from Cabela’s. I had in my mind it was a 27 grain flask. The new ones Cabela’s sells are listed as 24 grains. I know black powder is different, but can I measure the load in a scale to find out what charge this flask throws? I’m using Pyrodex P powder. I keep seeing different weights for different powders and I know you load by volume. I’m just wondering what this flask actually puts out. Right now, my scale shows a fairly consistent 21.5 grains of powder. Is that a good load?

 

[rocklock]

Never, ever weigh out pyrodex charges when comparing it to blackpowder. It is denser than blackpowder and is designed to be a volume for volume equivalent. If you have a seperate adjustable powder measure, measure what you flask is pouring out in that.

 

[rocklock]

Never, ever weigh out pyrodex charges when comparing it to blackpowder. It is denser than blackpowder and is designed to be a volume for volume equivalent. If you have a seperate adjustable powder measure, measure what your flask is pouring out in that.

 

[rocklock]

Oops!

Soryy about the double post, haven't figured out the edit function yet. I got it backwards, blackpowder is denser. If you compared the volumes of equal weights of blasckpowder and pyrodex, the pyrodex would take up more space.

 

[tkcomer]

So how do I go about figuring out what this flask actually throws?

 

[gmatov]

The weight should be about 73 -75% 0f the weight of real BP.

If you are shooting a .44 Colt, you are well within the range of a Colt .44 BP revolver, even with a brass frame.

Read this site.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/difference_black_powders.htm

Should clear up much for you.

You CAN weigh real BP. It will weigh close as damn-it, to the 100 grs. you might want, a little more for Swiss, as it has more Potassiun Nitrate than Goex, so will weigh a little more for a given volume.

100 grs VOLUME IS 100 grs VOLUME.

100 grs VOLUME IS 100 grs VOLUME with the substitutes, too. That applies to 27 grs too. 27 volume BP is 27 grs volume substitute.

You only weigh the subs if you don't have BP and have gone to the charts to see what the same VOLUME of the real thing would weigh. 100 grs, again, and sub at 75%, you could weigh out 75 grs and set your measure to that VOLUME. It would be the EQUIVALENT of 100 grs real BP.

Cheers,

George

 

[Stickjockey]

So how do I go about figuring out what this flask actually throws?

If you have an adjustable measure, open it up as far as it'll go. Charge the flask's spout, then pour the powder into the measure. Decrease the measure 's volume until the powder is level with the rim, and read the scale.

Clear as mud?

 

[tkcomer]

I never thought about using an adjustable powder measure. I don’t have one but they don’t cost that much if I can find one. They don’t have anything for pistols around here. Rifles, on the other hand, you can find everything. I was in a shop this weekend that had a lot of black powder stuff. They claim they only sell about a couple hundred #10 caps a year, if that many. And that’s probably from the Civil war re-enactors we have in this area. I bet mine is the 24 grain model. It does great in my ’60 Colt. But I have a ’58 Remington coming in. I read where they seem to shoot best at about 28 grains. I keep thinking I saw a flask once that had different size spouts for different guns. I can’t seem to find that.

 

[Steve499]

Dixie Gun Works has everything you need, and probably more. There are spouts in a wide variety of sizes which can be changed on the flask or horn for different charges. There are likely other places that offer those also but Dixie is the only one I have a catalog for.

Steve

 

[tkcomer]

Ok, the gun is in. Getting confused on this weight versus volume thing again. The Cabela’s book lists 35 grains of G-O FFFG but then lists 28 grains for Pyrodex. The Pietta book lists 12 to 15 grains of FFFG. I’m assuming the Pietta listings are extremely conservative. The Pyrodex container says to use VOLUME measures equivalent to black powder. So 100 grains of Pyrodex equals a 100 grains of blackpowder in volume measurement. Why would the Cabela’s book have two different load data for these powders? On a side note, the gun shoots great. And I found a place that sells different size nozzles for my flask. I might step up to the 30 grain nozzle as the balls seem to be set back pretty far in the chamber with the 24 grain nozzle I have now. One nipple seems smaller than the others and the cap will fall off while firing the gun. I try to keep an eye out for that cylinder and rotate it so it is the first shot fired. Trigger has a lot of creep compared to the ’60 colt, but I’ll get used to that. I’m not firing for extreme accuracy. I just like playing with these pistols.