What is this…?

[wmgeorge]

When I purchased my used Thompson Center Hawkins cap and ball 45 Cal this was in the box. Some type of powder measure I know but the ones I have and use have a slider at the bottom that adjusts the chamber inside for the setting on the rail. This has a fixed inside and the slider on the outside would tend to measure a LOT of BP.
Also I got two old Pyrodex RS marked bottles… one looks like just plain black powder the other has some red flakes mixed in, nothing marked special on the bottles?

 

[Patocazador]

That's an adjustable powder measure. I have one and if I remember right, each 'click' (line) measures 10 gr. of black powder.
I don't use phony propellants so I don't know what your powders are.

 

[skeeterfogger]

Don't know about the red flakes.
Pyrodex RS is for rifle and shotgun. Consider it ff. I use Pyrodex P considered fff in everything I have. Had occasional hesitation ignition using RS. Not much but still irritating. No issues with P.
Ditto on the measure, 10gns per line.

 

[alsaqr]

IMO: That is the best adjustable powder measure ever made. Black powder and all the black powder substitutes are measured by volume.

Weights of 100 measured grains by my measure:

Type of powder Equals weighed grains

Black powder 101.5

Jim Shockey's Gold 85.3

Black MZ 86.8

BH 209 68

Triple Seven 75

Pyrodex 68.4

Powder measure was overfilled and then struck level with a finger. No shaking bumping, no nothing else.

 

[Starter52]

Be aware that back-in-the-day some shooters would mix a small amount of modern smokeless powder into their blackpowder .

You may have some Red Dot shotgun powder mixed in with your Pyrodex.

 

[wmgeorge]

My online research after the hints here come up with a old Thompson Center
Rifle Black Powder Measure (#7040) holds 50 grains when fully collapsed and has “clicks” that are graduated in 10 grain increments with a maxi- mum capacity of 120 grains when fully extended. No Locking device. 10 grain increments are held in place by a detent.

Thats what my smaller adjustable TC graduated one tells me also. Thanks guys.

The powder, I do not know. Both containers look old, one is older than the other. Did back in the day did Pyrodex have red markers in it? I will more than likely not use, just sprinkle on some weeds I have out back. Yes I have "real" BP.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

...Black powder and all the black powder substitutes are measured by volume...

Most folks measure all powder, Black or smokeless by volume once they know what the correct volume is.
That said, it's more consistent to measure by weight once you know what the correct weight is.
That goes for Black Power or smokeless although close enough is good enough for the average Black Powder shooter.

 

[mustanger98]

A mix of Red Dot in the Pyrodex was mentioned... could be... but it crossed my mind that the Pyrodex could be deteriorating. We don't know how it was stored.

 

[Armored farmer]

No, no, no!
Dump the powder.
Get fresh. Not worth it.

 

[Tommygunn]

No, no, no!
Dump the powder.
Get fresh. Not worth it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This! Do it. Please.

 

[wmgeorge]

Yes its going to be dumped on the weed patch. I wonder if it kills cockleburs and thistle?

Yes I have been loading and shooting BP muzzleloaders off and on since 1992, more so lately.

 

[Patocazador]

If it's Pyrodex, new or old, I'll dump it. That stuff is the pits.

 

[whughett]

One of my old loading manuals mentioned discarded powder as good fertilizer. I use a lot of RedDot in Pistol loads. It looks like this.

 

[whughett]

Deleted double post

 

[eastbank]

sounds like red dot, I use a lot of it reloading smokeless shotgun shells.

 

[shootstraight57]

I have one of those but prefer a newer powder measured with this one.

 

[whughett]

The TC plastic one shown is nice One if those is a permanent part of the range kit.
I’ve pretty much gone to Lee dippers for Pistol shooting. 1.0 thru 2.2 is also part of the kit.
BTW the kit is a box that weights, well it’s getting heavy.

 

[Jim Watson]

I would not put anything that looks like Red Dot in a muzzleloader.
I would not put anything that looks like Red Dot in a Pyrodex can in anything.

The official disposal method for Pyrodex is to mix it in water. That will dissolve the potassium nitrate and potassium perchlorate. The sulfur, charcoal, and any added smokeless will settle out. I am not sure what to do with the solution; KNO3 is good fertilizer but KClO4 is toxic to fauna and flora. Hope that it would be adequately diluted in waste water treatment? Pour it out on a gravel road?

If it turned out to be all Red Dot in the wrong can, you could let it dry, lay it out in a long narrow trail on bare ground and burn it. Nitrocellulose + nitroglycerine is not really good fertilizer, biodegradation to soluble nitrates the plants can assimilate is slow if at all.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

If its nitrocellulose powder you can mix it with acetone and make glue. Its what i use as a glue and sealer for my homemade percussion caps...i make some for a friend who uses it to seal the top cards of his homemade shotgun shells. Just an idea...hate to waste anything if i can make use of it elsewhere.