Black powder

[Phillip Allen]

It's getting to where black powder is hard to find. Everyone’s carrying that fake stuff, in-line rifles (gag…) and parroting all the hocus-pocus about “new” technology bullets and systems and the like.

I happen to know one black powder distributor in Arkansas. He has no one close to me that I can shop for powder at. He does, however, have a son coaching at the school across the street from me. Over thanksgiving weekend the son drove the 100 plus miles to have dinner with his dad and delivered five pounds to my door as a favor to both of us…HOORAY! (I’m back in business working on the hi-wall)

[Phillip Allen]

I just checked the weather and it will be nice to go shooting this comming weekend...50 shots takes nearly half a pound of powder (2900g/7000g to the pound)(2.9 pounds of lead)(59,627 foot pounds of energy delivered down range)

[Memphis Mike]

You could always make your own. What is it? Pulverized charcol, sulfer and saltpeter?

Just don't eat the saltpeter.

[Phillip Allen]

I have made my own in the past...dangerous to make when your 12 years old...nearly shot off my finger cause I didn't think it would work

"Boys don't grow up, they survive...sometimes"

[Del Lansing]

Many fire-marshalls are banning the stuff. Since it is classified as "explosive" as compared to smokeless as being only "flammable." Special explosion proof vaults for storing and other regulations are cramping our style.

[Jagermeister]

Is sixteen pounds of smokeless and five pounds of black all that dangerous? I keep it up against the side of the house, so its got room to blow out if it should go off.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I only knew where to get white powder. ;)
It only goes off inside you. :D

[ 11-29-2005, 08:43 PM: Message edited by: Peter Malcolm Jardine ]

[Phillip Allen]

As an explosive, black powder is a damn poor one. I can probably make a much better explosive using stuff outa the kitchen. I doubt the fire marshals can cite any instances of excessive black powder storage causing problems...heck DID YA KNOW that SOME groceries actually store large quantities of ammonia next to bleach...RIGHT IN THE STORE and everything...

I doubt the authorities are actually worried about black powder unless they are pretty ignorant of its properties...(I have seen some weird regs though)

[Phillip Allen]

Originally posted by Jagermeister:
Is sixteen pounds of smokeless and five pounds of black all that dangerous? I keep it up against the side of the house, so its got room to blow out if it should go off.I once knew a man who (while testing a recently installed flint) managed to set off his full powder horn (between 1/3 and 1/2 pounds of black powder) while it was hanging round his neck. He was in the bedroom and it blew the picture window in the next room out into the lawn but he recieved only minor burns.

[Jagermeister]

Now, if I can only find the time to stuff all twenty-one pounds of it into those tiny brass cases that I bought in which to store it. :D

(edited to add, so people won't think I'm a nut)

For those who wonder why we have so much powder, powder is like spice. Different spices for different meals. Different powders for different loads. Slow burning smokeless powders or coarse grained black for rifles. Fast burning powders or fine grained black for handguns. Smokeless for modern arms. Black for muzzle loaders and black powder cartridge (BPC) guns. Powders for shotgun shells. Different powders for small light rounds and large heavy rounds. A certain powder because Jack at the range said BlueDot was the cat's meow, or Fred used IMR 4221 to get just the right group. Different powders because some guns like one powder and some like another. RedDot because that's the only thing that groups well in the Colt SAA, or HP-38 because that's the only recipe you've got for a 90 grain bullet. Anyway, you get the idea.

[ 11-29-2005, 09:02 PM: Message edited by: Jagermeister ]

[BrianW]

Took this picture of the reloading bench, because it was clean. That's a rare thing. smile.gif

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/pd27a7912109d1958105b124df86c2e2e/fdcdf731.jpg

I like the IMR powders, cause they're colorful. ;)

I don't think there's 21 pounds on that shelf, but it's enough. I'm really trying to settle on just a couple powders for all my rifles, it's just a matter of finding loads that shoot accurately. I'm a big fan of H4895.

[ 11-30-2005, 03:24 AM: Message edited by: BrianW ]

[Phillip Allen]

ARRRRRGGGGGHHH! Brian, Brian...never store solvents near your primers!!! It will kill primers if there is even the slightest contact in the form of liquid or even mist. Move solvents away from loading bench. In over forty years of reloading the only misfires I'v had have been traced to solvents on the bench or hands.

[cedar savage]

So, what is the mother load?

[paladin]

The mother load izz 21.5 grains of IMR 3227 behind a 260 grain .44 cal lead bulllittt...or wuzzit 4227?.....

[Phillip Allen]

Prolly 4227...a good powder for the .44 magnum...bulks up well and has low muzzle flash (so ya don't blind yourself with the flash when shooting in the dark)

[ahp]

I am not a gun person but I do remember reading that one of the many causes for the Spanish Armada's failure was that they took the wrong powder. This was one example of Phillip II's micromanagement.

They only took musket powder, which is fine grained and fast burning compared to the very course grained powder that which should be used in navel cannon.

The quality of the Spanish cannon balls was very poor. They contained a lot of slag which made them brittle.

Navel historians now believe that the hard rap from the musket powder caused the brittle cannon balls to shatter in the barrel. The British did a damage inspection of their fleet after breaking off action and were surprised at how little damage they sustained from Spanish gunfire.

[Phillip Allen]

Thanks for that info...post more if you have it. Of course the English considered maneuver to by what won for them...it may have anyway, even if the Spanish had brought corned powder. Black powder is pretty gentle on cannon balls so I'm not sold on the musket-bust-it theory but it is possible I suppose...