BP v Pyrodex etc

[pegger]

Please can someone give my the full pros and cons of black powder v the non-certificated alternatives?

I know many prefer BP for authenticity, but I would be interested in what the alternatives are like for performance, effect on the weapon (corrosion) and bang/ smoke

[acmsarh]

Wikipedia is your friend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_powder_substitute

[Smokeless Coal]

they all make bang and smoke, pyro is more corrosive, 777 is cleanest but old school turn their noses up at it.

[tacfoley]

I happen to like Pyrodex, but also use Triple 7 on occasions. It has a strange smell, rather like the one you get driving past Newmarket on the A14 - sugar beet plus diesel fumes. I only recommend it for handgun use, Triple 7 in large loads in a m/l rifle is very harsh, due to its high conflageration rate

I shoot Pyrodex P or Select in my revolvers - depending on whch one, 25gr by weight and 30gr by weight, and 45gr by weight of Pyrodex RS in my .58cal carbine.

Please note that those loads are fine in MY guns. You use them at your risk in yours.

tac

[DedIdick]

I use Pyrodex as couldn't be bothered with going for the BP licence; 26-30 gns works fine in my 44 revolver.

[tim56]

Have tried 777 and pyrodex in my revolvers and my 577 two band navy and yes it works. Nice and easy to use with pretty much the same amount of bang, flame, smoke you get with b/p. Its another one of those muzzle loader issues that comes down to personal choice and what works for you and your particular guns.
Personally I use black powder out of choice and i dont know anyone on our range that has a b/p licence who uses substitutes. Its cheaper than the subs, cleans easily, the licences are free, storage boxs are easy enough to make with plans off the web and its the right stuff for the job. Im not knocking subs! They do the job well. Its just that choice issue thing again for me. Tim

[pnuk]

If you use 777 current thinking seems to be that you should be careful to use only the load recommended on their website for your specific pistol/rifle due to its potential for pressure spikes.

[sclg]

Happy with 30 gr 777 in my ROA.
Goes bang, cleans easily - and I didn't have to make/buy a big wooden box

Steve

[John56]

I use pyrodex in my .45 smoothbore Kentucky long gun mainly because I couldn't be bothered to go through the hassle of getting a BP license. The cleaning regime is the same.

Pyrodex and 777 load data:
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/muzzleloa...?CHECKBOX_1=on

When reloading be safe and never guess.

[lasbrisas]

I'm another pyrodex user, I use about 17gr in my ROA and pack it out with cous cous as it pours easily. Like others have said I couldn't be bothered with the wooden box and licences.

[airgunnut]

One thing most don't take into consideration is how toxic the residue is, as I've just found out, black powder residue is mostly potash (a fertiliser) and is less toxic than nitro based powders and pyrodex, this is due to black powder only having 3 ingredients (charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre) pyrodex and nitro powders have stabilisers, preservatives, burn stabilisers among others and it's those that are toxic when burnt

[mag357357]

On replica BP pistols, stamped on the barrel..."Black Powder Only"....use alternatives at your own risk and insurance wont cover you. I used 777 and a recommended load in my R&S .44 revolver and blew the forcing cone out....expensive mistake.

[gtpkeeper]

On replica BP pistols, stamped on the barrel..."Black Powder Only"....use alternatives at your own risk and insurance wont cover you. I used 777 and a recommended load in my R&S .44 revolver and blew the forcing cone out....expensive mistake.

thought subs were acepted

[deershooter]

I have 4 tubs of pyrodox for sale in the for sale section if any one is interested

Deershooter

[tacfoley]

Well, I have no horse in this race about how dangerous the subs are by comparison with the real thing.

All I can say is that I've been shooting replica BP firearms in UK, Canada and the US of A for over fifty years so far, and I've never seen one blown up by use of ANY substitue, nor for that matter, with the real thing, either.

Here in UK I shoot nothing else than subs in my two muzzle-loading revolvers - a Ruger Old Army and a Second Series Colt Walker - As I noted on this thread earlier. I'd dearly love to see how using any of the subs could 'blow the forcing cone out'. The cylinder should have gone first if anything like that was going to happen. The only time I've ever seen a damaged gun was over at a local dealers, where a warning display has Remington Model 1858 revolver blown apart by using Nitro pistol powder instead of BP or a substitute.

tac