Originally Posted by
Abasmajor
This has been an interesting post which has hopefully clarified the uses of the different types of powder granulation in muzzle loading firearms.
Without wishing to muddy the waters, I thought I would just outline my own experiences with the use of BP substitutes and smokeless conversions.
I turned to muzzle loading revolvers following the 1997 breech loading pistol ban as a means of continuing with the sport I’ve been involved with for over forty years.
As I live in a flat and had concerns with the storage requirements associated black powder, I used Pyrodex P substitute. This worked fine, but the the gun needed to be cleaned almost immediately after shooting due to the highly corrosive deposits present after shooting. When Hodgdon 777 appeared on the market this aspect notably improved with much less residue being apparent after shooting. I’m not sure if this is due to the lack of sulphur in 777, but cleaning now only takes as long as it would with a breech loading firearm. When the club I use lost their outdoor range facility, we adapted our indoor range to include large (pistol calibre) rifles and nitro conversion revolvers, but unfortunately the ventilation wasn’t up to the use of black powder firearms. Although I prefer shooting outdoors and have since found another club with a an outdoor range, I thought it would be nice to be able to occasionally shoot indoors, especially during the winter months. As I’m not a purist and had a Ruger Old Army which is already a modern design, I had it converted and proofed to use smokeless powder. Now I have the best of both worlds and can use either 777 outdoors or a large flake smokeless powder when shooting indoors. As I dispense and carefully weigh my smokeless loads, I decided to do the same with 777 substitute. Experimentation resulted in a weighed charge of 13grns of 777 behind a lubricated wad and a .457 round ball being the most accurate and comfortable to shoot. The equivalent smokeless load is 4.5grns of Herco with no wadding and an Alox lubricated .457 round ball. Another advantage with the conversion is the ability to use 209 shotgun primers which are not only easier to fit, but cost less than conventional percussion caps. Although it’s good practice to clean a gun as soon as possible after use, using smokeless powder removes the immediacy of the cleaning process when this is not convenient.
I can fully understand a preference by many to use only traditional original or reproduction firearms and consumables, but I believe there is always room for those who have adapted in order to continue shooting the disciplines they once enjoyed before restrictive legislation intervened.
Brian
Thanks for sharing this. Friend of mine is experimenting with nitro + shotgun primers but has not bothered with nitro proof. AFAIK this is not illegal per se as long as he does not try to sell it - I have issued dire mutterings but he is adamant that this is safe 'cos he knows others who have done similar - it's his hand......
Was the nitro conversion a new cylinder or just a re-proof of the original? Also does the nitro proof marking mention any load limit? It occurs to me that a chamber filled to the max with BP remains perfectly safe but this might not be so for nitro.
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