Black powder cartridges

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flatwins

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Anyone ever loaded up black powder in cartridges like they did in the old days? It's more of a topic for cowboy action forums and I'm not involved in that (yet?) but I like the historical aspect of it.

I've been doing a lot of digging on the 'net about the topic. Looks like you have to use bullets specifically cast for BP and use a softer lube. Then there is the issue of leaving no airspace between the powder and the bullet.

Anyway, looks fun. I'd like to load up some 45 Colt and some 38 Spl.
 

RedTape

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Really not all that different than loading smokeless powder. BP is a lot more combustible, so a lot of guys use a brass drop tube to load their cartridges. Wads to fill in the space, etc. Check out the forum on the Shiloh rifle Web site if you want a lot of reading on BPCR reloading.
 

flatwins

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Really not all that different than loading smokeless powder. BP is a lot more combustible, so a lot of guys use a brass drop tube to load their cartridges. Wads to fill in the space, etc. Check out the forum on the Shiloh rifle Web site if you want a lot of reading on BPCR reloading.

Thanks, RedTape. I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the topic and hope to jump in soon.

GREAT avatar, btw. :osu
 

bfoster

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For equal peak pressures the shape of the burn time curve of black powder differs very substantially from that of all currently available smokeless powders. This, combined with the combustion residue of black powder, are the primary factors which account for the difference in bullet alloy, lube, and (usually) the use of wads in the cartridge.

You'll find that black powder fouling will vary considerably- one of the hot, dry and windy August afternoons we see here in Oklahoma (this year has been the exception to the rule in my area) can pose much more of a problem than a cool damp morning in February. In August I use a lube just solid enough not to "run" composed of tallow, beeswax and a bit of lanolin, in February I omit the lanolin and use a much "stiffer" mixture of tallow and beeswax. Less extreme conditions call for a lube blend between the two conditions noted. It's much harder to "overlubricate" a black powder handgun bullet than it is to create this condition in a smokeless powder bullet. You may well obtain the best results with long "obsolete" moulds (there is a robust secondhand market) which were specifically designed for black powder shooting- or, after you've learned a bit, trying your hand at bullet design by using one of the custom mould makers.

The use of too hard a bullet with black powder is usually not conducive to fine accuracy, and can under some conditions, promote greatly increased lead fouling. Unlike bullets to be used with smokeless powders I rarely use antimony in the lead alloy for black powder bullets. A good place to start with revolver bullets for black powder is 1:40, tin to lead. I have successfully used alloys ranging from 1:160 (just enough tin to allow the mould to fill in a consistent manner) to 1:20 in black powder rifles- and from 1:50 to 1:20 in black powder loads for revolvers. Shotgun cartridges are an exception. Harder shot (up to 6% antimony and 2% tin depending on the size of the shot) almost invariably produces a better pattern regardless of the propellant.

Wads can vary from commercially available felt, fibre, plastic or other materials to cork, blotter paper, or wax paper cut with a simple die by the handloader. Selection will vary with application and personal preference.

Other than a bit more recoil (due to the larger mass of the propellant charge) you won't notice much difference with many loads in the 38 Special when using black powder.

The 45 Colt can be a different story. It's relatively easy to obtain a safe, somewhat faster and heavier load than all commercial smokeless ammunition except that marked "for Ruger and Freedom Arms ONLY". This may or may not be one of your objectives.

Enjoy,

Bob
 

Blitzfike

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DLBLEAK and I just did a brass swap, he ended up with some of the 32 colt and 38 sw brass. I sent him some cast bullets from my odball collection as well. One of them is a hollow base measuring a little over 38 caliber, not .357 but an actual .38?? It looked like either a muzzle loader bullet, or a bullet designed for 38-40 or something like that. Some of the old black powder bullets were bigger outside the case than they were on the part seated in the case. I have loaded black powder in virtually all calibers just playing, but with 45 colt and .44 spl, I got really good results. Pyrodex in the CTG formulation is made for duplicating black powder loads in cartridges. You don't get that wonderful aroma from the black powder mixed with your sweat, but they function pretty well with less fouling. Good luck with your experiments. If you can't find a punch to make the wads you want, drop me a PM and give me the diameter you need. Blitzfike
 

flatwins

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DLBLEAK and I just did a brass swap, he ended up with some of the 32 colt and 38 sw brass. I sent him some cast bullets from my odball collection as well. One of them is a hollow base measuring a little over 38 caliber, not .357 but an actual .38?? It looked like either a muzzle loader bullet, or a bullet designed for 38-40 or something like that. Some of the old black powder bullets were bigger outside the case than they were on the part seated in the case. I have loaded black powder in virtually all calibers just playing, but with 45 colt and .44 spl, I got really good results. Pyrodex in the CTG formulation is made for duplicating black powder loads in cartridges. You don't get that wonderful aroma from the black powder mixed with your sweat, but they function pretty well with less fouling. Good luck with your experiments. If you can't find a punch to make the wads you want, drop me a PM and give me the diameter you need. Blitzfike

Thanks! Dlbleak is my brother but you may have already known that. We are enjoying playing around with the older calibers and loads.
 

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