Hogdon Pyrodex-P

[Barbarosa]

Is PYRODEX-P Blackpowder (FFFG), recommended and safe to use in these blackpowder pistol cartridges >

    45 Long Colt  
    44 Rem/Colt
    38 Smith & Wesson (old cartridge)

    I have 1 lb of this blackpowder for my .44 C&B.

                                    TY

[Dick Dastardly]

Take a look here.  The folks at Hogden have a fine lookup chart.

DD-DLoS

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/cowboy/pyrodex-p-r.php

[SFT]

http://www.hodgdon.com/pyrodex/granular.php

Pyrodex P - Pistol Powder The principle use for Pyrodex P is in all pistols and in smaller bore rifles, 45 caliber and down. P is also useful as a priming charge in guns which have a tortuous or fouled ignition channel or other ignition problems. P compares to 3F blackpowder on a particle size basis.

http://www.hodgdon.com/data/cowboy/pyrodex-p-r.php

45 Long  Colt  pyrodex-P 37 gr.  250 gr.  RNFP  955 fps   -13,500 CUP
44 Special      pyrodex- P 25 gr.  240 gr. SWC   891 fps   -12,800 CUP
38 S&W       145 GR. CAST  145 (powder- HP-38)  .359" bullet diameter  1.200" COL  2.2 grains  595fps    2.5gr= 630fps
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

cap and ball pistols using Pyrodex loads;
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/muzzleloading/granular/pdx-cap-and-ball.php

Hope this helps.  

[SFT]

     Thanks, I did chk out that site before. I clicked on the link & found the .45 Colt load, that I missed on that site. Thanks for the link. I figure 25-28 grains would be good for the Rem/44 . I guess 15 grains of Pyrodex-P would be fine to use in the 38 S&W.
     I have loaded smokeless cartridges in rifles & pistols in the past. I am new to BP loading.

                              TY

Your are most welcome.  Just a thought; you might want to reduce your loads for your .44 Remington to 20 grains and go up from there.  I've found that 22 grains (of pyrodex) gives the best accuracy in every one I've ever had.  Also, the pistol pellets while more expensive than granular powder, are a quick way to get loaded up if need be, and the 30 grains indicated in each pellet are safe and give you quite a lot of buck and roar along with good accuracy.  I prefer to put a wonder wad in between the pellet and ball, then seating it just enough to clear the cylinder of the ball sticking out.  You don't want to crush the pellets.

As for the .38 S&W I'd start at 12 grains and see how they work, increasing from there.

You might also want to try Triple 7 when you get low on what powder you've got, especially for loading pistol rounds.  While it is hotter and thus gived more velocity than the same charge of gunpowder, it burns much, much cleaner.  I use it when shooting BP in the Cowboy .45 Special (pistol only), and it goes a long way when you're only using 13 or so grains by weight in the short case.  More than enough smoke and boom, but with very mild recoil, anyone can shoot a .45 using that brass and save a ton of powder too.

Hope this and everything else helps; anyone feel free to correct any of the number and info I've put out here, I don't mind being wrong and would rather learn about it here than at the range.