Venturing to the dark side

[bowiemaker]

I have been shooting NCOWS for the past year with smokeless powder. I want to try my guns with holy black. I have two stainless Ruger Vaqueros (1 new model, 1 old), a Rossi Puma '92, and a Stoeger '66 Yellow Boy, all in .45 LC. I have been shooting 200 gr RNFP with Trail Boss in all.

What do I need to consider in shooting black powder in any of these firearms? I prefer to load my own ammo. I like loading the same ammo for all as I do now but from what I have gathered so far, it seems I would need more lube for the rifles than I would for the revolvers.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Cuts Crooked]

The single best piece of advise I can give you is to go here http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/board,82.0.html and READ! It's the "Dark Arts" room and there is a world of wisdom collected there! If you can ask the question.....it's probably already been answered there somewhere.

[bowiemaker]

Thanks. Lots of information there and answered most of my questions. Enough to put me off the idea of shooting black in my 45s.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Not sure that was the intent.  Info is there to enlighten, not frighten.  Pistol clean up is really pretty easy, the 66 should be a piece of cake.  The 92 instructions about using a case in the chamber really do work pretty good.

The other simple take home is with 45 Colt in a rifle, use heavy charge, heavy bullets and a good crimp for best chamber seal.

[Lucky R. K.]

"The other simple take home is with 45 Colt in a rifle, use heavy charge, heavy bullets and a good crimp for best chamber seal."


That is the best advice you will ever get about shooting black powder 45's in the lever guns.

Lucky