Black Powder Question?

[The Arapaho Kid]

At the shoot in Colorado, last weekend, there was a shooter using a pair of .44 caliber, cap and ball Remmys.  I was watching him load one.  He didn't pour the powder in the cylinders.  It looked like the was putting tablets in there.  Does BP come in solid, or tablet form now?  I also noticed he didn't grease up the front of his cylinders either.  I thought that was a safety precaution?

If BP comes in solid/tablet form...I presume it comes in caliber size?  If this is true...I have an old .36 Colt Navy, brass frame that I can shoot.  I might look into getting some of that BP and launch a few with it.

Let me know on this!

Thanks!

[Doc Shapiro]

Pyrodex pellets come to mind.  And I think APP, or one of the other subs, was making them too.

If the ball fits right, and trims off a ring of lead, there is very little chance of chainfire around the front.  Most cases of chainfire are due to improperly seated caps, or caps that don't fit right.

Doc

[Coop Trawlaine]

Hey Kid!

When you find out about those neat loads let me know, I also have a '51 B&C Sheriff's Colt that I would like to try out but have been a little shy about loading the Holy Black.  I shoot '58 Remy's but with the R&D conversion cylinders in .45LC, but I have bought BP Loaded ammo.  Cough!  Cough!  Cough!   LOL  My email is on my profile.

[Big John Wyatt]

Hodgdon, and American Pioneer Powder make pellets.
They are caliber specific.
  Check their websites.

[Coop Trawlaine]

Thanks Big John,  heading down that trail right now...

[Arcey]

At the shoot in Colorado, last weekend, there was a shooter using a pair of .44 caliber, cap and ball Remmys.  I was watching him load one.  He didn't pour the powder in the cylinders.  It looked like the was putting tablets in there.  Does BP come in solid, or tablet form now?  I also noticed he didn't grease up the front of his cylinders either.  I thought that was a safety precaution?

If BP comes in solid/tablet form...I presume it comes in caliber size?  If this is true...I have an old .36 Colt Navy, brass frame that I can shoot.  I might look into getting some of that BP and launch a few with it.

Let me know on this!

Thanks!

Hey, Kid.  What did the guy loading those 'tablets' tell you about it?  You did ask him didn't you?  While you were face to face, live and in person at the shoot.

[Camille Eonich]

I have been told that the Pyrodex pellets make for some really tough clean up.  Ask Tensleep about it.

[Arcey]

My experience is limited.  Ain't messed with them in two or three years.  Didn't have a problem with the things though.  All they are is Pyrodex, a l'il real BP for an igniter and a binder.  One has to use soft bullets and a lube friendly to BP is all.

I just wish I'd have asked Beartooth what they were before I 'borrowed' some.  He was shooting 140 grain round balls, I was shooting 240 grain conicals.  The friggin' things were almost twice the equivalent of the loose Pyrodex charge I was using.  From that day, ain't no one gonna make me believe a C&B pistol can't be loaded to the point the recoil isn't comfortable.  Pulled the trigger on that thing then took a hundred yard walk back to the line from the parking lot.

I'm anxious for someone to find them in .36..................................

[The Arapaho Kid]

At the shoot in Colorado, last weekend, there was a shooter using a pair of .44 caliber, cap and ball Remmys.  I was watching him load one.  He didn't pour the powder in the cylinders.  It looked like the was putting tablets in there.  Does BP come in solid, or tablet form now?  I also noticed he didn't grease up the front of his cylinders either.  I thought that was a safety precaution?

If BP comes in solid/tablet form...I presume it comes in caliber size?  If this is true...I have an old .36 Colt Navy, brass frame that I can shoot.  I might look into getting some of that BP and launch a few with it.

Let me know on this!

Thanks!

Hey, Kid.  What did the guy loading those 'tablets' tell you about it?  You did ask him didn't you?  While you were face to face, live and in person at the shoot.

Actually I was back ways (maybe 6 feet) from the firing line and I didn't want to bother him with a question about his powder loads at that time, but it looked like he was loading a grayish colored substance in his sixshooter.  He wasn't pouring it in.  It looked like a solid little rod that he slid into the chamber.

[Arcey]

Spend some useful time.  hodgdon.com

Pyrodex pellets are old news.  Very old.

[Camille Eonich]

They the bomb for muzzle loader hunting though.

[Silver Creek Slim]

At the shoot in Colorado, last weekend, there was a shooter using a pair of .44 caliber, cap and ball Remmys.  I was watching him load one.  He didn't pour the powder in the cylinders.  It looked like the was putting tablets in there.  Does BP come in solid, or tablet form now?  I also noticed he didn't grease up the front of his cylinders either.  I thought that was a safety precaution?

If BP comes in solid/tablet form...I presume it comes in caliber size?  If this is true...I have an old .36 Colt Navy, brass frame that I can shoot.  I might look into getting some of that BP and launch a few with it.

Let me know on this!

Thanks!

Hey, Kid.  What did the guy loading those 'tablets' tell you about it?  You did ask him didn't you?  While you were face to face, live and in person at the shoot.

Actually I was back ways (maybe 6 feet) from the firing line and I didn't want to bother him with a question about his powder loads at that time, but it looked like he was loading a grayish colored substance in his sixshooter.  He wasn't pouring it in.  It looked like a solid little rod that he slid into the chamber.

Sound like APP to me. I used to have some Cleanshot/APP. It was gray colored. Pyrodex is black. I haven't tried the pellets/sticks, but have heard of them. Here's the webpage.
http://www.americanpioneerpowder.com/sticks.html
The "positive", if there is one, with APP is it produces it's own lube so you don't have to use lube in your load. The "sticks" are rectangular in shape. They used to be cylinder shape until Hodgdon sued that fer patent infringement. That was when the company was named Cleanshot.

Slim

[Arcey]

Deleted

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Slim, Pyrodex solids ARE gray!

Arapaho Kid and Coop;  you won't be able to use those Pyrodex "pellets" in your 36 Cal. Navies.  Why?  They're for 44 & 45 cal. guns and won't fit in your cylinders.  I'm not sure 'bout the APP "sticks."  I've no experience with them.

As to cleaning difficulties, well, I never shot more than 50 rounds in my 1860 Army using Pyro. pellets in one session (and I haven't used them in competition), but they cleaned up as easy as granular BP.  I also apply lube in goodly amounts in front of the ball or conical "bullet."  Yeah, it's messy, but I only have to put a little bit of BP cleaner on the cylinder face every 20 - 30 shots to keep it shooting smoothly.

My only complaint is the price.  It's about double or triple the price of the granular stuff!  A hint:  like regular Pyrodex, it works better with magnum type percussion caps or primers (ifya load ca'tridge stuff - and YES they can be safely used in a cartridge, if you have the bullet seated to where it touches the pellet.)

Again, I can't speak for APP ... but I'll bet that, except for the lube making property of APP, that it's real similar to the Pyro. pellets.

But ... it's a really good for the Muzzle-loading hunter who only takes a few shots.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Slim, Pyrodex solids ARE gray!

I'll be. Lernt somethin' new, today. Thanks, pard. 

Slim

[Coop Trawlaine]

Steel Horse,

Hey Pard, thanks for the information on the .36 solid loads.........

I'll stick with BP cartridge loads....

Coop