Shooting APP

[Sheriff A.E. Moses]

I just shot my first match using American Pioneer Powder in 44-40 and it went a whole lot better than I suspected it was going to. I had all the same mysterious questions that everyone fears about using a black powder substitute and I can only say that all those fears were unfounded as far as I am concerned. I found out that I was making it much too hard in my mind, much harder that it actually is.  I shot 5" '75 Remingtons revolvers and a Yellowboy short rifle from EMF, all of which operated flawlessly.

Some of the things that fascinated me was the cleanliness of the spent rounds and the guns. I used new brass to load with, and it actually was picked up off the ground after firing, almost as clean as brand new. The inside of the case was incredibly clean, and a zillion times cleaner than any smokeless cartridge that I have shot. I immediately placed the picked brass inside a water bottle and even after a couple hundred rounds the water was not totally dark. A couple more quick rinses with plain water when I got home and laid the brass out to dry.

The gun cleanup went very smooth using plain water, a few patches followed by a snake topped of with some balistol. Granted we were shooting in the rain and I know that helped me at cleanup time, but I sure never had any problems at the shoot that were powder related.

I used some round nose lead bullets I had molded from wheels weights, using only Lee Alox bullet lubricant in an old butter dish sloshed around a few times until the alox dried. (don't breathe that stuff - it is breath taking) and since APP claims it makes its own moisture upon ignition I used no other bullet lubricant. All of my barrels are extremely clean, no signs of any leading and accuracy was superb.

APP makes a ton of smoke, no fire, just smoke and doesn't have that deep voiced boom associated with black powder, but neither does it have any of the cylinder binding problems of black powder.

At this point I intend to shoot more matches using APP, but then I get lonely for my finely tuned vaqueros in 38 that fit me to a tee that I will continue to only shoot smokeless in them.

And so I would say to you, if you have been at all curious about shooting a black powder substitue, I can report that I am much pleased with the simplicity of American Pioneer Powder.

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Sheriff,

If you're using APP in a Yellowboy besure to clean it up very well. APP fouling aggressively corrodes brass. It leaches the copper out of it...ditto your spent cases.

[Sheriff A.E. Moses]

Thanks for the information Bottom Dealin Mike,
I did notice a small area on the bottom of the receiver, I wondered if Brass-O or something similar will put the shine back on it?

Thanks again,
Sheriff

[Silver Creek Slim]

Brass-O will do the trick but make sure you wash all traces of it off because it contains ammonia.

Slim

[Howdy Doody]

Sheriff,

If you're using APP in a Yellowboy besure to clean it up very well. APP fouling aggressively corrodes brass. It leaches the copper out of it...ditto your spent cases.

What BDM said, but you have started out with what I call the most forgiving powder other than the attacking brass stuff. Makes its own lube is true. Easiest to shoot, true too. Only trouble with it is the no flames part. I think it is a great way to get your feet wet in BP shooting in CAS and from there you can try other powders and make up your own mind what is good for you.
Welcome to the darkside pard

[Lou Graham]

Yup, APP makes a great "first date" with the Darkside
It's going to call to you "Come back, come back......to the darkside.....come back to the smoke....... come back......"

[Howdy Doody]

Lou has it and from her avatar I would say the picture might have been shooting APP. APP is smokier than most other powders and whiter too. No flames though. I've shot a lot of that stuff in everything. Other than the price I cannot say anything bad about it.
I like the way Lou put it, come back, come back..........stay with it.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Cleanshot/APP is what pulled me to the Darkside, but I matured into the true Black. 

Slim

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

One of the reasons APP appears so smokey is that it produces a lot of water vapor. That's also where the makes its own lube idea comes from.

It is easy to load and shoot, but there are a few things to keep in mind. It is more hydroscopic than real B-P...though less so than it used to be. If not stored tightly it loses some punch over time. And it attacks brass.

If you are careful of those issues it's a good, easy to use powder that will smoke up the range without stinking out your posse...though that may not be a benefit...

[44caliberkid]

Don't bother to put the cases in water at the match, since there is no hard fouling, you don't need to soak them.   When you get home put them in a vinergar and water solution, about 20% vinergar, for 5 minutes.  This cancels the corrosive affect on brass.  Then rinse in clean water a couple times.   You can use the same vinger solution to wipe down brass parts on your rifle, then follow with plain water.   I use 44-40 in a Yellowboy, which gives no blow back because of the bottle neck case, so I don't get any residue in the gun.   Been using APP for three seasons and no corrosion in the rifle.  However, I got my Mav-Dutchman mold this winter, and just loaded a bunch of Holy Black loads for this year.   The fire is back, ye-e-e-e ha!

[Grapeshot]

Glad to see you like APP.  I had four pounds of it awhile back.  Shot up most of it in a .44/40 yellowboy and an iron framed Henry in .44/40 as well.  The rest I shot through my 1860 Armies and a pair of First Model Colt Dragoons I purchased from Taylor's.

I tried some of that stuff in a percussion Shiloh Sharps in .50 Caliber.  The white residue soon clogged my flash hole and I had to use a pipe cleaner soaked in T/C's #13 Black Powder solvent to get it to fire again.  Cleanup wasn't so bad and I didn't have to lubricate the bullets.

I liked it, but I like 777 a little more in my cartridge guns.  I'll stick to the APP in my persussion pistols.