Frugal, File #7 bpfaq.txt Black Powder FAQ BLACK POWDER FAQ BLACK POWDER TYPES The primary difference between FA and Fg type powders is processing. Both powders begin as milled "meal" powder. The potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur are milled into an extremely fine powder. This milling process takes many hours and is usually done by remotely operated equipment due to the inherent danger of the process. The meal powder is consolidated under high pressure into a "mill cake" or "press cake" of solid Black Powder. Powerful hydraulic presses are often used to press the meal into cake. The cake is then dried, and crushed into grains. The cake crushing process is called corning. Both types are then screened to remove fines and to grade the grain sizes. Blasting "A" type powders are not usually tumbled. If they are tumbled, it is just for a short time to knock off any sharp and long projections. Sporting "g" type powders are tumbled a with a tiny amount of graphite to polish the grains. The base formula is the same. The graphite is not part of the basic Black Powder formula. The graphite does act as a burn rate modifier. The trace of graphite slows the burn rate slightly. Grain sizes are different for sporting and blasting Black Powder. Sporting Grade Black Powder - "g" type powders Whaling 32/64" mesh 3% held 4 mesh 12% pass Life Saving 6 mesh 3% held 12 mesh 12% pass Cannon 6 mesh 3% held 12 mesh 12% pass Saluting 10 mesh 3% held 20 mesh 12% pass Fg 12 mesh 3% held 16 mesh 12% pass FFg 16 mesh 3% held 30 mesh 12% pass FFFg 20 mesh 3% held 50 mesh 12% pass FFFFg 40 mesh 3% held 100 mesh 12% pass FFFFFg (no longer manufactured by Goex) "A" Blasting Powder - used mostly by pyrotechnicians and for some specialized quarry work. FA 20/64" mesh 3% held 5 mesh 12% pass 2FA 4 mesh 3% held 12 mesh 12% pass 3FA 10 mesh 3% held 16 mesh 12% pass 4FA 12 mesh 3% held 20 mesh 12% pass 5FA 20 mesh 3% held 50 mesh 12% pass 6FA 30 mesh 3% held 50 mesh 12% pass 7FA 40 mesh 3% held 100 mesh 12% pass Meal D 40 mesh 3% held ---- Meal F 100 mesh 3% held ---- Meal XF 140 mesh 3% held ---- *** Shows maximum percentages held or passed by the sizing screens. Except where noted in inches, the screen sizes are in wires per inch. The higher the mesh number the smaller the opening size. *** Note that, for any given number of "F"s, that the blasting powder is much coarser. For a given grain size, the blasting powder burns faster than the graphite inhibited sporting powder. Blasting powder is less dense due to the more irregular shapes occupying more volume for a given weight of powder. Blasting Powder has a lot of rough edges. Both the lower density and the greater surface area promote faster burning. Dry Powder (Waterproof Priming Powder) On the hunting news group, the following was posted: In response to a few inquiries about the "Drypowder" blackpowder waterproofing compound I had mentioned in an earlier posting, my rapidly failing memory finally jogged itself into remembering to locate the bottle. I purchased this powder maybe 10 or 15 years ago so I can not give you any assurances that the address listed is still valid but for what it is worth, the address for the manufacturer of "Drypowder" is: LA CHUTE LTD. P.O. Box 48 Br. Masury, Ohio 44438 Another source of "Powder Dry" is Antique Gun Parts Inc. 1118 South Braddock Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15218 (412) 241-1811. Black Powder Substitutes Pyrodex Pyrodex is the original BP substitute powder manufactured by Hogdon Powder company. The general consensus seems to be that Pyrodex is essentially BP that has modified with the addition of compounds that retard flammability and decrease of the amount of gross residue (fouling) as compared with BP. Generally, shooters using Pyrodex need to swab their bores less frequently when shooting successive rounds. Although the fouling left by Pyrodex is less than that of BP, the fouling is still corrosive and must be removed before storing the firearm. Pyrodex is often more-readily available than true BP because, unlike BP which is classified as an explosive in certain quantities, Pyrodex is classified by ATF and DOT as a propellant. Pyrodex is harder to ignite than true BP, so is not generally suitable for flintlocks. Pyrodex is available in three granulations "P" (equivalent to FFFg), "R/S" (equivalent to FFg), and "Cartridge" (equivalent to somewhere between FFg & FFFg). Black Canyon Powder Black Canyon Powder is another substitute for Black Powder. BC contains no sulfur, is less corrosive, and can be cleaned with plain water. Used weight-for-weight as a substitute for BP, BC requires that loads be VERY firmly compressed. The concensus seems to be that in its original (current) formulation, BC is better suited to BPCR firearms than muzzleloaders. Projectiles Hardness of Lead Alloys I don't know if any of you need this but the following BHN hardness info came with a new 450 gr .500 cal mould I bought. Percent of these Alloy lead tin antimony BHN Monotype 72 9 19 28 Stereotype 80 6 14 23 Linotype 84 4 12 22 Lyman #2 90 5 5 15 Taracorp Magnum 92 2 6 15 1:1 lead/lino 92 2 6 15 Electrotype 94.5 3 2.5 12 10:1 91 9 0 11.5 16:1 94 6 0 11 20:1 95 5 0 10 30:1 97 3 0 9 Wheelweights 95.5 . 5 4 9 40:1 97.5 2.5 0 8.5 Pure lead 100 0 0 5 Bullet Lubricants Composition of Extensively Used Bullet Lubricants E.H. Harrison _American Rifleman_, July, 1965 U.S. Army 1855 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow. U.S. Army 1861 - 8 beeswax, 1 tallow. U.S. Army 1873 - 8 bayberry wax, 1 graphite. U.S. Army 1880 and thereafter - Japan wax. Sharps Rifle Co., 1878 - 1 beeswax, 2 sperm oil. Massachusetts Arms Co. (Maynard rifle), 1890 - 1 beeswax, 3 tallow. Marlin Firearms Co., 1891 - 1 beeswax, 4 tallow. Smith & Wesson, 1891 - tallow. H.M. Pope, about 1900 - 3 mutton tallow, 2 bay wax, 1 beeswax, 1 steam cylinder oil, .2 of 1 Acheson graphite. The bay wax could be omitted. Automobile door latch stick lubricant, U.S. Patent 1,920,161 (1931) - 5 paraffin wax, 3 petroleum jelly, 2 oil. A large police department, 1962 - 1 beeswax, 1 paraffin wax, 1 cosmoline. Notes: "Cosmolene" in this context refers to dark petrolatum with no anti-corrosion additives. Refined yellow petrolatum (petroleum jelly, Vaseline) may be substituted. Any mixture containing paraffin wax *must* include a plasticizer, such as petrolatum. Microcrystalline petroleum waxes may be used as-is. The 1:3 beeswax/tallow mixture (or any composition composed mainly of tallow) is probably the most traditional choice for "primitive" shooters. The 8:1 mixture is rather stiff, and better suited to conicals, paper cartridges, and the like. For paper-patched bullets, I'd be inclined to try the Sharps formula, substituting Dexron II/III automatic transmission fluid for the sperm oil. TC Bore-Butter I use only TC Bore Butter for patch lube, TC Bore Cleaner for cleaning, and sometimes hot water. It is vital that there is no petroleum residue or oil in the bore at any time. The fouling left over after bp ignition create tar-like residues when in the presence of petroleum products. This tarry residue hardens quickly, causing difficulty in loading. I start out with a clean, dry bore. Since I lube the bore with Bore Butter between sessions, it's just a matter of running a couple of dry patches down the bore before loading. Then, each shot I use 20 gr 3F and a mattress ticking patch *well-saturated* with Bore butter. About every fifth shot, I'll run a BB lubed patch down the bore to mop up the excess fouling, which remains soft and loose. After about 20 shots, I'll mop up with 2 or 3 patches *dampened* with TC Bore Cleaner, followed by a couple dry patches, pop a cap, and another dry patch. This regimen gets me through extended firing sessions of fifty shots or so. I do not hesitate to leave the gun loaded for extended periods when I use Bore Butter, since it has no effect on the powder. When I pack up to go home, I run a couple more *damp* TC Bore Cleaner patches down the bore, and let it work till I'm home, showered, fed and rested. I then finish up with TC Bore Cleaner and sometimes hot water, but not so often as I used to. When the bore is clean and dry, I run several patches *saturated* with Bore Butter down the bore, wipe the used patches over the barrel and stock, and store the folded patch over the nipple. I repeat with BB saturated patches for the next two nights. I have never had any problems with rust, corrosion, or excess fouling using this method. After about 3 or 4 sessions like this, the bore 'seasons' like a cast-iron frying pan, and cleaning becomes simpler each time. The key is to remove all traces of petroleum-based lubricants from the bore. Hot water is best when you are cleaning all the oily residue out of a gun before using my Bore Butter method. Swabbing out with denatured alcohol will remove oils quickly. I don't recommend acetone due to its toxicity. This has worked well for me on a dozen or so different guns. The seasoning will not 'take' withPyrodex, so I don't recommend its usage. This has worked well for me. Comments are always welcome. BPCR- Black Powder Catridge Rifles & Components Paper cartridges I came across this in "The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle" by Ned Roberts. As there was a recent message regarding paper cartridges, I thought it might be as interesting to some of you as it was to me. Mr. Roberts describes how he made & used them for his muzzle loading guns. Pages 153-155 "First a hardwood cylinder about 6 inches long was turned and smoothed in a lathe, with a diameter about .012 or.014 inch smaller than the bore of the rifle measured on top of the lands. A piece of wrapping paper about .003 inch thick by 3 1/2 inches long was rolled tightly around this cylinder and marked at the point where it made two complete laps. Then the paper was cut off at this point, unrolled and placed on a piece of tin, which was then cut to the same shape and size to serve as a pattern for cutting a supply of these pieces of paper for making the "tubes" for these cartridges. By use of this tin pattern and a sharp knife, 6 or 8 thicknesses of wrapping paper could be cut at once into rectangular pieces about 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 1/2 long (.30 cal rifle). A piece of this paper was tightly rolled around the wooden cylinder and the edge pasted down with gum arabic mucilage; then this paper tube was carefully slipped off the clyinder and set aside to dry while making other similar tubes. After a supply of these tubes had been made, one was slipped back onto the wooden cylinder nearly to the end and a round ball with the sprue end up was placed inside the tube which projected over the ball about 3/8 inch. This end was then twisted and tied with a piece of white thread, and the cylinder withdrawn leaving the ball in the front end of the tube. With a proper size steel wad-cutter, we cut from an old hat a quantity of felt wads which were then soaked in a hot mixture of beeswax and sperm oil, then dried for about 24 hours. Afther the ball had been secured in the front end of the paper tube, one of these lubricated felt wads was placed in the tube and carefully pushed down onto the ball; then we poured a measured charge of powder into the tube behind the wad and bullet, and finished the cartridge by twisting the end of the paper cylinder together and tying it with a piece of red thread. Then with a small brush, we applied a light coat of the melted beeswax mixture to the front end of the cartridge in which the ball was held, in order to facilitate loading and take the place of the usual oiled cloth patch. When loading the rifle, one of the cartridges was taken from the cartridge box, or hunting bag, the end that was tied with the RED thread was grasped in the teeth, the end of the paper torn off, the powder poured down the bore, and the rest of the cartridge pushed down onto the powder with the ramrod. Placing a cap on the nipple completed the loading, which by the use of this home-made cartridge could be done more rapidly than when using the loose powder, patch and ball separately. When loading these cartridges with the conical bullet for this rifle, the end of the tube was attached with gum arabic mucilage to the base of the bullet and dried with the point of the bullet extending from the tube instead of having the paper tube tied over it, and the rest of the process of loading the cartridge was as above explained. Int his same way, the the use of a larger wooden cylinder and larger pieces of wrappping paper, I loaded hundreds of cartridges with different sizes of shot for my 14 gauge double barreled shotgun and seldom used the loose powder and shot." Sharps Paper Cartridges / paper patched bullets On a similar subject, does anyone have a template or instructions for paper-patching the .45-110 or .45-120 metalic cartridge [ 540gr conical ] ? I had my 1874 Sharps' chamber rebored to accept paper-patched bullets. Cut a piece of paper wide enough to cover the body of the bullet along its long axis. It should go up to and include the first part of the ogive, and leave enough over hang on the base to secure the the base later. The exact amount will vary depending on whether you plan to fold the paper flat over the base, tuck it into a hollow cavity or twist it into a tail. The paper should be long enough to wrap three times around the bullet shank. Dampen the paper and wrap it using the same tension you would use for wrapping the finished patch. Take a razor blade and slice through all the layers at about a 45 degree angle, leaving part of the width of the patch uncut so that the sections do not separate. Unwrap the paper. There should be three slices through the paper. The two outer slices represent the outside boundry of a patch that will wrap exactly two times around your bullet with the ends butting together, not overlapping and making a ridge in the wrap. Lay the paper carefully on a piece of sheet metal (I use 1/16 inch brass) and carefully mark these two outside boundries. Use a machinests angle to lay out a 45 degree line from these marks and then saw and file the patch guide out of the sheet. I cut the paper to the correct width with a paper cutter and as long as the sheet permits. Six or eight of these strips can be put under the patch cutter guide at a time and the correct length and angle of the patch cut with a sharp utility knife. I like to have the grain of the paper running parallel to the long axis of the bullet. BTW the easy way to tell which way the grain runs is to tear a piece of the paper. It will tear straight and true with the grain but will run off at an angle when torn across the grain. I hope this helps. For paper I use 20 pound Cranes 100% rag paper. However there are many differing opinions on the correct paper and recently I've seen 9 pound onion skin typing paper highly recommended. You will have to experiment to see which paper and what thickness works best for you and your rifle. This is the fun part ;-) ------------------------------ Shooting Techniques Trigger Control The big trick to controlling a set trigger is in learning the right grip. Do not wrap your thumb around the stock as you would with a normal single trigger. Instead, support your hand by placing your thumb against the right side of the stock and bracing your middle finger against the trigger guard (or on the trigger guard spur if your gun has one). This leaves your index finger more or less free-floating, and you can handle a surprisingly light set trigger.