Just venturing into the black powder thing. Have never been terribly interested, because of its corrosive nature. Have been reading that some have good luck using smokeless in black powder cartridge guns. Anybody pouring smokeless into the chamber and pushing a ball down on top of it ? Full disclosure - I don't even have the gun yet - still waiting for registration to clear. Thanks fer yer time, gents.
Smokeless for Pieta .44 cap and ball revolver doable or dumb
- Thread starter fire@will
- Start date
- Location
- calgary alberta
Agreed!! Chances of blowing it up on the first shot I think would be high. Trying to find charge data could prove interesting as well.
My advice, use BLACK powder in a firearm designed to use black powder.
I would NOT do it in a cap&ball revolver! I do this in BPC rifles ONLY!! The rule of thumb is 40% of the BP charge for IMR 4198 as a MAX charge . In the case of the 45-70, 40% of 70 Grs is 28 Grs. I use this charge in both my 40-70 SS & my 45-70 Gov't. The 40-60 Maynard is 24 Grs. I use 22 Grs.
I will only do this when no loading data is available.
YMMV!
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
If you aren't going to use it for what it is designed and intended for don't buy it.
There are black powder substitutes that can be used but they have a variety of different uses and characteristics you need to understand too. Some can be more damaging to the gun if not cleaned properly too.
Black powder residue is not actually corrosive but it is hydroscopic so will absorb moisture and become a site of rust and pitting. In very dry conditions it can almost be brushed out as dusty crud and almost nothing remains. I've seen guns forgotten dirty all winter that weren't the worse for wear. Also seen some forgotten for a few days in humid conditions that were destroyed.
There are black powder substitutes that can be used but they have a variety of different uses and characteristics you need to understand too. Some can be more damaging to the gun if not cleaned properly too.
Black powder residue is not actually corrosive but it is hydroscopic so will absorb moisture and become a site of rust and pitting. In very dry conditions it can almost be brushed out as dusty crud and almost nothing remains. I've seen guns forgotten dirty all winter that weren't the worse for wear. Also seen some forgotten for a few days in humid conditions that were destroyed.
fire@will: It is possible to use your revolver with smokeless powder. An option to consider, is to purchase a cartridge conversion cylinder for it. In your case: .45 Colt. Then, by swapping out cylinders, you may either shoot it in its original form. Or, as a cartridge firing revolver. As an added bonus, you can also shoot bp cartridges, too. Best of both worlds.
Conversion cylinders specific to your Pietta, are available through: Taylor & Company. Or: Kirst. Food for thought.
Conversion cylinders specific to your Pietta, are available through: Taylor & Company. Or: Kirst. Food for thought.
Here in UK there are a couple of companies - Alan Westlake among them - who make a nitro-load cylinder replacement for a modern K-frame-sized S&W look-alike revolver. Alpha Arms is another.
But here's the snag - they are in .38cal only, and shoot a 158gr wadcutter. Loads are around the 4 -5 gr of a pistol powder - not having one I'm not sure which, and performance is what you'd expect of a low-range wadcutter. It is not possible, by design, to overload them. They are loaded off-frame by use of a special loading tool, and use #209 shotgun primers.
There's a few movies on Youtube, if they haven't been taken down by the posters who are sick and tired of the usually unpleasant comments posted there by folks from the Lower 48.
They are also way north of a thousand Can$, too.
But here's the snag - they are in .38cal only, and shoot a 158gr wadcutter. Loads are around the 4 -5 gr of a pistol powder - not having one I'm not sure which, and performance is what you'd expect of a low-range wadcutter. It is not possible, by design, to overload them. They are loaded off-frame by use of a special loading tool, and use #209 shotgun primers.
There's a few movies on Youtube, if they haven't been taken down by the posters who are sick and tired of the usually unpleasant comments posted there by folks from the Lower 48.
They are also way north of a thousand Can$, too.
I was just thinking this. Need to be cowboy action level loads, but thats no issue. - dan
