Black Powder Substitute fouling

Skinny 1950

Skinny 1950

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
Location
Vancouver
I finally took my Pietta .44 1851 Yank revolver to the range and shot 100 rounds through it. The problem is the fouling gummed up the trigger works to the point that I had to give up shooting for the day. I am using 18 grains of Jim Shockey's Yukon Gold with a .44 ball. After a shot if I looked down the barrel from the chamber end there is a lot of soot (black particles) from the muzzle back about 1/3 the length of the barrel. I am starting to think that I am using too much powder and the unused powder is burning at the end of the barrel.
I would like to try a lighter charge of powder but need to make up the extra space in the chamber.with something. I have heard that this space can be made up with oat meal or corn meal, has anyone used either of these materials or have suggestions for better filler? I am going to need a least 1/4 inch of filler in order to have the ball far enough forward that I won't have to use huge amounts of lard to prevent chain fires. Here is a rather blurry picture of my gun....thanks for the help with this.

185144atRange007.jpg
185144atRange005.jpg
 
Thanks tactical870, I will try some cornmeal. The hammer on this gun acts like a funnel to guide the powder residue down into the trigger works. This happens because the cap is blown off and the blowback crud if free to gum up the works. Any one have any ideas on how to keep the caps from blowing off. I had a thread a while back about the magnum caps fragmenting so I switched to CCI regular #11's but even these come off after being fired,sometimes they get stuck between the frame and hammer causing a jam. I am starting to understand why they invented the cartridge....:D
 
Welcome to the world of black powder revolvers!! I use cornmeal to fill extra space in my armi walker, or a felt cookie dipped in wax. The walker has streight bores in the cylender so they work, if yours are taper may be out of luck. Caps fragmenting are all part of the game, adds character. Hope you have as much fun with yours as I do with mine, and an easier time cleaning after each session.
 
Reading your post again, 18 grains seems rather LIGHT for a .44! I use about 20 in my .36 Navy. How does the weight of that phony powder compare to the real thing? Is 18gr. of substitute equal to 18gr. of black?

I shoot nothing but BP in my .45 Colt, and I've experimented with 40gr. charges of FFFg, FFg, and even Fg. None of them left unburned particles in the barrel. Possibly, you need to INCREASE your charge, to raise the pressure. It could be that the light load doesn't build enough pressure to properly burn the powder.
 
BUSHMAN79 said:
Reading your post again, 18 grains seems rather LIGHT for a .44! I use about 20 in my .36 Navy. How does the weight of that phony powder compare to the real thing? Is 18gr. of substitute equal to 18gr. of black?

I shoot nothing but BP in my .45 Colt, and I've experimented with 40gr. charges of FFFg, FFg, and even Fg. None of them left unburned particles in the barrel. Possibly, you need to INCREASE your charge, to raise the pressure. It could be that the light load doesn't build enough pressure to properly burn the powder.
Click to expand...

I 2nd that. 18 gr. is not enough. Most of the burnt powder barely makes it out. I would use 30gr. in my '58 Remington, using Pyrodex P which works great. Give the caps a little squeeze before putting them on so they won't fall off by the recoil. Always worked for me. Have fun
 
Thanks for the input everyone,the BP substitute is a lot lighter than real BP and it is supposed to be used at the same volume as BP. My flask has a 25 grain spout which gives me 18 grains weight of the substitute. The spout will fill a .45 ACP casing right to the top and this is the amount that I have been using. I am trying to find some Goex or similar REAL BP in fffg but so far it has alluded me, I have some on order but it has been a month and a half and so far nothing. I am going up to the range tomorrow so I will try different loads and see what happens.
 
tigger said:
Welcome to the world of black powder revolvers!! I use cornmeal to fill extra space in my armi walker, or a felt cookie dipped in wax. The walker has streight bores in the cylender so they work, if yours are taper may be out of luck. Caps fragmenting are all part of the game, adds character. Hope you have as much fun with yours as I do with mine, and an easier time cleaning after each session.
Click to expand...

x2.
I also give the triger action a good oiling with breakfree (orriginal stuff)
this keeps action from sludging up.
100 rounds is alot before cleaning.
 
Jet A-1 said:
Did the bigger loads do the trick?
Click to expand...

On Saturday at the range I tried a lighter load using the amount that my 15 grain spout puts out and filled the rest of the cylinder with corn meal allowing room for the ball. I shot 40 rounds using this amount and didn't notice any decrease in power but a huge decrease in black carbon-like fouling both in the barrel and on the frame of the gun. I tried a 25 grain spout full and there was carbon at the end of the barrel again.
My 15 grain spout throws .71 grams of BP substitute which is the same as 11 grains. This seems to be enough to get reasonable power out of this gun, I am going to up the quantity next time to see how much it can take before the fouling become excessive.
 
I've used 25gr by weight of Pyrodex P in my ROA since I got in back in 1986. According to Hodgdons text book, this is equal to about 30gr of FFg and suits me just fine - accuracy is excellent, too.

A round ball and this load mostly fills the chamber without recourse to filler, although many of us over here in Yoorup use an emulsified hand cream called E45 over the end of the chamber to keep the fouling soft. I can shoot all day without cleaning up, although I DO wipe the gun over after each six shots.

Chain fires happen from the back, BTW, as shown by experiment using badly-fitting caps.

The Dixie Gun Works catalogue reference section gives some great information on loads for the different calibre BP handguns - both real and replica - and suggest a starting load of 25gr of real black FFg for the replica .44 C&B revolver in good condition.

I shoot only BP in my Walker, tho - seems like an insult to use anything else. 50gr of FFg and a .451" ball - no wad, no nothin'.

tac
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom