Long time admirer, first time owner

jmichelin84

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Big Land, nL
Hello all, I just bought a Hawken 50 cal from a fellow Gnut and am looking where you all get your supplies, I'm after the percussion caps, and I was thinking the fake black powder propelent, I was thinking of casting my own balls, but also interested to try the solid bullets too lol.
Any advice or tips, I will welcome it all
 
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If you guys want to know where im too look up North West River, Labrador, I'm end of the road, and I love where I'm too in the woods by a lake hahah
 
FWIW I've got a heckuva time getting the real stuff (Goex) up in my area too, although we're kind of the center of global attention at the moment.

I've got a dwindling supply of Goex and admit to using the (shudder) subs (Pyrodex and 777) to help drag it out. Using a duplex charge (of Goex & the sub that is, like 777) has been suggested to me by another member here, and I second that after trying it. Extends the precious supply and adds to the smoke.

For lead I cast my own and I started cutting my own patches from old clothes (mic the thickness, 100% cotton & a tight weave). I got some 1.5" ball bearings off amazon and I made a cutter from pipe (I turn steel pipe to the I.D. size I want - and the seam has to disappear, I've found). One swat with a hammer = beautiful round patches. Before that I was cutting the material at the muzzle, if I hadn't pre-cut some at home.
 
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Rusty woods has all you need. Not certain how remote you are, with shipping and all. As well you can make real black at home if you can find salt peter, but sadly now thats hard to come by thanks to anti terrorism crap. Real trick to making home made black powder is having a ram to compress it while drying, not needed but makes a much nicer powder.
Making your own lube is easy too bees wax and either tallow or crisco. Just remember tallow has a shelf life.
Lastly if you have either a cave or old barn near you sometimes the ground is nitrated and you can recover the salt peter from the soil.
 
I don't suggest making your own Black Powder for safety reasons.

If there is any kind of Black Powder following there is usually someone organizing a powder buy. I don't know about NL though. Look for a re-enactor group or rendezvous crowd.
Real Black Powder is soooo much more suitable to a percussion ML rifle than substitutes. It ignites readily unlike the substitutes which perform better in inlines with 209 primer ignition or in BP Cartridge.

One of the best suppliers of Black Powder supplies in the country is Hillfolk Musket Supplies in Senlac, Saskatchewan. Becky can fix you up with anything that you need. 306-228-2949
 
The problem with the shipping of REAL blackpowder, is the extraordinarily high hazmat fees, unless that has changed recently. Our local CT even tried to bring some in for me, thinking he could just include it with their smokeless order - but no go. Another shop here used to carry it only because they would physically pick up a batch from time to time and bring it up themselves. They are getting out of it though and haven't brought any in for several years (I bought the last cans 3-4 years ago). Last time I checked it was going to run me $250 in hazmat fees for an order - now it could be one tin or up to a certain number of tins, so if there are enough people to chip in then it would work out (but we have a dwindling number of BP folks up here).
 
Not many BP users here in NL either, and no suppliers either, but last year myself and two others had an order shipped in from the mainland. I had 3 black and a box of 24g brass and I think my part of the bill came to just south of 200$. Considering the fact that freight can be shipped from Quebec to NW River by truck there should not be an issue, as opposed to coming to NFLD by ferry, and dangerous goods can only be shipped on specific times.
 
The problem with the shipping of REAL blackpowder, is the extraordinarily high hazmat fees, unless that has changed recently. Our local CT even tried to bring some in for me, thinking he could just include it with their smokeless order - but no go. Another shop here used to carry it only because they would physically pick up a batch from time to time and bring it up themselves. They are getting out of it though and haven't brought any in for several years (I bought the last cans 3-4 years ago). Last time I checked it was going to run me $250 in hazmat fees for an order - now it could be one tin or up to a certain number of tins, so if there are enough people to chip in then it would work out (but we have a dwindling number of BP folks up here).

Sadly it usually goes to stjohns then back across the island and up through to Baie Comeau up through lab west
 
Other possible sources: blasting supply company, or special effects supplier for movies. If you can connect with someone that does blasting, you might be able to piggy back your shipping when they get supplies.
 
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