Pyrodex ?

[dagger dog]

Thinking about BP loads in my 45 Colt Blackhawk and 92 Rossi.

I have Pryodex available aqnd have never shot it, and was wanting to know, is it as corrosive as BP?

[SharpsShooter]

Pyrocrap is more corrosive and more difficult to clean, also more expensive. Real Black Powder is by far a better choice. I shoot 35 grains of FFg under a 260 grain Keith SWC in both my Ruger OMBH, my 73 Winchester and a a Lowall.

SS

[dagger dog]

Much obliged SharpsShooter, looks like the Goex is for me.

By the way what primers are you using ?

Thanks again
dd

[Nobade]

I pretty well ruined a nice Uberti '73 Colt copy with Pyrodex. I had been shooting it for years with black, no problems at all. One day I figured I'd try some Pyro. It shot OK, though it smells bad. I cleaned the revolver like I always did and put it away. Got it out about a month later, and it couldn't be cocked. I took it completely apart and the innards were terribly rusted and pitted. That was the last time I ever tried that junk.

[Kraschenbirn]

A friend brought over a Cimarron repro 1872 Colt Open-Top (.44 Colt) a couple of months back. He'd been shooting it using a "synthetic" (Shockley's Gold) that had been highly touted in a couple of the gun rags. He hadn't fired the piece in several months and the exterior was nearly immaculate. Inside, though, was a different story. I had to soak it in K-1 for a couple days just to get the barrel key out and, when I did, the innards were just as Nobade described...almost rusted solid.

After seeing the damage to my buddy's gun, I went out and scattered the partial can of Pyrodex I had on hand over my wife's to herb garden for nitrate fertilizer.

Bill

[NickSS]

I have shot many pounds of Pyrodex in my Remington C&B revolver. I clean it just like I clean it with Black powder and have no troubles for the past 25 years I have been shooting the stuff when BP is hard to find. I will say this though I always spray a liberal amount of WD 40 into the inner workings of my revolvers. This keeps BP fouling soft and also prevents corrosion. I take my gun apart once a year usually New years Day and clean all the crud out and believe me there is a lot of crud after a year of shooting. In the average year I put something like 500 to 1000 rounds through my favorite Remington 1858 replica.

[Ed in North Texas]

I have a "bottle" of Pyrodex CTG which has been sitting on the shelf for some years (planned on trying it in .45-70). I'm about to start shooting .577-450 MH and .577 Snider. I see these all referred to revolvers and am wondering if there is somewhat less of a problem with the Pyrodex cleanup in a single shot rifle. What do you all think?

[TXGunNut]

I'll shoot BP as long as I have a choice. Have a few pounds of "substitutes" but they're just not the same.

[DEVERS454]

Pyrodex and especially 777 work well in shotgun hulls and single shots.

I have used Pyrodex Select in 38-55 Winchester for years with decent results.

I have to use magnum primers and a solid roll crimp. I clean up with 50:50 ballistol and water and then lube with Kroil.

But, I still use Goex for pistols.

[SharpsShooter]

Much obliged SharpsShooter, looks like the Goex is for me.

By the way what primers are you using ?

Thanks again
dd

Federal. 150.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/SharpsShooter_photos/73Winchester45ColtBPLoads.jpg

[cajun shooter]

Pyrodex is about the worst product a person can put into a gun that they like.
Go to the Hodgdon site and they will even say that it is corrosive and that your gun needs a good cleaning after it's use.
I had a new TNN shotgun that was test fired by the gunsmith using Pyrodex shells and then shipped to me via UPS.
The gun was sent to the factory for replacement after I received it. I would warn anyone to stay away from it. I have shot REAL BP since 1970 and would sometimes leave my guns a week before cleaning with no problems.[url=http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=98]http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_59204d711c5f5bb33.jpg[/url

[dagger dog]

Federal. 150.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r255/SharpsShooter_photos/73Winchester45ColtBPLoads.jpg

That's impressive to say the least!

Just got back from Bass Pro and they held me up for 25 bucks for 1# FFg, but it kept me from running all over the country trying to find some.

I got all my 45 brass loaded with 6 grs Trail Boss and a RCBS 452-255 that drops at 270 grs with wheel weights , so I'm gonna shoot afew so I can load 'em with the Goex.

I'm planning on using the 50 40 10, beeswax crisco canola oil lube. You think it would be ok for the 270gr boolit and the 35 grs FFg ?

[SharpsShooter]

That's impressive to say the least!

Just got back from Bass Pro and they held me up for 25 bucks for 1# FFg, but it kept me from running all over the country trying to find some.

I got all my 45 brass loaded with 6 grs Trail Boss and a RCBS 452-255 that drops at 270 grs with wheel weights , so I'm gonna shoot afew so I can load 'em with the Goex.

I'm planning on using the 50 40 10, beeswax crisco canola oil lube. You think it would be ok for the 270gr boolit and the 35 grs FFg ?


That load will be fine. Lube the cylinder pin heavily or it will start binding from fouling after 20-25 shots. 35gr with a 270gr boolit will have brisk recoil. It won't be a wussy load and you can go to 40gr with no issues.

SS

[Ed in North Texas]

I'll shoot BP as long as I have a choice. Have a few pounds of "substitutes" but they're just not the same.

I plan on using BP, but I hate to just throw away a full jar of the Pyrodex if I can use it up, maybe sandwiching Pyrodex cartridges between BP to dilute the corrosive effect. With the .577 and .577-450 it wouldn't take very long to get rid of the bottle! :? I certainly would be cleaning as soon as possible, just as I have always done with corrosive primed milsurp. Corrosive ammo is nothing new to those who were shooting even US milsurp 4 or 5 decades ago (and recently with Combloc).

[Bent Ramrod]

You won't hurt your gun with Pyrodex if you clean it well with soapy water, dry and oil it properly after shooting.

Pyrodex has perchlorate in it to increase the ignition temperature. This gets it into the "flammable solid" classification and makes it easier to ship and store in some areas. It has sodium benzoate in it, which causes the fouling to be slippery, so it doesn't build up for shot after shot like black powder fouling. You don't need to "manage the fouling" for a string of shots, like you do with black powder.

The downside to this is that the stuff is a little harder to ignite when you want it to and the chlorides in the fouling are more aggressive in their action on steel, just as the old chlorate primer residues were. However, just as those could be cleaned off the metal with no problem using the proper technique, so can the Pyrodex residues.

The other downside of Pyrodex is that black powder has about a 400-year head start in its development as an accurate propellant. You won't find Pyrodex in the winners' circle at Raton. On the other hand, you might be less likely to be trying to pull a stuck loading rod out of your muzzleloader while the squirrels point and giggle at you if you are using Pyrodex, and the accuracy difference between black powder and Pyrodex at those ranges won't be enough to worry about.

Shoot the stuff up, have fun and learn the capabilities. You'll at least have a reference load if you can't get hold of black powder sometime.