Measure for black powder

[charliek]

I have an older Belding and Mull powder measure with a brass hopper. Is that safe to use for black powder if I have a brass drop tube?

[Kevin Rohrer]

Yes, as is the aluminum hopper model. All BP-capable powder measures use one or the other. My new Quick-Measure BP measure is brass.

[jmorris]

Ignore this if it's not applicable but a lot of data for BP is in grains "volume" not grains weight.

Depending on what you are using they can be quite different.

This is a good conversion chart.
http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

[Springfield]

FWIW I use all my measures as BP measures, even the ones with plastic hoppers. And before i get yelled at, can anybody tell me of a first-hand or at least second hand tale of why I should not do this? No old wives tales or a friend of a friend of a friend, either. I have never heard of a problem. I do hear of guys blowing up their primer tubes fairly often, and blowing up their guns, but never anybody blowing up their powder measure. I shoot BP in SASS shoots at least twice a month, for the last 12 years, and use the standard measures on my Dillon 550 and my Mec 600's. And a bit of .22lr with my Lyman 55 with the plastic hopper.

[country gent]

I use the older belding and mull powder measures for black powder also. I make my own measuring tubes for them and ID them to charge weight they drop. My one measure the hopper was dinged up so I made an adapter to use the OLDE Ensford powder bottles on it. Pretty easy to change powders now. Unclamp measure tip upside down and shake a few times unscrew bottle and cap. Install new bottle and re clamp. They are wellbuilt accurate measures and last a lifetime or more. They are still being made I belioeve.

[DHDeal]

FWIW I use all my measures as BP measures, even the ones with plastic hoppers. And before i get yelled at, can anybody tell me of a first-hand or at least second hand tale of why I should not do this? No old wives tales or a friend of a friend of a friend, either. I have never heard of a problem. I do hear of guys blowing up their primer tubes fairly often, and blowing up their guns, but never anybody blowing up their powder measure. I shoot BP in SASS shoots at least twice a month, for the last 12 years, and use the standard measures on my Dillon 550 and my Mec 600's. And a bit of .22lr with my Lyman 55 with the plastic hopper.

Yes, err, well, no. FWIW, I use an older Redding powder measure to drop a charge then weigh to an exact weight. I only load for long range BPCTR's and I am interested in only weight. I have some older metal cans of BPCR, but for at least the last 5-7 years all the BP I've bought is in plastic cans. Wonder why if static charge is a problem. Don't know.

I've considered getting another powder measure (MVA in particular), but my Redding does such a good job.

[Wayne Smith]

Ignore this if it's not applicable but a lot of data for BP is in grains "volume" not grains weight.

Depending on what you are using they can be quite different.

This is a good conversion chart.
http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

"Grains" are a measure of weight. There is no such thing as 'grains' volume. All measures of BP were in grains weight. It was not until the artificial or fake Black powders came along that we needed a volume measure because they were much less dense than the real stuff. It is the Pyrodex and other non-Black Powders that the volume measure relates to, not real Black Powder.

Springfield, continue as you are. It has been shown that normal static electricity does not have the ability to ignite BP. You are safe.

[r1kk1]

I do hear of guys blowing up their primer tubes fairly often

I have used primer tubes since the 80s with no problems. There was a static test done with black powder but I can't find it. Long story short, I believe it took quite a bit of a charge to set it off. Far more than we encounter.

btw, I pull the ends of primer tubes and clean with hot soapy water and let dry then reassemble, I think the culprit may be primer dust but can't prove it.

i use a JDS QM for BP loads.

take care

r1kk1