Black powder vs. Substitutes

[2TM101]

I love Pyrodex. I haven't used it since the 70's when it first came out. Through the years I have been given about 1/2 BP guns that were seriously damaged due to not cleaning after use with Pyrodex. I was able to part them out for about $450 per profit.

I tracked down the formula for pyrodex.

45% potassium nitrate
9% charcoal
6% sulfur
19% potassium perchlorate
11% sodium benzoate
6% dicyandiamide
4% dextrin
1% water

Look familiar? 60% of it IS Black Powder. The other 40% of it is probably there just to keep the BATFE from calling it an explosive.

I make this:

Potassium nitrate 64.3%
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 32.1%
Charcoal 1.8%
Iron oxide (red) 1.8%

You can actually mix, ball mill and puck it the same way as you do Black Powder, but there is no binder in it so the "wet" method is better if you don't want to add dextrin. Its like 10% more power with about half the residue. If you add the Dextrin the power drops to where it basically is the same as BP. It is marketed commercially as "American Pioneer Powder" but Vitamin C was not discovered until 1912 and not commercially made until after WW2 so the Pioneers never used it. Its also called "Golden Powder" (as Yellow powder is something else) but every batch I have made is a light slate grey as I don't wait for it to turn yellow. It does not chemically change so there is no point.

Ascorbic Acid costs over twice as much as any of the other components but its still about a quarter of the price of buying powder. Only real advantage is that you can use petroleum based bullet lube as there is no Sulfur in it. Disadvantage is the high ignition temperature which makes it (along with Pyrodex) not a good choice for flintlocks. I do not know if it is less corrosive as I have never left a gun dirty long enough to find out.

I mainly made this to see if I could, and if it worked. I can. It does.

[fixit]

Something I've done is to use a priming charge of black powder.... about 10 grains. I've had ignition problems with a couple of rifles with the subs, and not wanting to just dump them out, plus the fact that it's an hour and a half or more round trip to get bp, it's a usable solution. None of my side locks have given any trouble going this route,too.

[TheBoat]

Use SWISS or SHUTZEN. ff is good for a 54 cal Yea its pricey, but it works. You can save if you order 10 pounds at a time ( used to be free shipping if orders were 10 pounds or more) and if you practice a lot you will use it up quickly. Interesting Rifle you have there. I like the double set trigger but the Barrel is so Short, which ids great in thick woods, you wont need much powder as it wont all burn with a round ball or go Loaded for Bear as they say with double round balls. Great close range load . try a Heavy Conical and you may have a hard hitting Big Deer Moose Rifle. I would try and keep the range 50 yards or under which is mostly as far as I can see thru the thick woods anyway.

[white eagle]

I have a traditional Hawken style rifle in 54 cal., it uses a cap and I use black in it
I also have a more modern rifle that uses a shotgun primer and I use Blackhorn 209 exclusively a black powder sub
so I am with the same mindset as you

[firefly1957]

A lot will depend on the gun and what it shoots best . I will add a vote for black powder .

[Kentucky146]

NOW that is interesting, I shoot primarily Pyrodex which is as I just found out mostly Blackpowder...The reason I choose the Pyrodex is the availability, black in my area is scarce and that was before Biden and Covid now it is almost impossible. As far as which is "Better" I find Pyrodex just as reliable and accurate as black, provided one works up the load. I know I know the "HOLY BLACK" snobs will scoff, mock and ding this reply. Truth is truth

[muskeg13]

NOW that is interesting, I shoot primarily Pyrodex which is as I just found out mostly Blackpowder...The reason I choose the Pyrodex is the availability, black in my area is scarce and that was before Biden and Covid now it is almost impossible. As far as which is "Better" I find Pyrodex just as reliable and accurate as black, provided one works up the load. I know I know the "HOLY BLACK" snobs will scoff, mock and ding this reply. Truth is truth

Ditto. I only shot Pyrodex RS in a short barreled .54 Investarms carbine, the same as Arkansas Paul, the original poster has. It would routinely cut cloverleaves at 50 yards with patched .530 balls lubed with ATF or .54 Minié balls lubed with beeswax and beef tallow.

[-D-]

Three of us bought those carbines from an ad in the Shotgun News back in 80s as we tired of dragging around the full size rifles we built from kits. Two 50s and a 54. Chrome lined bore seemed like a good idea. I played with 2f and 3f in my 54. Drilled and tapped the barrel and added a top mounted receiver sight. Used 100 grs of 3f in '87 to put a poly patched round ball through this deer, side to side. Plenty of power and accuracy (and recoil).

[Arkansas Paul]

Use SWISS or SHUTZEN. ff is good for a 54 cal Yea its pricey, but it works.

Actually I'm in a good spot in that regard.
I'm getting black locally at a similar price to what Wally World sells Pyrodex for.

[2TM101]

A lot will depend on the gun and what it shoots best . I will add a vote for black powder .

I have made Black Powder since 2019 when I learned how to do it. I now know how to make four different substitute powders. Each, however, has a drawback that leaves real black powder still the best overall choice. My latest is 'White Powder", just to see if I can make it and make it work. Its not better, just different.