RCBS electronic powder dispenser & BP

[guninhand]

RCBS makes a strong point of not using black powder with their electronic powder dispenser. I don't know if this is for fear of corrosion or a possible explosion. Anyone know if there is a modification that would make it practical to use BP in this machine? I tried the search engine and it didn't work for me. TIA.

[Bullfrog]

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! It is because of a static or accidental electrical discharge! I am an electrician by trade and although I can tell you that it is probably remote or rare, it can happen with BP. In other words it will "set off" the black powder and that would be a very bad thing.

[guninhand]

Hi BF. I was afraid that might be the case. Thought the warning might have been just a lawyer thing where RCBS would avoid being sued by someone who would otherwise fake an explosion and claim it was caused by using their product.

Or if the concern were real, that lining the inside of the hopper with brass leaf or some such thing would eliminate the risk. At present I use a Belding and Mull for dispensing BP, but still can get up to .4 grains variation.

[Bullfrog]

GIH,

I am not certain that I would counter what other reloaders have been doing for decades. I would get the lyman BP measurer, with the BP tube, and use that. There is always something to be said about a given product designed specifically for a task. It is surely NOT worth the risk to yourself or anyone around if the unfortunate happened. Article 500 of our NEC book is dedicated to hazardous areas such as grain silos and the devices we can use. There is ALWAYS a spark from motor inrush that occurs even ever so small. I just would not chance it to save a few bucks, even if it were 100 bucks. Not worth the risk.

I also can not imagine a mountain man being concerned about .4 grains when loading their "bare" (intentional misspelling) when they are going to take ol' griz.

[guninhand]

BF,

The rounds are to be used at up to 900 meters in sanctioned black powder cartridge competition. Therefore I have to do everything to get the speed standard deviation as low as possible. Also my practice rounds have to be as good as my match rounds to be of any value for practice, so I have lots of tedious weighing to do. Good thing this match is over a year away.

[Bullfrog]

I think I personally would hand scale and load each one in a charge block.

[Chicken Thief]

I beg to differ:

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Z5yAeO3dw

[Bent Ramrod]

You might check the Shiloh forums. Several of the BPCR shooters there have speeded up their RCBS Chargemasters and use them for BP, absolutely against RCBS's recommendations.

I haven't had the nerve to try it myself. I get close enough to my nominal charge with my Ideal #5.

[guninhand]

Bent R.
I checked out the shiloh forum and found that thread. Looks like this is a topic that rears its ugly head every now and then. So I went on eBay yesterday and put a bid of $287 on a used RCBS Chargemaster. I lost, it sold for $314. So now I just ordered a brand new one Natchez for $289.95. Life is good.