The S&W 642 and BP

[Nobade]

Yesterday I ran 50 rounds of BP ammo (DD snakebite boolit and FFFg KIK) through my S&W 642 airweight to see how it liked BP. Works great! It was still working fine at the end of the box. Accuracy was as good or better than any smokeless load I have tried, power was at +P levels, recoil was painful, and it kept the other guys at the range entertained when I would rip off all five rounds fast and then have to wait a while to see the target. Cleanup was a snap, just take the crane screw out, remove the crane and cylinder, and in a few minutes it's clean and ready to go. Any more I am questioning the need for smokeless powder in any of my pistols and pistol cartridges. Black is way more fun and gives better power for the pressures generated.

[Dan Cash]

Black works well in many currently unthought of situations. I shoot a lot of BP in cartridge rifles but am loath to use it in my daily use pistols as they are shot daily and I don't have the time to clean them properly. In the case of .45 Colt, you are right about gobs of power for the pressure generated. .38 special and .45 ACP are two other notable cases.

[Springfield]

Make sure you clean it well. I shot BP through my old model 15 a year ago. I cleaned it and put it away. Last month I took it out for the kids to shoot and the spring loaded pin in the rear of the cylinder was stuck and I couldn't open the cylinder with the thumb latch. I had to take it apart to fix it. A little oil and it was good to go, but next time I do that I am going to oil the heck out of it before I put it away.

[Nobade]

Yep, gotta make sure they're clean. Also the spray Ballistol helps; it gets in to the nooks and crannies and keeps any fouling still present wet so it doesn't cause problems.

Annealing the heck out of your brass is a big help too, keeps the gas going in the right direction and not backward to foul things up. Especially helps in rifles.