Pistol powder substitutes

[Airman Basic]

Got my 45 Colt. Running out of appropriate powders. Constantly checking powder sellers with no success. Exasperated, noticed everybody has tons of black powder substitutes. Anybody tried this stuff for run of the mill plinking ammo? Maybe even in 44s. Is it as nasty as the original black? Maybe I'm getting desperate? :(

[jonp]

You can use a ton of powders in 45colt. You can't find anything?

[Airman Basic]

The places I've looked have nothing, absolutely nothing, faster than H110, and precious little of that. Been looking for Bullseye or 231/HP38 for months now.

[Ron in PA]

Try Red Dot or Promo for 45 Colt.

[tazman]

Almost any shotgun powder can be used in pistols with an appropriate charge. Some work exceedingly well.
I have recently found titewad and wsh work well in both my 38 special and 9mm.

[truckerdave397]

Check for a recipe for Winchester super target or Winchester super field.

[mdi]

Gosh fellers, he said "nothing available" (you know, nada, zip, zero). Same situation around here...

[runfiverun]

the faster powders are pretty scarce around here too.
I have long since worked up loads with steel and 800-x in many of my revolvers.
if things get super desperate a case full of 4895 will work in the 44 mag and 45 colt.

pyrodex pellets are about 40 grains and will seat in the 45 colt case, triple 7 will work too.
I wouldn't hesitate to soften my boolits a tick/change lube/and go with straight black or a sub if necessary.
airc hodgdon even has data for many of the powder substitutions on their site [they put out some data waay back when in a pamphlet]

[Airman Basic]

Do the black subs rust and ruin the way real black does? That would be a big worry. Need to run my blackhawk through the dishwasher after a session, you reckon?

[Shiloh]

The fouling is more that you get with smokeless, but less than with black powder. This coming from a guy who loaded both in a 44/40.
I have no first hand experience with this.

Shiloh

[josper]

I can't always find what I want but I have been lucky to find other powders that work. I like bullseye and unique,but Have had to settle for Acc#5 or bluedot. A couple of weeks ago I scored on 2# unique and a # of 2400. :)

[tomme boy]

If it is Pyrodex, that stuff is worse than black powder. It is way more corrosive. I like real black powder. But not very many places carry it so it might be harder to find than smokeless powder.

[Digital Dan]

Do the black subs rust and ruin the way real black does?

Is this something you have experienced or the legend you hear?

And you want to run it thru the dishwasher? Really? Have you ever cleaned a black powder firearm?

[doctorggg]

I have found pyrodex to be the worst caustic black powder substitute. Even worse than black powder itself. I switched to Hodgdon Black MZ and use it like regular BP but it is less caustic and less fouling. I clean by spraying windex with vinegar (Staples has it) on the patches and then spray down the whole revolver with a 1:10 mixture of Ballistol to water. I see Black MZ available on several websites.
No rusting at all. JMO

[jonp]

If you were closer id sell you a lb of unique to get started

[mikeym1a]

my old Speer manual lists Unique, SR4756, red dot, 700X, 230-P, and bullseye. Well, it also liste 4227, 'PB', Top Mark, and N2020.

[brtelec]

Ballistics Products has 800-x in stock now

[USSR]

Almost any shotgun powder can be used in pistols with an appropriate charge.

+1. I guarantee you that trap and skeet shooters will be shooting when the weather warms up, so they will be getting their powder from somewhere.

Don

[geargnasher]

If it's that bad, just make some low-grade fffG and shoot up your stick-on wheel weight metal. .45 Colt isn't picky and black powder isn't that difficult to make unless you're trying to make premium, long-range, high-energy powder.

Gear

[sixshot]

I shoot a lot of WST in my revolvers, its a great powder & very similar to Winchester 231. Yesterday at the gun show here in Arizona I spotted a can of 231, figured the guy would want $30, I ask & he said $22, I offered $20 & he took it, wish it had been a keg but I have quite a bit yet. Good luck on your search!

Dick

[Wolfer]

I've never shot 777 out of my 45 colt but wouldent hesitate to do so. I've shot some in muzzle loaders and the fouling isn't bad.
I've shot lots of fffg out of a cap and ball pistol and I just take the grips off and hold it under the hot water, push a mop down the bore and the cylinders. With hot water it'll dry right off and be ready for oiling.
The problem is not in cleaning black, it's when the little woman gets home and sees I cleaned my pistol in the kitchen sink again. There's no hiding it!

Pyrodex is the hardest to clean of any of the subs I've shot.

[Airman Basic]

Where do ya'll find the powder? Can't get any brick and mortar or online.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Making your own black powder is very doable. We should all be prepared to go there if need be.

[mdi]

FWIW; I had a BP revolver a few years ago, Italian '86 Navy clone. If I had a dishwasher at that time I would have used it, but I did run some very hot water in a pan and added some dish soap and soaked my revolver. Of course I dried and oiled it well when I was done.

Worked for me!

[geargnasher]

I get my black powder from a cabinet shop and a feed store.

Gear

[jonas302]

Grafs has 4756 today

[Digital Dan]

Where do ya'll find the powder? Can't get any brick and mortar or online.

http://www.powderinc.com/cgi-bin/bpstore/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=thispage&thispage=order.htm&ORDER_ID=243243764 for black powder. Otherwise there are a very large number of suppliers accessible online.

[tomme boy]

I get my black from here. http://www.addictedtoblackpowder.com/

I just drive over there as it is about 40 miles from here.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I get mine from here also , good stuff , Jon is good people

I drive 2 hours one way to pick it up every other year or so ,he will ship it to you also

but there is this great little diner outside Polo Ill and i like to make a reason to stop in there for fried chicken

also the John Deere historical site is not to far away , as is the birth place of Ronald Regan , so we stop some places and make a day trip of it , this last time we went to the Dixon historical society museum Ronald Regan's school building houses this museum.

my wife likes these day trips.

thing with black is you have to use a compressed load



I get my black from here. http://www.addictedtoblackpowder.com/

I just drive over there as it is about 40 miles from here.

[C. Latch]

If you'll keep your eye on the powder valley website, and natchezss, and a couple more, you'll find powder eventually.

Natchezss has 8 lb'ers of 4227 in stock right now.
PV has AA 5744 and IMR 4759 8 lb'ers right now.

My local powder store is well-stocked and from my perspective, the component shortage is 'over'.

[Airman Basic]

If you'll keep your eye on the powder valley website, and natchezss, and a couple more, you'll find powder eventually.

Natchezss has 8 lb'ers of 4227 in stock right now.
PV has AA 5744 and IMR 4759 8 lb'ers right now.
My local powder store is well-stocked and from my perspective, the component shortage is 'over'.
I'm in MS also. Care to share?

[C. Latch]

I'm in MS also. Care to share?

I'm in far north MS. I buy from time to time at a little place called Carr's in Saltillo.

Do you ever make it to Jackson? There's a place, I think it's called Vann's, and if you get as far north as Columbus you could try Gary's.

If shipping wasn't so crazy I'd grab you a jug of unique at carr's, it's been in there the last 2x I was there. They're very well stocked for such a small place.

[Cmm_3940]

Making your own black powder is very doable. We should all be prepared to go there if need be.

Sulfer from eBay cosmetics supplier. I keep a 20 lb. bag in the closet.
Potassium nitrate from the hardware store (stump remover)
Black willows grow wild around creeks and ponds to make charcoal.

[backhoe]

+1 on Carrs, and sometimes even Scruggs John Deere.

[C. Latch]

+1 on Carrs, and sometimes even Scruggs John Deere.

Have they had anything lately? Last time I was there they had some Alliant 410(?) and some VV powders, but the prices were high even by VV standards.

[ksfowler166]

Do the black subs rust and ruin the way real black does? That would be a big worry. Need to run my blackhawk through the dishwasher after a session, you reckon?
Peace, peace my friend. If you clean you firearm black powder will not hurt your gun. Yes Pyrodex is more corrosive than BP, Buckhorn is less corrosive. But that does not matter. All you need to do is as soon as possible after you finish firing take your favorite gun cleaner and clean the gun like you normally would (pay extra attention to the bore) and make sure to clean the chambers and breech face (basically anything that would have powder on it). That last part is just guessitmation since I have only used Pyrodex in SxS shotguns.