Being Goaded Back to Black

[BLTsandwedge]

There seems to be a resurgence of sorts at the club. More frontstuffers are showing up. In addition to the Lymans and Knights, we're seeing custom matchlocks, a custom snaphaunce, .58 Springfields and the like. I've been out of the game for eight or ten years- I'd acquired all the parts for a '62 flint Jaeger from TOTW before getting intensely caught up in trying to keep this business afloat through the 'lost decade' of 2001-2010. There's not much more I can do with the business other than maintain what I've got.... so it is time to start the Jaeger again.

My question is simple. In the past decade has anyone come up with a 'synthetic' black powder substitute suitable for rock crushers? The only cap gun I shoot is a 12ga SxS by Pedersoli- and even that I wish was a flinter. In short, it's got to have a rock for it to be interesting to me.

I have a suspicion that there is no substitute for 4f- or a substitute main charge that'll go bang with the flame from a pan of 3 or 4f. Am I right?

Thanks and regards,

Tom

[mooman76]

A guy I buy guns from often at a pawn shop swares that American Pioneer Powder will light in a rock loack. He takes the boy scouts out shooting with MLs. He says to crush a little of the powder to make it finer for the lock. It probubly doesn't shoot as well but he swares it works.

[northmn]

You can order black powder from several sources. I have gotten mine from Graf's. Since I am a flintlock shooter, I would highly recommend that you order about 4-5 pounds of the real stuff and save yourself the head aches. One pound of 4f will last a very long time and you can cruch 3f for a primer. No phoney powder will perform like Swiss BP and really is not any less expensive. I can buy Graf's powder cheaper, even paying the Hazmat, than the cost per pound of most of the phoney stuff. Just have to order more to spread out the Hazmat cost.

Northmn

[Lead Fred]

In the past decade has anyone come up with a 'synthetic' black powder substitute suitable for rock crushers?


ABSOLUTELY NOT


After not wanting to be bothered with it, I finally tried a few of them in my flinter.

What a waste of time and money.

Even made some under powder 45-70 rounds.

When back to holy black