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Thread: black powder cartridge question

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by toot View Post
    whittle down a round wooden dowel or go to a hobby shop & get popsicle stick or a Tung depressor. use something wood. non sparking.
    how are ya gonna make a spark digging compacted powder out of a BRASS case ????? I dont get it - enlighten me please

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lead pot View Post
    Shoot them as blanks.
    By the time you dig out the powder if it's compressed tight you will end up mostly with dust. You can screen the powder if you want.

    Down the line you will most likely ruin that rifle trying to load light loads.
    I did about a hundred of these my son had loaded with crappy lube - dug the powder out of about 35 till I got sick of it (Cheep Chinese powder so not a big gain) shot the rest of em off as blanks over the back fence (its a farm no next doors) - had to quit halfway through to let the rifle cool and cleaned it. I would check periodically that it wasnt getting too clogged up - can happen the residue closes the barrel completely and you get an airgap blow up.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by toot View Post
    WOW!! COPPER WIRE? now that is certainly a very good conductor for a spark!!
    Copper is an excellent conductor but, I defy you to generate a spark with copper unless current is introduced. Brass is a pretty fair conductor also, ya know.
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  4. #24
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    70 Grains of 3F with no projectile should not bother your rifle. As mentioned swab the barrel every 4 or 5 shot. When shooting patched round ball I keep a little spray bottle of alcohol handy and spray dry patches to clean out residue.
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  5. #25
    Banned bigted's Avatar
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    I am with the dig it out crowd. I take a sharp pick and an L pick ... pick with the sharp STEEL pick to loosen the packed powder ... take the L pick and finish loosening the powder. Poor it out into a clean container and use it in C&B revolvers ... even the very fine powder. I have repurposed powder a lot doing this. Lotza hype concerning whatever static alectricity around Black Powder. Look up trials trying to ignite BP with a static charge.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    isn't copper wire used as a conductor of electricity, home & industry? maybe I missed that memo? right there is no spark when you turn on a light switch to make the lights come on? I think that is what makes houses with a gas leak blow up when this is done.? oh well use what ever you want to.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    bigted, I did and a spark / static, will not set it off. I stand corrected. thanks' for the heads up on it.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by toot View Post
    isn't copper wire used as a conductor of electricity, home & industry? maybe I missed that memo? right there is no spark when you turn on a light switch to make the lights come on? I think that is what makes houses with a gas leak blow up when this is done.? oh well use what ever you want to.
    blow the house up? yeah but there is a source - switches arc sparks and on the other end of that wire is a power station - the copper or brass pick (I use a steel one but lets stick to the story) has no source of power behind it so where will the spark come from ????? ya have me bamboozled ...............................(not hard to do I agree)

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by toot View Post
    WOW!! COPPER WIRE? now that is certainly a very good conductor for a spark!!
    Old wives tales!!!
    http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_...ks/sparks.html

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy
    one-eyed fat man's Avatar
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    Getty a sissy bag and shoot it. The bag will come in handy later when zeroing from the bench.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  11. #31
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    There is a difference between a white/blue spark and a red spark. Red sparks are hot

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    To remove the compressed plug of black powder from a 45-70 Government case just twist an appropriate size drill bit by hand into the case. Let the powder dust fall into your laundry tub, and sluice it away with the tap water. Filling the case with water will make twisting the drill easier.
    No sense trying to salvage it because the dust that the drill scrapes away won’t be 3fg any more.

  13. #33
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    I have tried soaking and it is a mess. I soaked them and used a drill bit turned by hand. It worked but what a mess. I would top them off with some glitter put on an over shot card and have fun!
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  14. #34
    Boolit Bub
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    I have used a dental pick and still have all my fingers. Now I would advise you to shoot it out.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check