Is Black Powder Hard on Guns?

[DaveM]

The only major problem I've had with my Uberti lever actions have been screws made from cheese that were over-torqued at the factory. I drilled out several of them in my mill and replaced them with hardened screws from VTI Gun Parts.

I do have an Uberti 1862 Pocket Police that has been trouble from day one, however.

[omgb]

I have had two Italian cap gun with no issues. I shoot BP in my 32-20 S&W with no issues either. BP burns slower than smokeless and at considerably lower pressure. It should not gas cut a frame...ever. As to that Perdersoli hammer, I can't explain that. My two Pedersoli rifles have no signs of wear almost two decades later. Not saying the other guy is wrong, just that my experience differed. I think your pistol is a lemon. Pietta tends to be like Armi Sport; a tad on the budget side. Uberti and Pedersoli are at the top of the pack. Funny thing is, they are all made in the same valley in Italy.

[BillKilgore]

Black powder is also extremely corrosive. BP is about 10% sulfur. When the powder ignites, you have an extremely hot mixture of sulfuric acid pushing the bullet. It sounds like the Italian clones don't hold up well to the BP environment.

I have no experience with the Italian clones. How do they fare with smokeless powder?

[omgb]

The corrosiveness of BP is only a factor where moisture is concerned. In dry weather, it’s not very corrosive at all. Gas cutting requires high temps and high pressure. BP generates neither.


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[Thundermaker]

Black powder is also extremely corrosive. BP is about 10% sulfur. When the powder ignites, you have an extremely hot mixture of sulfuric acid pushing the bullet. It sounds like the Italian clones don't hold up well to the BP environment.

I have no experience with the Italian clones. How do they fare with smokeless powder?

No, just no. That's not what "corrosive" means, and there's no sulfuric acid. You don't get sulfuric acid when you burn black powder. If you did, no gun would last long with it, regardless of the location of manufacture.

[omgb]

I was trying to just not comment on that acid comment. There is an acidic compound formed when the fouling mixes with water but the real corrosion happens due to the potassium salts working in conjunction with atmospheric moisture on the barrel steel.


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[Thundermaker]

I was trying to just not comment on that acid comment. There is an acidic compound formed when the fouling mixes with water but the real corrosion happens due to the potassium salts working in conjunction with atmospheric moisture on the barrel steel.


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I felt a need to. It's frighteningly easy for untruths to become "common knowledge". Just look at the debates on headspace.

In any case, It seems that the OP just got a lemon.

[gunther]

A 35 year old stainless Old Army; 30 grains of 3f for targets, 43 grains of 4f for hunting. Mostly .457 round ball, a Lyman 45468 (175 grains), or a Saeco 130, sized to .452. It shows very light gas cutting after 1000-1200 rounds. About half the diameter of a very small paper clip.

[indian joe]

[QUOTE=omgb;5371696]I have had two Italian cap gun with no issues. I shoot BP in my 32-20 S&W with no issues either. BP burns slower than smokeless and at considerably lower pressure. It should not gas cut a frame...ever.

except that it can / does, we have two old cap guns with definite gas cutting erosion mark on the cylinder pivot pin - if you doubt this have a look at pictures of a walker colt shot at night with a full load - if there is normal cylinder gap the sheet of flame out the side is awesome - along with that goes some powder residue at considerable force. I foolishly got my left hand up along the side of an 1860 army trying to bench test it one time - tattoo mark in my thumb from blasted powder residue took about three months to disappear - will not happen again.!

[omgb]

I do know about blow by and I do have some pitting on the top strap of my Uberti Remington, but it’s not deep and I’ve been shooting that gun since the 90s. Neither of my Old Army revolvers show anything more than a dark streak. One is blue, the other stainless.


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[greenjoytj]

Black powder is also extremely corrosive. BP is about 10% sulfur. When the powder ignites, you have an extremely hot mixture of sulfuric acid pushing the bullet.

I have read that BP fouling tests as a base pH higher than 7.0 and changes red litmus paper to blue colour.
I have not tested my fouling to know if it is an acid or base, I got to get some litmus paper.

Mike Venturino says the fouling is a base and uses Friendship Speed juice a diluted Windex with vinegar solution to neutralize the base pH of the BP fouling.

I know if I leave my shinny BP fired brass soaking in its own waste fouling too long the brass turns dark. It does not get shinier like it does if left soaking in a citric acid solution in my tumbler.

Their is just so much myth surrounding the use of BP in cartridges firearms and the Internet propagates so well. The discussion of Muzzle loaders with BP is even worse, people will defend a ridiculous position like religion.