Winchester 1876 repro: .50-95 WCF

M

Mike Irwin

Staff
No, you can't double charge.

But, once again, safe is a relative term. It requires different loading techniques and sensibilities.

For example, years ago when I started shooting a flintlock, I was at the range one day and there's another noob at one of the benches. He's loading directly out of a 1 pound can of powder with a spout, and it's sitting right the hell beside him as he's shooting. One errant spark and he would have taken himself to hell.

I mentioned it to him, and unlike most people, he was appreciative of the warning and the advice. He was an experienced reloader with smokeless, but not with black.

Before you try loading black powder, you'll want to get yourself one of the comprehensive manuals dealing with loading black powder cartridges.
 
M

mehavey

New member
he was appreciative...
Click to expand...
I've found that to be almost universally the case with BP shooters.
(Now those "suitable substitute" shooters........)
:rolleyes: **






** I say that only half tongue-in-cheek.
 
K

kcub

New member
And then there's cleaning a lever gun that's fired black powder cartridges.
Easiest?
Ballistol ok for color case?
 
K

kcub

New member
Jamison ammo came in, makes 45-70 look puny!

What black powder reloading book should I get? Must have 50-95 data.
 
8

849ACSO

New member
I've reloaded for a quite a while. I've owned a few black powder guns. The fact that BP doesn't burn, it explodes, has kept me from messing with it in 45/70.

I would think it's no more "dangerous" than reloading with smokeless, just less forgiving.

And cleanup................Another matter entirely...........
 
M

mehavey

New member
The fact that BP doesn't burn, it explodes, has kept me from messing with it in 45/70.
Click to expand...
An absolutely full case of BP (which is nearly the only rule w/ BP) burns as a column -- and has a far less stressful pressure curve/peak than smokeless. ;)
I would think it's no more "dangerous" than reloading with smokeless, just less forgiving.
Click to expand...
See above. :D
And cleanup................Another matter entirely...........
Click to expand...
Soap & water... and actually as fast/faster than smokeless.:p :D

Just for grins (and another guy's dare on a barrel twist issue), I took my 44-40 out last (near) night loaded up w/ BP:

Fast load/experimenting to get five rounds assembled/loaded after work/before dark.

Tried to clean barrel beforehand from old ALOX/smokeless residue + two foulers, then record ...
just to see if there was any 'there' there to come back to.

2rf7fiv.jpg


postscript: BP is accurate too. :D
 
8

849ACSO

New member
That's mighty fine shooting.

My not wanting to mess with BP involves my lack of experience with it, other than an end stuffer or 2 I've owned. I recall the cleanup being STINKY and MESSY, and I recall NO AIR in the cartridge rules.

Granted I didn't mess with it enough to have any sort of method to the cleaning in place, so again, my inexperience is where it failed.

I plan on trying to shoot some BP in my 45/70 someday and coming up with a good load, I'm just not "enthused" about doing it.
 
K

kcub

New member
Well I fired the Uberti today, shoots very good with the Jamison ammo. No recoil to speak of with that behemoth 28" octagon barrel. I'm pleased. I shot some cans, golfballs, and a piece of thick plywood.

I also shot my Marlin 30-30 model 36 and my Galil. Good times. And then I listened about the horrors of gun crime in America on public radio on the ride home. I guess it's time to pull the funding plug on that rabbit show.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top