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Buying Blackpowder

3K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  RayG_Wisconsin 
#1 ·
I have everything needed to correctly load 45/70 for a Trapdoor. I got the Lee bullet mold and I'm jumping into bullet casting head first. The one thing I'm missing is blackpowder. This is my first foray into the BP world, though I doubt it will be my last. I didn't realize our lovely government had made it all but impossible to buy BP. Am I stuck with buying over $400 worth at a time from one of the 2 distributors I've been able to find? It appears they only deal in bulk. I don't know anyone in my area who I could split an order with. Also, I think I have an adequate understanding of the grain coarseness but just to be sure, if I want to shoot both 45/70 and end up with a musket or pistol in the future, can I use one powder for all, even if not ideal? Should I go with FF or FFF?

It appears blackpowder can't be resold without licenses. Am I correct in assuming that I'm not going to find any even at the Tulsa show in a couple of weeks?

Regards,
-Dan
 
#2 ·
Not sure about your area,but some gun shops still carry black. sooner or later,you will have to come to terms with limited availability. Jack's powder keg sells GOEX for $350 per 25#. Try to find several people to split an order and everybody is happy. 2 or 3 f will work for your intended purposes,but 3 f better for pistols. Most (all?) gun shows have insurance regs prohibiting selling black powder. I remember it selling out of the powder magazine at Friendship for under $3 !
 
#3 ·
A black powder club in your area may go in on a group purchase and distribute it.

For a .45/70 2f would be a good bet, if you are going with American-made Goex.

Muskets can use 3f in a smaller charge, often about 5-grains less than 2f.

There are shops and stores that have the requisite storage for black powder. You might try contacting black powder shooters in your area and find out where those are.

Good luck. I do think some places will allow a "mix-n'-match" of granulation sizes, i.e. both 2f and 3f included in the order. 4f is used for priming flintlocks, but when I've used a flintlock, it is just 2f in both the pan and the bore and it works OK. 1f is used for cannon and really big bore muskets.
 
#4 ·
Check with Graf & Sons, Powderinc, & some other BP distributors, they offer powder in lots as little as five pounds. Obviously, the less you buy at a time the more you pay per pound, but the option is out there. I deal mainly with Powderinc & I know they will mix granulation sizes in the same order. For the Trapdoor & Musket I'd go with Fg or FFg & for the pistol FFFg.
https://powderinc.com/black-powder/
When you look at Powderinc's prices, remember it INCLUDES both shipping & HAZMAT fees, some other suppliers add that on at checkout.
 
#8 ·
That's convenient if you're local, but if having it shipped your still up for the full Hazmat fee which is typically a flat rate for one pound or fifty pounds.
 
#9 ·
You don't say where you are. That might help someone who knows a shop that does carry it closer to you.
Also state laws make it hard for some retailers to store any of it.
Fire Marshall's have made restrictive BP storage rules due to hazard to firefighters who may have to deal with it. It's not so much that it's "evil" or inherently dangerous sitting on shelves in storage, it's a danger for anyone fighting a fire where it is stored.
 
#10 ·
I've been shooting blackpowder for years in rifles, pistols and muskets. When I got started in the mid 1970's, conventional wisdom was 2F for muskets and most rifles, 3F for pistols.
However, after comparing the screen sizes used to sort powder according to the 1860's Ordnance manual with modern sizes, it appeared that modern 3F was the best match to original Civil War powders. After quite a bit of experimenting, I verified that I got the best results using 3F, even in my .69 M1842 Musket, .69 M1843 Rifled-Musket and .69 1861 Navy (Dahlgren or Plymouth) Rifle. That was also true for all my .58 Rifle-Muskets, breechloading .50 Smith Carbine and my .45 M1888 Trapdoor Rifle.

So, I suggest buying 3F. It should serve you well in anything but small pistols. (They need 4F to burn the powder in a short barrel).

I have never used any of the modern substitutes (e.g. Pyrodex) since our competition rules only permit blackpowder. However, you might consider them.
 
#11 ·
I didnt' realize black powder is hard to find in some areas. I guess I'm lucky. Here where I live in Pa, you can buy black powder in most gun shops. I buy most of mine at a local hard ware store, that also sells guns. We can buy by the pound. So no need to order or buy in bulk just to get it. I guess since Pa is a big muzzle loading state, we just don't have the issues with availability that other areas have.
 
#12 ·
Thanks guys, this is all great info and very helpful. I'll give 3F a try. Sidney, blackpowder is not popular at all in Texas. The few people who shoot muzzleloaders use one of the modern equivalents, as they are only doing it to get an extra month to hunt. Re-enactments are not big here either. I've never seen real blackpowder for sale, only the substitutes. I've got my bullets cast and everything ready to go, but I can't shoot my Trapdoor just yet. I'm working my friends down so we can split a big order.

Regards,
-Dan
 
#13 ·
While waiting to find black powder, consider loading some smokeless. There are countless smokeless powder loads developed specifically for Trapdoor carbines & rifles that are under 20K CUPS pressure. Some, such as 38.5 GR. IMR 3031 duplicate infantry carbine ammo.

If you cast the 405 Gr. hollow-base arsenal bullet, consider:

14 Gr. Unique
13 Gr. WW231
17 Gr. Blue Dot

26 Gr. Accurate 5744
32.5 Gr. H4895
24 Gr. 2400 - also duplicates black powder performance.
22.5 Gr. SR4759

I've also gotten satisfactory performance from 55 GR Pyrodex P and 3F Black powder. I use a fiber wad between powder & bullet to further compress the powder for these loads.

Which Trapdoor do you have?
 
#14 ·
I just ordered 2f, 3f and 4f powder from powderinc.com

What I don't get is why do they only sell musket caps in lots of 1000's? I guess there are areas that are doing reenactments that are popping off thousands, but I will never shoot a thousand in 5 lifetimes. I will have to look around the Dallas metroplex for a gun shop that has musket caps. I have bought #10 and 11 caps by the 100 and I may have just missed that there were musket caps, but I don't remember seeing them. Now that I have a musket, I will look closer, but it would have been nice to have been able to buy 100. I guess it would have added a hazmat fee?

Tribrothers
 
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