Pyrodex

[house]

Is pyrodex corosive like black powder? do you still have to clean your gun with hot soapy water when you use pyrodex?

[mini14jac]

House,

I'm new to black powder, and I had the same question.
I think if you do a search here you'll find the answer.
I think it's "Yes".
As near as I can tell, you still need to clean up with soap and water.
(That drives me nuts, as it goes against everything I have been taught about guns. )

I may settle on some of the black powder cleaning solutions, but it is hard to beat the cost of soap and water.

[4V50 Gary]

Hot soap & water.

Want to hear something funny. Two master gunsmiths of Colonial Williamsburg (Gustler & Brumfield) are quite casual about cleaning their guns. I've seen them try to con each other into cleaning their gun - a day or so after they shot them! Brumfield's even said that Wallace will leave his gun, stock & all, in a creek to flush out the barrel. The heavy coating of pure beeswax on the wood does keep the water out, but it's not something I would recommend nor do.

It's certainly a far cry from what I learned in Ned Robert's The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle. Roberts tells how his Uncle Alvaro taught him the first thing you do when you finish for the day is to clean your gun (boil your water). While you're waiting for the water to boil, you take care of your horse (if you've brought one). Then after you clean your gun, you can take care of yourself (cook). I prefer Robert's method myself.

[Jim Watson]

Pyrodex does not build up fouling so as to affect the shooting, but the residue is, at least under some conditions, MORE corrosive than black. Hodgdon sells their own cleaner and there are numerous other brands and recipes. I went out with a BP shooter and his .50-70s (an 1870 Trapdoor and an 1863 Sharps - 1868 cartridge conversion) this morning, and he cleaned them with Windex All Surface with Vinegar. Followed by drying and oiling, of course. He uses the same for his $3000 Shiloh Sharps and it still looks like new after years of competitive shooting. But that is with real Black.

[BigG]

I believe the hot water treatment is still recommended, even with Pyrodex.

Ned Roberts grandfather was right. Take care of gun, horse, then self - in that order!

[Jimmy Mac]

I have thought that Pryodex is more corrosive than blackpowder for a long time.

I used to use Pryodex untill I learned better. Now I wouldnt give a dime for a truck load of the crap.

Real blackpowder is so much better.

It is cheaper and stores longer.

It is more consistant.

Pryodex ignites at about 700 degrees

Black ignites from 325 to 350.

There is nothing like the real thing.

[RON in PA]

This is just to second Jimmy Mack's post.

[Mk VII]

We have to use pyrodex on our indoor range because of the fire regulations.
At first I didn't clean my stainless Ruger apart from the bore and chambers. I soon found rust creeping on the trigger guard. Now it gets a scrub in hot water after every session. With BP I can leave it for a few sessions though I start to get a build-up of hard debris around the nipple seats. That needs scraping off

[F.G. Black]

Pyrodex is more corrosive than black. Load some cartridges with each powder, fire them, and let them sit for a couple of days. See which one is more corroded. Both Pyrodex and black fouling will take moisture out of the air. This moisture combined with the fouling will create a solution, not unlike acid, and will etch your bore, cylinder, etc., not to mention the rust that will form.

Now, some good news. Last week I went out and shot FFg, FFFg, Triple Seven, and the new Goex Clear Shot. Most accurate was the Clear Shot hands down. Most velocity and recoil was the Triple Seven. In my 44-40, it hurt as much as my 44 mag. I won't use it in the pistols again.

Best of all, the Clear Shot is like smokeless after you shoot, and it does not collect moisture nor corrode metal according to Goex. I like it. It smokes as much as FFg, sounds like FFg, recoil in a 44 is like a 22, and it cleans like smokeless. What more could you ask for.

F.G. Black

[Steyr]

Yes Pyrodex is corrosive !!!
If you check Hodgdon's site they'll warn about that,even to reccomending if shooting BP cartridges,the brass ought to be immersed in vinegar ASAP after shooting.
On the other hand,a buddy and I were chrono'ing our Sniders w. both Pyrodex and BP loads.
Same volume charge,(70g)the Pyro gave over 100fps.more velocity !

[BigG]

Just a note. Vinegar and Windex both contain a lot of WATER. You still are using water to dissolve the BP and percussion cap fouling.

I haven't shot any BP in awhile but the easiest way I've found is fill the laundryroom sink (kitchen if a bachelor ) with hot water w dish soap. Pull the bbl off ole Betsy, assuming it's got the hooked breech, remove nipple or touch hole and pump the water back and forth thru the bbl using a jag and patch on end of ramrod. It makes a perfect siphon pump. Drain and refill w/ fresh hot water, repeat. Bbl will dry in moments from the heat of the water. Oil bbl using jag and patch.

Pull lock and trigger mechanism and clean out those areas or you'll get corrosion there.

[Alex Johnson]

It's a mute point to compare whether blackpowder or pyrodex is more corrosive than the other, the fact is their both corrosive. The big difference and the selling point for Pyrodex is the fact that it produces less fouling than black. The fouling that is produced is self lubricating hence you can shoot more shots between swabing the bore or removing the cylinder in a revolver. This is the biggest reason that I use Pyrodex over black powder for most of my muzzleloading shooting. My use of blackpowder is now reserved either for my Shiloh sharps 45-70 or flintlocks.