Blackhorn 209:

[10851Man]

What are your thoughts????

This isn't designed for revolvers, is it????

I am looking for the cleanest possible BP substitute for a steel framed .36 revolver.

Thanks!!!!

[Jbar4Ranch]

It's a duplex powder made for inline rifles. The literature says it is designed to be used in blackpowder firearms with a 209 primer that is completely enclosed or completely encircled or words to that effect.

All black powder and substitutes are going to leave a residue - shoot the real stuff and have a great experience!

[Hawg]

I'm not knocking you or anything but I just don't understand why people buy a bp gun and then want it to shoot as clean as a modern smokeless gun. Buy some black and smoke that puppy up.

[10851Man]

I want something that is good for prolonged storage. I used Pyrodex for many years with good results, just curious if technology has given us something better????

[Hawg]

I use Pyrodex. IMHO there's just more expensive, none of it is any better except the real deal.

[Jbar4Ranch]

Like load it and store it for a long period?

As an experiment, I once let a loaded and capped BP revolver go 4 full years with real black powder. The Crisco in the chamber mouths had dried up and shrunk a bit, so I smeared some new stuff on, stepped outside and all six went bang, no problem. No corrosion and no problems firing.
Black powder and subs aren't corrosive, per se, it's after the initial firing that the residue becomes very hygroscopic and attracts water like a sponge. The residue by itself isn't corrosive until it starts soaking up water out of the air.

(edit) Oh, and Pyrodex isn't "better" than black powder, or any other sub for that matter. Pyrodex came about as a substitute that could be sold by a retailer without the licensing or storage requirements of black powder, which is an explosive. Pyrodex is a flammable.

[10851Man]

Thanks, guys...That's great information!!!!!!

Who's powder do you guy's recommend???

I used to seal the front of the chambers with candle wax....I stored an 1858 Remington for 6 years with Pyrodex with no issues...

[brazosdave]

I would rather shoot real black than any sub, but when I do, which is rather often, I like pyrodex P. Trip 7 is good too, as long as you remember to reduce your charge by 15%.

[B.L.E.]

The more I shoot real black powder, the more I appreciate just how terrible it is not.

I haven't tried BH209 in a muzzleloader because I don't have a muzzleloader that uses a sealed 209 ignition. I have used it in cartridges and it works well.
Even if your rifle does use 209 primers, it may not work. Some breech plugs have a flash hole that's too tiny and long for good ignition with BH209 I hear. When the flash hole is tiny and long, a 209 primer essentially becomes the same as a #11 percussion cap.

My brother has one of those muzzleloaders that uses sealed 209 ignition and he loves the stuff because he can shoot very small groups with it.

[Logan5579]

As an experiment, I once let a loaded and capped BP revolver go 4 full years with real black powder. The Crisco in the chamber mouths had dried up and shrunk a bit, so I smeared some new stuff on, stepped outside and all six went bang, no problem. No corrosion and no problems firing.

Three years ago I put a couple of loaded cylinders away and left them alone until a month or so ago. The load was 35gr pyrodex p, vegetable fiber wad, lube cookie made from beeswax and lard, 220gr conicals that I cast myself, cci #11 magnum primers that fit perfectly on the nipples. The cylinders stayed in the top of the closet of my storage room in which I've closed the central heat/air vents so it gets a little warm in summer, a little cool in winter. One pretty day I decided to see if they fired and if so how well...was curious to see if they developed the "pop...boom" syndrome or if they were dead. Well I was happy to get BOOM X 12! No hangfire and no decrease in power from a fresh load (as far as I could tell). That was a good day shootin, I put 24 more shots through each cylinder...just for the heck of it.

It's near impossilbe to get real black around here so I've almost always used pyro p...but I don't mind gettin dirty and smokin up the neighborhood, to me it's part of the fun!

[BirchOrr]

I can't fathom leaving one of my BP pistols set around that long loaded. I can't keep my hands off 'em that long!

Warm here today, got out of work early, unloading/cleaning in-lines and as soon as I'm done w/that, time to load pistols and burn powder!



Birch

[Hawg]

(edit) Oh, and Pyrodex isn't "better" than black powder, or any other sub for that matter.

FWIW I didn't say it was better than black. I do think its better than the other subs. It's chemically almost the same as black. It has a little less potassium nitrate and uses potassium perchlorate to make up the difference.

[10851Man]

Thanks, guys...

[littleking]

So I do shoot BH209, and have shot pyrodex, triple7 and others... BH209 is the most consistent, easiest to clean, and stable powder that I've tried.

I've tried pellets, loose, flake, you name it. Nothing is as stable as BH209.

It does not have a shelf live, does not absorb moisture, and damn does it shoot good!

here's 92 gr by volume with 250gr shockwave at 100yd with encore

[FrontierGander]

BH209 is THE powder to use in a modern break action muzzleloader. Best stuff there if for these guns.