Black powder

bullsi1911

kicking around the idea of getting a black powder revolver to fart around with after Christmas. 

Is black powder and percussion caps as hard to get ahold of as smokeless stuff these days?

sakodude

I've got enough #11 caps to spare some, just not sure if they can be shipped.

Some_Mook

Try Midway USA or Track of the Wolf.  Muzzleloaders.com might have some BP substitute in stock and maybe some caps.  Caps were hard to find in stock when I last stocked up a few months back. 

Midway is probably the best place to start looking. 

Track is expensive on the BP because the minimum order is 25lbs. 

I did not find BP hard to get a few months ago, it was hard to find a decent price.  The shipping costs / hazmat fees are not pleasant.

Varmintmist

For cap revolvers, Pyrodex P will work as well and give you the nice cloud. One thing about PA is real BP in at least 3 granulations is available all over.

Jayhawker

I buy mine from Graf and Sons..very reasonable prices....I usually buy 5 or 6 pounds at a time since the Hazmat fee is the same for 1 pound as it is for 6...you're not paying by the pound...you're paying for the whole shipment.
You have to be home to sign for the package...

Jay

A couple of months ago I was looking for powder and primers before my muzzleloader deer hunt and it was scarce around here. I was specifically looking for Blackhorn 209 and never did find any around here or on line. I ended up using exactly what I didn't want to use, Pyrodex pellets, only because a buddy was kind enough to provide me with some as well as some primers and 240 grain Hornady bullets. I was lucky enough that 2 pellets shot accurate enough for deer out to 150 yards or so. So I left it at that.

I'm not sure what the market looks like right now. I haven't been looking any more.

GunNut

I’ve seen some locally but I have no idea about the market in general.  If you get the gun and need some let me know.  I’m pretty sure I can help you out.

tennmike

Steel frame revolvers rock. Pyrodex P grade works good and is less problematic to ship, and can usually be found in stock in places like Bass Pro. Caps can be problematic, but if you search the places like Grafs and others that sell reloading supplies they can be found.

Gene L

Pyrodex is supposedly even more fouling than BP, at least the ML crowd says so.  In some places, it's the only choice though; I believe in Alaska reportedly can't import BP.  I've got a Navy replica and it's such a pain in the ass to load and shoot it spends time in my safe.

Jayhawker

Buffalo Arms Co has reasonable prices on BP as well...

Gene L

I bought from Graff.  I also believe that all BP has to be ground delivery.

Justsomedude

This may sound ridiculous but real BP is easy to make and there's no hazmat on its individual components. Of course I like chemistry, so there's that.

Gene L

Chemically, it's VERY down pat.  Practically, gunpowder is difficult. I saw a program (Mythbusters?) where they tried and just couldn't get it to work in reality.as Gunpowder,  they got a fizzy, low power substance.  I think they were trying to test a Star Trek episode where Kirk made the stuff out of the three necessary and natural materials. 

Justsomedude

Its funny that you brought that up. I remember that episode. They had the proper components but didn't have the micron size correct to have reliable ignition. 

Gene L

I saw this program somewhere on some channel where a tribe of people in China made their own BP from natural components for ML guns.  The only peoples in China who could own weapons.  Showed the weapons, briefly, and I don't know if they were flint or percussion. Short presentation as part of a longer show.  I suppose that over the ages the Chinese of this bunch figured out the finer points.  In modern parts of the world gunpowder is wet down in sheets and pounded with wooden mallets into finer "corned" grains and sifted through screens to get the right granulation, which I suspect also happens in China.

sakodude

Any interest in something like this?

Some_Mook

sakodude said:

Any interest in something like this?

Unless you REALLY like the looks, and are willing to shoot only very mild loads, I'd recommend avoiding the brass-frame pistols.  

The 1861 Navy has some improvements over the 1851 model, but I like both.  Very well balanced revolvers.

sakodude

Some_Mook said:

sakodude said:

Any interest in something like this?

Unless you REALLY like the looks, and are willing to shoot only very mild loads, I'd recommend avoiding the brass-frame pistols.  

The 1861 Navy has some improvements over the 1851 model, but I like both.  Very well balanced revolvers.

I’ve heard that before but I think you’d be hard pressed to damage one in normal use. Had one back before I could legally own a center fire handgun that I probably put 500 rounds through and it never shot loose.

bullsi1911

I am looking for a steel frame, since I may put a conversion cylinder in it once ammo becomes available again.  

But that is a pretty setup!