I've been using Hodgdon Triple Seven exclusively since I started doing DD seven
years ago. The trick is that you need to contain it tightly. In charge wells
I'll generally fill them as necessary, pack any extra space tightly with dog
barf, then cover the top with seven pieces of masking tape and one wrap around
the perimeter. With soda straw charges, I'll wrap many layers of masking tape
around it until the straw feels fairly hard. It doesn't make nearly as much
of a mess as BP... a damp rag cleans it right up. It's also not as corrosive
as BP.
Cris Erving
________________________________
From: roc-chat-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <roc-chat-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of David P Smith <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 12:38 PM
To: roc-chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [roc-chat] Ground Testing with Pyrodex
The current situation with black powder, I have been looking at alternatives.
There has been a bunch of discussion on this topic lately.
I tried testing pyrodex with both 4 inch LOC cardboard body tubes, and some
thicker shipping tubes.
Pyrodex is used as a replacement for black powder since it is not explosive,
and therefore safer to handle and store. When at normal atmospheric pressure
pyrodex burns much slower than black powder. When contained, such as in the
chamber of a firearm, it rapidly pressurizes and acts very much like gun powder.
Setting up ejection charges the same way I would with black powder resulted in
a much slower burn. Ejection was much less energetic than with black powder,
and the longer exposure to heat resulted a tendency to set rigging and the body
on fire.
Containing the pyrodex in solid plastic bottles wrapped in tape resulted in
VERY energetic action, which did result in prompt ejections but in one case
blew the side out of the LOC body tube. The plastic bottles tended to shatter
and become shrapnel.
On a side note, I have also found that pyrodex, while a very good substitute
for rifle propellent, is not suitable for use in the flash pan of a flintlock.
In general, I do not suggest pyrodex as a substitute for black powder ejection
charges.
Dave Smith
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