black powder in win 1894?
- Thread starter yip
- Start date
I did it. Once.
I'm assuming that you're talking .30-30. I filled a few cases up a bit short of the mouth, maybe an eighth of an inch, then seated the bullet to compress the powder and used a fairly heavy crimp (I wasn't sure just how hard that powder was pushing back).
The net result was a very dirty gun because the bullets that I used did not have the deep grease grooves that a BP bullet should have, so the fouling built up pretty quickly.
I do have a '94 in .32WS and some bullets that have deep grooves, but the rifle is just ill-suited to shooting black powder (in my opinion) because it's just too hard to clean out any gunk that gets back into the receiver.
I've read that right around the time that the .30-30 was introduced, at the tail end of the black powder era, that black powder was cleaner burning than the stuff we use today, more like Swiss powder than any of the others. I don't know if that's true or not - I was using Pyrodex for my "experiment".
Anyway, if you're going to give it a try, just fill up the case. You're not going to overcharge the round, no matter how much BP you put in there.
I'm assuming that you're talking .30-30. I filled a few cases up a bit short of the mouth, maybe an eighth of an inch, then seated the bullet to compress the powder and used a fairly heavy crimp (I wasn't sure just how hard that powder was pushing back).
The net result was a very dirty gun because the bullets that I used did not have the deep grease grooves that a BP bullet should have, so the fouling built up pretty quickly.
I do have a '94 in .32WS and some bullets that have deep grooves, but the rifle is just ill-suited to shooting black powder (in my opinion) because it's just too hard to clean out any gunk that gets back into the receiver.
I've read that right around the time that the .30-30 was introduced, at the tail end of the black powder era, that black powder was cleaner burning than the stuff we use today, more like Swiss powder than any of the others. I don't know if that's true or not - I was using Pyrodex for my "experiment".
Anyway, if you're going to give it a try, just fill up the case. You're not going to overcharge the round, no matter how much BP you put in there.
Bishop Creek
New member
That's why the Winchester Model '73 used bottle necked 44-40 cartridges, to prevent blowback into the receiver. The 30-30 is a straight walled cartridge.
Bishop Creek
New member
Don't I feel foolish.
I think that back in the day, Marlin said that the .30-30 could be used with black powder, but I think (and me thinking is a scary proposition) that Winchester intended from the start that the cartridge be for smokeless powder only. Those who wanted to reload with black powder would have been directed to the .32 Win Special.
Still, with all this cautioning, it won't hurt to give it a try. Nothing terrible happened to me, other than maybe blistering a few ears when I noticed just how messy it got, but it was nothing that a nice, quiet afternoon with a bucket of water and some scrubbing couldn't solve.
Still, with all this cautioning, it won't hurt to give it a try. Nothing terrible happened to me, other than maybe blistering a few ears when I noticed just how messy it got, but it was nothing that a nice, quiet afternoon with a bucket of water and some scrubbing couldn't solve.
30-30 was originally 30 WCF just like 44-40 started out as 44 WCF. The difference is that 30 WCF was an early smokeless load, not Black Powder. That doesn't mean you can't do it of course, but historically it's like my 44 Special Black Powder rounds. But they sure are fun!!
If you're gonna feed your 30-30 Black Powder, I suggest NOT resizing the brass after fire forming with smokeless. This will get you a MUCH better seal in the chamber and cuts back on blow-back. I quit re-sizing both 45 Colt & 44-40 some time ago and it does make a difference.
Also, there is no real reason to cram the brass full of Black Powder. On 44-40 for instance I typically load it with 25gr 3F. I do use Swiss for the 44 but the 45's I typically load with Goex and I haven't really seen a difference. If you light load, just top off the case with cornmeal and seat the bullet. The cornmeal compresses very easily.
As far as Black Powder lubed bullets, Dash Caliber has the hot ticket. You'll need to shoot him an email and inquire about what you want to do. He's easy to deal with and the prices are competitive.
I believe that ClemBert is using Dash Caliber bullets in his BPM Walker conversion. I use them for 45 & 44 and I also order round balls from him when I've got an order.
If you're gonna feed your 30-30 Black Powder, I suggest NOT resizing the brass after fire forming with smokeless. This will get you a MUCH better seal in the chamber and cuts back on blow-back. I quit re-sizing both 45 Colt & 44-40 some time ago and it does make a difference.
Also, there is no real reason to cram the brass full of Black Powder. On 44-40 for instance I typically load it with 25gr 3F. I do use Swiss for the 44 but the 45's I typically load with Goex and I haven't really seen a difference. If you light load, just top off the case with cornmeal and seat the bullet. The cornmeal compresses very easily.
As far as Black Powder lubed bullets, Dash Caliber has the hot ticket. You'll need to shoot him an email and inquire about what you want to do. He's easy to deal with and the prices are competitive.
I believe that ClemBert is using Dash Caliber bullets in his BPM Walker conversion. I use them for 45 & 44 and I also order round balls from him when I've got an order.
Since the .32 WS was introduced after the .30-30, I'm pretty sure it was also a smokeless cartrige just like the .30-30, though it may have worked better with black powder.
A lot of 1894's were chambered for .32-40, a true black powder round which had a tapered straight sided case.
A lot of 1894's were chambered for .32-40, a true black powder round which had a tapered straight sided case.
