pyrodex

Z

zworld

New member
How well does pyrodex work in black powder revolvers? I have an unopened pound of it that I bought to use with my Hawken, but never did try.
 
Works fine for me, I often use Pyrodex P in mine. I have not tried Pyrodex RS in any of them myself but it should work fine, you'd just need to use a bit more powder to get the same velocity.
 
I like it and use a lot more of it than I do real black. I even use RS in my revolvers, works fine.
 
Until 777 came along Pyrodex was all that was available in our area.
So that's what I always used.
Worked just fine.
Black powder itself was rare to find.
Still is.
I prefer to use 777 now.
 
It is more corrosive than black powder. It works fine but I don't care for it. A fellow on another forum did a test using BP, Pyrodex, and Triple 7 burning them and leaving it in the garage for several days. T7 was nearly pristine, BP was a little pitted, but Pyrodex looked as though it was soaked in acid.

If you find yourself without the time to clean it up soon after shooting you can use Ballistol to give you time. It saturates the fouling so that it cannot absorb moisture. I've tested this by leaving my pistol in my Texas garage where humidity levels are extremely high.
 
A little harder to light so a longer lock time IMO, cleaning is mandatory & it measures less well in pistol-sized flasks spouts because of the bigger grains than real BP.
 
The only thing I have with slow lock time is my Sharp's with it's two 90 degree bends in the firing channel. As for corrosion I sometimes leave mine uncleaned for two or three days with no rust or corrosion. Where you're located might have an effect on that but I live in the humid south so you would think if it would rust overnight anywhere it would be here.
 
It rusted my muzzleloader quite badly overnight. I had read a CASS shooter say he has left his uncleaned for days (don't know what powder but assumed black) without issues. I spent way too many hours at the range and with too many guns so I left the rifle overnight indoors. It took me several hours before the patches came out white and not a funky orange color.
 
Any of the BP substitutes will promote rust if left in the guns long enough.
My 1858 Remington was just about rusted solid after using 777 and forgetting to give it a thorough cleaning for a few weeks.
It got a quickie and then was left out in a humid garage.
Won't be doing that again.
Had to soak it in auto trans fluid for many days and still had trouble getting it apart.
If you're going to clean it, then clean it.
Can't be harf-essed with them.
Lesson learned.
 
I've used Pyrodex P in cap and ball, and .50 rifile for years. Started when there was nothing else. Corrosive as all heck. Will rust overnight. Bath gun thoroughly after use. My son got an inline and started using 777. MUCH less corrosive. Not sure about how well it will work with traditional primers. I was going to try Alliant's new Black MZ when i finally use up my current Pyrodex. Black MZ is supposed to be non-corrosive.
 
If you research Black mz you will find competing claims. The first is that it is not an Alliant product but a rebranded American Pioneer product introduced years earlier that had mixed reviews, but perhaps better screened. While it is certainly true that it cleans up easily, complaints have been that it has inconsistent grain size and inconsistent velocity. It isn't a nice consistent size like Pyrodex P. I have read that it is more consistent when weighed than volume measured, which probably explains the variability. I have also read that it is not as powerful as Triple 7. I just bought a bottle for $10, so I suspect the store was having trouble moving it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top