Loading BP in modern smokeless cartridges?

[Cheezle56]

Has anyone tried it? I once remember a guy telling me he used to load cast lead bullets over black powder for .303 British back in the day when he lived somewhere with no access to jacketed bullets and smokeless powder. So has anybody tried it? Like loading .308 or .223 with 4F? I've tried max volume 3F BP in my 9mm with 2gr smokeless just to make sure the bullet doesnt get stuck and it ejected (burns clean too) so I'm wondering if anybody also tried it for modern pistol cartridges? I would think .45ACP would be a good candidate since it has large case volume and is a relatively low pressure cartridge. I'm asking since it's moderately difficult but possible to safely make your own BP and to load them into cartridges, but extremely dangerous to make guncotton(primitive smokeless) and to load them into cartridges without knowing the burn rate, etc.

[surplus-addict]

I know that people successfully load 4F into 7.62x39 and fire it magazine after magazine in AK's and SKS's, but that's about as far as I know.

I would think though that anything under .30 would be a ***** to fire BP out of, simply from the fouling. I mean, you'd have to clean the barrel on a .223 after about every 5-10 shots if you wanted to avoid bore obstructions

[curtru]

Might be a good question into the reloading section. Ive also pondered the same question

[GuitarsCarsnGuns]

Around the 8 minute mark they successfully run 5 rounds of 9mm Luger with only 4f powder in a Hi-Point.

[emptybottle151]

I've have ponder this too.

[Cheezle56]

Well, I just might be inclined to make a video of firing BP loaded cartridges through my guns that have CL barrels or already eat a steady diet of corrosive ammo. Mainly my MN 91/30, AKM, AK74, and If I can get 9mm cast bullets, I'll try loading a few rounds with max volume BP. I mean cleaning out the BP fouling is the same as you would clean any other gun for corrosive ammo right? The main question are will the bullet get stuck? Will it cycle a semi auto? and how long before the fouling gets too thick in the barrel? Would anybody volunteer their AR-15 for BP 5.56? I should also set up my chrony and see what kind of velocities I can get. I just broke my bullet puller last week, so I'll need to get a new one before I start anything. Finally, what are the max chamber pressures I can expect to encounter? I don't think it's likely to blow up a smokess gun with BP since the burn rate of 3F BP is slower than smokeless and constant regardless of barrel pressure right? What about the old composite powders? I heard in the old days, BP shooters would sometimes load 10% smokeless with their BP cartridges to get a cleaner burn and reduce fouling. Anybody heard of that?

[Eljay]

If you poke around youtube you can find people running BP 1911s.

[Eljay]

I heard in the old days, BP shooters would sometimes load 10% smokeless with their BP cartridges to get a cleaner burn and reduce fouling. Anybody heard of that?

If by old days you mean the 1950s/1960s, yes, because you couldn't get quality black powder then. No longer a recommended procedure.

[russ69]

Totally doable but there is a reason smokeless powder made blackpowder obsolete. If you want to try it, Use blackpowder substitute, it's not corrosive.

[Eljay]

Totally doable but there is a reason smokeless powder made blackpowder obsolete. If you want to try it, Use blackpowder substitute, it's not corrosive.

It's as corrosive as black powder. Burnt, it attracts moisture and you need to clean it unless you like rust. Also some people think Pyrodex is more corrosive than black powder because of perchlorates, although those are apparently much reduced in the current formulation.