History: The history of black powder rifles in the United States of America starts around the year of 1730 with the introduction of the Sidelock, Flintlock, Longrifle muzzle loading rifle “(Muzzleloaders)”, of which there were approximately 7,000 manufactured. Rifling Twist Rate, 1:60″. Then the introduction of the Sidelock, Caplock, Hawken muzzle loading rifle, in the […]
How to Make Gunpowder [Blackpowder] For Your Muzzle Loader
How to Make High Quality Black Powder: Mixing proportions by weight are 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur. Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon react together to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases, these expanding gases provide the propelling action for projectiles. Did you know that brown charcoal makes the best black powder and […]
Blackpowder Firearm Ignition Systems
Black Powder Muzzleloaders. Man soon discovered that if black powder was put into a strong tube closed at one end, it would channel the power of its explosive charge towards the other (open) end (path of least resistance), pushing any object it encountered in the tube and propelling it at great speed. Thus the early […]
Black Powder Cartridge Reloading
Case prep is the same for a black powder cartridge, as for a smokeless cartridge. Prime with the same primers you would use if the cartridge were to be loaded with smokeless powder. Once the cases are cleaned, sized, and primed, they are ready to be charged with black powder. Powder Charging: When loading with […]