Black Powder shooting (pyrodex)

chem

Anyone else here interested in shooting BP historic guns?

Ned Muldhoon

Shoot an Uberti in .44 and trying to get some interest in the local club, but it doesn't seem to be taking off. I've been toying with the idea of holding an open shoot for classic BP ball and cap but I am not aware of anyone else in the country who shoots these pistols

kowloon

Absolutely, what model Uberti do you have and how much hassle did you have to go through to get it?

I'm thinking that other than smootbore muskets licensed as shotguns, the vast majority of BP guns will be subject to the restricted list due to calibre.

Where do you get your caps Ned? On that matter, where do you get your pyrodex?

chem

I have an 1851 colt myself. Great shooter. Sounds more like a cannon going off:D:D

I have a mate who collects, old pinfire, percussion, and flintlock pistols and rifles. He has a lovelly Brown Bess and a blunderbus that im mad to buy from him. Wont sell:mad:

Its a great way relaxing, as it takes along time to load 6 chambers with cap, powder and ball. Not to mention messuring out the powder and making the balls!!

You just cant beat the vvoooooommm, the smoke and the smell of BP:cool:

Ned Muldhoon

just got a 3rd model dragoon - lots of noise and smoke, but a very relaxing sport

chem

Ned Muldhoon wrote: »

just got a 3rd model dragoon

You better start stripping the lead off your roof:p Was thinking of trying out some of my mates, BP antiques. Any idea, whats the best way of going about shooting them? They are in very good nick, but its just the age thing that worries me. We were going to try afew blank shots 1st. If all looked ok after that, then try afew balls. Any ideas?

Grizzly 45

Be intrested in this too.Got an old 8mm pinfire revolver that I would be intrested in getting working again .:)

chem

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Be intrested in this too.Got an old 8mm pinfire revolver that I would be intrested in getting working again .:)

What make and model 45? Might be hard getting the pin fire rounds here. Unless is it percussion? Put caps on the nipples? at the back of the chambers.

Grizzly 45

Belgian ripoff copy of a Lefachaux[sic?] with a broken index spring:(
Nope,deffo a pinfire,has the slots cut in the cylinder for the pins.
Pinfire cartridges,I think there is somone making them down under in OZ dont know are they pre primed shells or full loads.

Later found asite in the EU that sells a reloading kit for pinfire ammo
www.hle.com/pinfire/prices.htm

Ned Muldhoon

Lads - If we can get enough interest I would be prepared to allocate range facilities and equipment to get this sport off the ground. We have a qualified instructor available. I've been toying with the idea of giving up range time once a month to a particular discipline to allow for our club members & anyone else interested to be exposed to all aspects of shooting sports - make their own mind up and then persue their own interests.
We have had precision air rifle demos which have turned that 'hardest' F/B pistol and rifle shooter into air rifle fanatics, so, if we can get interest in BP I think we can get this particular sport off the ground and give it a legitimate place in this country.

kowloon

Those pinfire carts look like they would be difficult and time consuming to load.

Would be up for cap and ball, not something I would try to learn by myself though, what with chainfires and the like.

chem

Ned Muldhoon wrote: »

Lads - If we can get enough interest I would be prepared to allocate range facilities and equipment to get this sport off the ground. We have a qualified instructor available. I've been toying with the idea of giving up range time once a month to a particular discipline to allow for our club members & anyone else interested to be exposed to all aspects of shooting sports - make their own mind up and then persue their own interests.
We have had precision air rifle demos which have turned that 'hardest' F/B pistol and rifle shooter into air rifle fanatics, so, if we can get interest in BP I think we can get this particular sport off the ground and give it a legitimate place in this country.

Sounds good to me Ned:D:D My mate has several original pieces in BP. It would be interseting to wake them up again! Where you located? Will travel from the NE with enough lead to cap the great wall of china:D and enough BP to make the gun powder plot look like a fireworks party:eek:

Gardi inspected his collection and give him the OK:)

Sounds like this might just take off!!!!

chem

kowloon wrote: »

.

Would be up for cap and ball, not something I would try to learn by myself though, what with chainfires and the like.

Just put petroleum jely over the balls in the chamber to avoid chainfires;)

Sandy22

chem wrote: »

Just put petroleum jely over the balls....

That could have been phrased better :eek:

Sandy22

kowloon wrote: »

I'm thinking that other than smootbore muskets licensed as shotguns, the vast majority of BP guns will be subject to the restricted list due to calibre.

DoJ has already received at least one submission asking for them to be de-restricted.

Judging by vibes from them at the Conference the black powder itself will be a much bigger problem; but presumably Pyrodex would be a way round this.

Grizzly 45

Indeed,if we can convince them that pyrodex is actually more stable and safer than BP.:(
On chain fires,the ol traditional was pork grease over the balls...that sounds worse!:eek: Well ok over the chamber mouths..

foxshooter243

Guys is there any dealers in Ireland for black powder pieces? i would love to have a go myself..always fancied a pennsylvania long rifle.:D

Croppy Boy

The Rifle Shoppe in America www.therifleshoppe.com list Boyd Rankin of Red House Farm, Claddagh, Ballyjamesduff as a dealer for their parts in Ireland. www.irisharms.ie

They sell flint and percussion arms in kit form, reckoned to be period correct and of good quality.

Croppy Boy

Hey Foxshooter, is this what you're looking for?
www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4woxgozlfrqq0gfrso51nc45))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=12&subId=81&styleId=280&partNum=AAF-521

foxshooter243

Croppy Boy wrote: »

Hey Foxshooter, is this what you're looking for?
www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4woxgozlfrqq0gfrso51nc45))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=12&subId=81&styleId=280&partNum=AAF-521

thats it croppyboy-had one in my hand in kentucky one time-love to buy one and shoot it..class rifle:)

Grizzly 45

Try www.dixiegunworks.com for somthing abit more reasonable.
Dear God near 3k for a single shot smoke pole.Beautiful piece all right,but the price:eek:

Sandy22

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

...the ol traditional was pork grease over the balls...that sounds worse!:eek: ...

No it isn't, pricking your nipples is worse; I'll bet he does that too.

chem

foxshooter243 wrote: »

Guys is there any dealers in Ireland for black powder pieces? i would love to have a go myself..always fancied a pennsylvania long rifle.:D

The Gun shop in portglenown in N.I have BP supplies;)

Sparks

And bringing them into the ROI without licences is illegal chem, and the DoJ are currently focussed on this area so it wouldn't be a great idea to try anything silly and muck up the chances of a sane system being brought in. Slow and steady for now is probably the best idea.

chem

Sparks wrote: »

And bringing them into the ROI without licences is illegal chem, and the DoJ are currently focussed on this area so it wouldn't be a great idea to try anything silly and muck up the chances of a sane system being brought in. Slow and steady for now is probably the best idea.

Sparks I never sujested doing anything illegal:eek: just that there are places in the north where you can buy BP items:)

Sparks

And foxshooter is in the ROI. I'm not saying you were openly advocating an illegal act chem, just that foxshooter might have misinterpreted you as suggesting a quick nip across the border while carrying explosives. Because they tend to not like that kind of thing when it's the ROI-NI border...

(With the DoJ looking intently at this whole area, it would be best to err on the side of caution in such things, no?)

Croppy Boy

AFAIK blackpowder is not available in NI, the problem is getting it across the sea, no carrier will ship it.
You could cross into Britain and buy it, bringing it back on the ferry but this too would be illegal.
As regards getting accessories and accoutrements, you're better internet shopping in the US with no legal problems.

BOBTHESHOOTER

Croppy Boy wrote: »

AFAIK blackpowder is not available in NI, the problem is getting it across the sea, no carrier will ship it.
You could cross into Britain and buy it, bringing it back on the ferry but this too would be illegal.
As regards getting accessories and accoutrements, you're better internet shopping in the US with no legal problems.

Black Powder seems to have made it all the way to the Battle of the Boyne site, been there Sunday, more black powder being fired than you could shake a stick at.

Funny thing that, I thought the boarder with NI started somewhere north of Dundalk.

Sorry Boys, truth is that you can get black powder in the south, reenactment such as carried on at the Boyne site, black powder longuns for fowling are another source of powder, one of the dealers in the South East used to stock BP for some wild fowlers.

It is a nonsense to say that BP is illegal in the south, it is not, you do need a C49 to posess BP for personal use.

There is significant interest in BP and the more people who get into it the more likley we can start to get things moving.

Ned Muldhoon

So where exactly do we stand on this. Would someone who holds an FAC for a BP firearm be legally entitled to hold pyrodex (and caps)?

Is this subject up for some future discussion with the powers that be or is it on the back burner with reloading? - just inquiring as I have had dozens of inquiries over the last few days.

Sparks

No-one said it was impossible to have BP legally Bob. Although the letter from the DoJ to the ISD pointed out that the C49 route was not intended for this use, which would imply they're going to close it off at some point. What is illegal beyond questioning, however, is the idea of nipping across the border and back again sans licence.

Sparks

Ned, there are a few people who've gone the C49 route. The DoJ does not like this, but I don't think they'd waste effort going after those few, they're more likely to just refuse future applicants while the FCP discusses the reloading section of the Firearms Act. From what was said last week though, the Explosives Act is even more of a mess than the Firearms one, so it won't be an overnight job

Croppy Boy

Although the letter from the DoJ to the ISD pointed out that the C49 route was not intended for this use, which would imply they're going to close it off at some point.

The punt gunners on the Wexford Slobbs held C49s for years. The Super would not renew them last year.

Rovi

According to various people at the 'head table' at the conference last week, the Explosives legislation is being/going to be completely revamped; this will have a direct bearing on black powder, and almost certainly on smokeless reloading too.

chem

Rovi wrote: »

According to various people at the 'head table' at the conference last week, the Explosives legislation is being/going to be completely revamped; this will have a direct bearing on black powder, and almost certainly on smokeless reloading too.

Yep, big changes coming soon for the explosives regulations. Ireland is way out of sink with other EU states so they have to change. Its mostly to do with storage and fireworks. But as ever Ireland will still be behind in the dark:rolleyes:

They don`t want free sale of fireworks at us kids can`t handle fireworks safely so they will have to be licenced to anyone buying them for backyard shows. Most likely make it easier to still buy them over the counter in the north:(

Grizzly 45

Cant understand
why there is such a major problem with fireworks selling.On the Continent you are only allowed to buy the stuff for a certain time before the festive use.EG three days before new years eve in Germany.Anyone can buy a liscense for selling the fireworks.You can buy them at newspaper kiosks.They have to be an approved type,and cannot be sold to under anyone under 18.PERIOD.Dont have the blaggarding we have with them here in Ireland.Kids still get them and accidents do happen but it is miniscule compared to here.

Maybe it is because other EU States see their citizens as responsible adults and not immature children that cant handle fireworks and reloading and other dangerous things.:(