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add bulk to black powder charge

grayingghostgrayingghost Member Posts: 131 ✭✭
edited November 2014 in Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting
is there something I can mix with black powder to increase bulk while retaining the power? I have a smooth bore cannon very much in scale to a pre Civil War Mountain Howitzer, 2.7" bore. My preferred load is equivilant to 1 1/2 oz. powder to nicely lob a concrete ball. Problem is, the flash hole is positioned 3/4" forward of the rear of the chamber and that small charge doesn't extend forward enough for the fuse to reach it. I need a charge equivilant to 2 1/2 oz. to do that. What I'm asking is can I add (mix with) something to that 1 1/2 oz. to roughly double the bulk. Sawdust? Oatmeal? Catlitter? anything?
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Comments

  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,043 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    cream of wheat, used as a filler in black powder cartridge loads.
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  • flyingcollieflyingcollie Member Posts: 197 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Layered, not mixed with the powder, right ?
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  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,043 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "Layered, not mixed with the powder, right ?"............in this case, I think you would have to mix it. say 1/3 c.o.w. & 2/3 black. he needs the volume.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    why not make a closely machined "FILLER" to place at the very rear of the chamber To use as a spacer for the back end of the chamber say contoured to take up 3/8 of an inch. If it is loaded behind the powder charge it will just stay there.The powder charge will then push the projectile out the bore but the spacer will just be there and not move. BTW I would NEVER shoot CONCRETE projectile It would not be hard to get an aluminum mold machined to cast lead projectile.
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  • grayingghostgrayingghost Member Posts: 131 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    To flyingcollie: I mean to actually mix in with the powder so as to increase the bulk, not power; of a 1 1/2 oz. charge to 2 1/2 volume.

    As for the concrete balls, why spend the bucks to have a mold made, surely not cheap! When I can make my own balls. I have a way to make real nice 2.625" lead balls but they are so heavy this little gun jumps into the air!! Maybe I should clarify, my balls (no not those!) are made from anchoring cement. Very fast setting stuff. Seems old type Christmas tree balls are 2 5/8" in diameter. I simply fill one of those with the cement, let it harden, peel off the glass and I have a perfectly round, perfectly smooth projectile. I have used soda cans filled with cement and an M-80 inside. That makes a dandy airburst if the fuse is cut right.
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  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,043 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    " Seems old type Christmas tree balls are 2 5/8" in diameter. I simply fill one of those with the cement, let it harden, peel off the glass and I have a perfectly round, perfectly smooth projectile."............got a good 'chuckel' out of this, wtg.
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  • Sky SoldierSky Soldier Member Posts: 460 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by grayingghost


    As for the concrete balls, why spend the bucks to have a mold made, surely not cheap! When I can make my own balls. I have a way to make real nice 2.625" lead balls but they are so heavy this little gun jumps into the air!! Maybe I should clarify, my balls (no not those!) are made from anchoring cement. Very fast setting stuff. Seems old type Christmas tree balls are 2 5/8" in diameter. I simply fill one of those with the cement, let it harden, peel off the glass and I have a perfectly round, perfectly smooth projectile.


    Admirable ingenuity. My hat's off to you.

    SS
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  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the idea of putting a semi permanent metal filler at the rear of the bore would be the best solution. Even if you increase the charges later, leave the spacer in. It would ensure you get a nice progressive burn of your powder from rear to front, no matter the size of the charge.
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  • machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    You could relocate the touch hole, and plug (or not even) the old one.
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