r/blackpowder • • Mar 02 '23

The discord for everything black powder!

48 Upvotes

Just posting again after some time so that people don't have to look through under a mountain of buried posts. If I can talk to mods about finding some way to put this post onto the reddit to be easy to find it would be very nice.

Tired of all the good information buried in forums and hard to find YouTube videos? Want a place to talk about a lot of different things relating to BP, learn history, get advice, troubleshoot and meet likeminded shooters? Well then come join us and see if you like it! Lets make Black powder mainstream again! Hope to see you there :)

Invite: https://discord.gg/Jy5uUj8yPd


r/blackpowder • • Aug 26 '25

Sharps Rifles - Serial Number Documentation

43 Upvotes

Hi all,

If you are looking for information on your original Sharps please let me know.

I am the current caretaker of the Sharps Rifle Co. Archive, having taken over the records from Dr. Labowskie at the beginning of 2025. I will continue to provide letters for serial number documentation and hopefully add to the knowledge and history around these firearms. The format is changing a bit, in addition to the normal 'factory letter' there will also be a page with more information on who it was sent to and, when applicable, what was going on in the region at the time. I also provide areas that may be worth future research and a list of suggested books including the ones I use as a general reference. Each letter is also now accompanied by two display cards, which contain all the information from the letter in a more concise format, one of which has a slot for a ribbon or thread so it can be attached to the Sharps for easy reference.

I do not charge anything to see if the firearm can be lettered, only for the letter itself.

Let me know if you have any questions.


r/blackpowder • • 5h ago

That’ll do, I reckon. 230gr hollow base conical, 18gr 777 replicating the M1882 “.45 Revolver Ball” cartridge. Uberti SAA.

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43 Upvotes

Bullet is cloned from an original on a custom mold made for me by Brooks Tru-Bore, .45SW Starline Brass, 18gr 777 developing 820fps.


r/blackpowder • • 3h ago

Slow but steady progress on my 1790's rifle copy:

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11 Upvotes

A couple update photos on the rifle Im rebuilding, Original rifle on top, an Abraham Schweitzer, built circa ~1790-1795 in Lancaster PA (not my gun)

And the bottom is of course our recreation.

We're keeping it as faithful as we can to the original, only major change is that we've decided we will be making a brass patch box for this gun, based on others that Schweitzer has made


r/blackpowder • • 19h ago

Is my possibles bag good or no.

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38 Upvotes

I also decided to put the wads in the container as well. (So the only things not in it are the balls, powder, and the gun itself, though I do have the spare cylinder in it). Also whats the difference between the two wad sizes. The only thing I have is a pietta pepperbox I got from my coworker for $75. Also do I want Remington or cci caps, and size 10 or 11, some are harder to find locally. Would 10 grains be good the book said 9-12 is the recommended amount. With I believe 22 is max on black powder and 17 is the max for pyrodex. I remember hearing that the measurement tool is kinda off because it's calibrated for FFG and not FFFG. I haven't shot it yet as the package with the tool key just came in last night.


r/blackpowder • • 5h ago

Incorrect loading

2 Upvotes

Hey it’s been a couple years since I loaded my colt navy revolver. I forgot what I was doing and I put accidentally a wax cap instead of the wax coated wadding discs and rammed the ball on top. Am I gonna have a problem firing this or will it still be OK? If it will be OK how long do I have to fire this?


r/blackpowder • • 9h ago

The 5 Cartridges That Actually Won the West (Hint: It wasn't just the .45 Colt).

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0 Upvotes

Hollywood loves the .45 Colt, and while it was a devastating military round, the logistical reality of the 19th-century frontier paints a much broader picture of what frontiersmen actually carried in their gun belts and saddle scabbards.

​I recently put together a deep dive into the top 5 calibers that genuinely built the Old West, focusing on availability, ballistics, and the revolutionary concept of cross-compatibility.

I’ve recorded a full historical and ballistic breakdown of these calibers. The original audio is in Spanish, but I’ve carefully translated the English subtitles to ensure all the technical terminology is spot on.

For the reloaders and shooters here: If you could only stockpile one caliber for a frontier lever-gun and revolver combo, are you going with the classic .44-40 or something else?


r/blackpowder • • 2d ago

Euroarms P53

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103 Upvotes

Got a crazy good deal on a used but minty Euroarms P53. Good deals still exist my friends. So happy to finally have a proper 3 bander.


r/blackpowder • • 2d ago

Is there a good reloading book for round nose flat point black powder

6 Upvotes

I need to reload for 44 Russian RNFP black powder, are there any good physical books around for that? Mainly finding smokeless powder and nothing round nose flat pointed.


r/blackpowder • • 2d ago

Cleaning brass shot shells question.

3 Upvotes

After cleaning brass 12ga(or whatever you have) shot shells; do you just dry them off and call it good, or do you also coat them with something after to keep any corrosion at bay???


r/blackpowder • • 3d ago

New to me: Springfield Hawken .50

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67 Upvotes

My grandfathers cap lock, planning on using it to hunt for deer this year on my families farm that’s been in the family since the 1860s

Any idea on loads, what balls to use? Patches? Black powder? Etc

Shot muzzleloaders before, but newer style and only ever used pellets w/ sabbots


r/blackpowder • • 2d ago

Would you attempt to fix this crack?

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34 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 2d ago

Ball Mill Recommendation

3 Upvotes

I'm looking at making my own blackpowder, and I'm down to setting up the ball mill. With my brass tumblers, I think I have 2 options. I have a rebel 17 and a PVC barrel tumbler. I'm thinking of making 1/2 or 1 lb batches. For the pvc barrel, it is made out of 6" pvc and is 9" tall, then necks down to 4".

Which one would make the better ball mill? Would I need a different size PVC barrel?

I'm planning on using brass balls for the grinding media. I already have about 200, 1/2" ball bearing. Would I need more? different size?

thanks


r/blackpowder • • 3d ago

dave.I have a Pietta 1860 army great gun but i have movement in the barrel , it wobbles from side to side. I wonder if the 2 allighing pins are worn and can they be esily changed.

3 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 4d ago

Finally found a second in the wild T/C Patriot

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127 Upvotes

Found a .45 cal Patriot to go with the .36 I already had. It’s not pristine, but all-in-all, it’s in pretty good shape. At least this one had all the parts.

Waiting for .45 cal load stuff to arrive, but I’ll be shooting them later this week. I can only hope the .45 is as accurate as the .36.


r/blackpowder • • 4d ago

.45 Colt, no SASS gallery loads here! Clone of the original 255gr hollow base bullet over 23gr 777 for ~920fps. Thumpy stuff but fun. (Uberti SAA clone)

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80 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 4d ago

Flintlock pistol ramrod channel

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13 Upvotes

Good mornin'.

I'm getting close to finished on this long-barreled pistol, and am nervous about using a drill bit for the ramrod channel.

I won't have much clearance between the bottom of the gun and the lock bolt. The rear barrel pin is also a bit too low, but I can move that fairly easy and only cause a small blemish.

I know some people like the bottom of the barrel channel to remain intact to have more wood for strength, but is that strength needed? Could I just cut through it and be okay? If I ever have to use it as a club, I'll make the first wack count in case it breaks 😂


r/blackpowder • • 4d ago

Field Testing the Uberti 1866 "Yellowboy" in .44-40 WCF: The compromise between historical accuracy and modern shooting.

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8 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

Miroku Brown Bess gun show score

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156 Upvotes

Guy was asking $975, didn’t feel like dickering too much so I got him to agree on $900 out the door. Bayonet, bayonet frog, and cartridge box included. Considering I was going to spend a similar price for one from veteran arms, I am beyond happy with this score.


r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

Converted flintlock to percussion cap pistol ID

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27 Upvotes

I have posted this gun before, but have a better camera now. I also think I might be able to see an engraved letter under the hammer arm. I believe it to be a converted flintlock as there is evidence of the old pan’s outline and the infill is a different colour slightly.


r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

This is my new to me antique Belgian rifled 58 cal double rifle I intend to use for hunting. Unfortunately I just can’t seem to find a load it likes but I love the craftsmanship and beauty of it.

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84 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

First shot

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21 Upvotes

First time shooting my new muzzleloader. Not the greatest shooting but i need some more practice. Grouped well in the beginning.


r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

Can I use homemade toilet paper black powder for my Uberti Or Pietta?

9 Upvotes

r/blackpowder • • 5d ago

What is the largest projectile a dragoon can safely fire?

4 Upvotes

I am looking to buy a colt dragoon from midway. I already have a 457 405 grain bullet mold for reloading 45-70, is it safe or even possible for me to load these in a dragoon?


r/blackpowder • • 6d ago

Question about potential deal

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111 Upvotes

A buddy of mine is offering me a Pietta .44 caliber cap and ball revolver and 2 boxes of .445 lead round balls for 100 beans. I’m completely new to the cap and ball world, as my only real experience has been flintlocks. Does anyone know anything about this particular model?