Black Powder - Asking for a friend......

[Max Payne]

My friend was loading 38's to be shot in both Uberti rifle & Ruger New Vaqueros & had a brain fart.

 

He had about 1/2 of a 1050 powder hopper of APP & decided to top it up before starting the loading session. He dumped the APP into a measuring cup thru a strainer to eliminate any clumps, then poured 777 on top of it, also thru the strainer. Then, poured what he at the time didn't know was a mixture & filled up the hopper. He then made 200 bullets. My (I mean, "his") plan was to chamber-check all of them today, getting ready for Ga. State BP match for he & his wife, & for his wife's use at EOT, where she'll shoot BP in the main match. knowing my friend's wife as well as I do, if a mishap were to affect her performance at either match, I'm comfortable she would experiment with the ammo on him.

 

As I see it, my friend's options are:

 

1) Shoot a few on the home range in both the rifle & the pistol & see what happens. Unfortunately, many of the bullets would be pure APP or pure 777, & wouldn't know when bullets with the mixture would show up. Kind of a Russian Roulette thing.

2) Set the bullets aside for further research & not try to shoot them until research completed.

3) Scrap the bullets & move on.

4) Your excellent suggestion that I didn't think of.

 

Obviously,  the safest option is to scrap them, along with the large amount of mixed powder now residing in a 777 container.

 

Anyone have any experience or first hand knowledge here?

 

 

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

I know your friend's wife... yer toast!

That's gonna be a hard lesson. Ouch!

By all means, don't do anything to hurt yourself, then you'll have to hear about THAT too!

Get her the best, safest ammo you can and pray she never finds out.

I won't tell...

[Hoss]

Chootem!

 

in practice at first. I doubt there will be much difference. If you see a measurable difference scrapem 

 

been thinkin about this. In reality, I think I would scrap them, Allthough I doubt they would blow up a gun, but why risk it for a couple lbs of powder. 

[Sedalia Dave]

SCRAP THEM. No way of knowing how the two powders will react when mixed in varying amounts. 
 

Not worth the risk of damaging a gun or worse bodily injury. 

[Singin' Sue 71615]

Salvage the bullet, primer/case by pulling those puppies and scrapping the powder!!!

Not worth the harm it might cause!

[Krazy Kajun]

I'd think your friend should take one for the team and shoot all of that affected ammo at weekly matches until he shoots it up.  He should be forced to shoot his wife's pistols at these monthly matches as well.  I don't think it would be wise to shoot questionable ammo in a state match.

 

Another idea would be to take the whole bunch of mixed powder and make BP shotshells out of it.  There is not much difference in the powders when used in BP shotshells, I have personal knowledge of your BP shotshell recipe and it would work just fine.  The other good thing about this idea is that it would use up a large volume of powder.

 

I know where your friends will be camping at the state match so I'll be watching closely to see if your friend has large lump on his head from his wife hitting him with a large pot in the camper.

 

Kajun

[Ozark Shark]

1 hour ago, Singin' Sue 71615 said:

Salvage the bullet, primer/case by pulling those puppies and scrapping the powder!!!

Not worth the harm it might cause!

^^^^^THIS^^^^^   Do not use that powder.  I use both APP and 777.  777 is much hotter.  God knows what the combo could do.  For sure it's not good.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

Seriously?

[Singin' Sue 71615]

12 minutes ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Seriously?

I seriously would not chance shooting those rounds in my pistols of rifle.

Have to be sooooo inconsistant!

[DeaconKC]

I had a Glock blow up in my hand once from a bad reload. Please just dump that ammo or break it down and dump the powder in the garden.

[Silver Sam, SASS #34718L]

Several years ago at a monthly match one of my shootin' buddies Blew Up his Cimarron model P on the First Stage of the day......

Literally Blew it up... we never found some of the cylinder or backstrap.

He was allrite, just shook up.

I asked him if he had any idea what he'd done..... Double, Triple Charge or What???

He said he'd run out of his normal powder so he simply poured the new powder he was switching to into the hopper & kept loading..... 

He said both powders called for roughly the same amount in the load, so he thought he was OK... 

      He wasn't ....

Two different powders who knows What may happen..... Good Luck.

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

1 hour ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Seriously?

That's what I was thinking....this has to be a joke

[Max Payne]

I thought of another option:

 

I'll tell Badlands Bob I've just chronographed a new recipe, & I'd like him to try it out & give me his opinion. I was going to approach Kajun, but unfortunately he saw this post.

 

I knocked out 200 rounds with APP only earlier today to replace the ones in question.

[Krazy Kajun]

14 minutes ago, Max Payne said:

I thought of another option:

 

I'll tell Badlands Bob I've just chronographed a new recipe, & I'd like him to try it out & give me his opinion. I was going to approach Kajun, but unfortunately he saw this post.

 

I knocked out 200 rounds with APP only earlier today to replace the ones in question.

I've tried to get Badlands Bob to shoot some BP rounds in his pistols but he said he didn't want to dirty up his shiny pistols.  He says shiny pistols shoot faster.

 

Kajun

[Max Payne]

Too late to ask you, Kajun?

[Captain Bill Burt]

Joking aside Max, scrap those and the powder mix, you can afford to.

[Joe West]

Scrap.

[Parson Remington]

My friend, I fear that if your "friend" shoots that mix your alias will be his experience.  Ophelia deserves to have that 200 you just loaded, and then load some more for your "friend" and have him junk the mixed batch.

[Diamond Curly SASS#57086]

I am wondering why the ammo was just not broken down and use the mixed powder as fertilizer and reload the cases with his powder of choice. He could reuse the primers and lead in safe loads. I was under the impression that mixed powders of black powder were not allowed. Anyone can make a mistake but why take the chance of what may happen when shooting the wrong rounds loaded. Scrap them and move on.

[Cat Brules]

4 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

Seriously?

Uh huh........ 

 

Use a hammer impact puller on those mis-loaded bullets.  Of course, save the major components.  Dump the powder outside in the garden.  Might as well get SOME use out of it.  

 

Don’t shoot ANY of those mis-loaded bullets.

 

         Cheap lesson......

 

Cat Brules

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

  PLUS ONE too Phantom.

 

This had to be a trix question??

 

PLUS ONE to those who said break em down for fertilizer.  And anything left inna hopper.

 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

7 minutes ago, Cat Brules said:

Uh huh........ 

 

Use a hammer impact puller on those mis-loaded bullets.  Of course, save the major components.  Dump the powder outside in the garden.  Might as well get SOME use out of it.  

 

Don’t shoot ANY of those mis-loaded bullets.

 

         Cheap lesson......

 

Cat Brules

Hey - clue me in on why you quoted me...don't get "Uh huh........"

 

Phantom

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

2 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

  PLUS ONE too Phantom.

 

This had to be a trix question??

 

PLUS ONE to those who said break em down for fertilizer.  And anything left inna hopper.

 

Actually you can use the "Powder" for some cool pyrotechnics 

[Max Payne]

I'm scrapping them. I don't normally go to the trouble of breaking down bad bullets, but I need to save the 200 Federal SPP's, so I will. And, the weeds can use the fertilizer.

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

Good choice.

 

Now for the powder/fertilizer.

As a commercial reloader, I had many times to disassemble ammunition because I couldn't remember the powder used.

I also got ammunition from shooters that they were not sure of.

I would pull the bullets to salvage the case, and primers.

Beings I cast most of the bullets I used in the business, I would melt down the pulled bullets so I would have fresh bullets and not bullets that might be distorted.

 

Back to the powder.

I put it an plastic bucket (2 gallons) and mixed it with water. (let it sit for a day or two)

Then this was pours around my rose bushes outside.

My rose bushes after 18 years of reloading are now about 15 feet tall and 10 or so feet in diameter.

I have to trim old roses every day when blooming.

It has started.

My morning chore. (I do about 10 minutes a day)

 

Some thing about trying to save the powder.

I think about it as cheap insurance.

I could not have any ammunition go out the door I was not certain about that anyone would shoot.

 

 

[Diamond Jake]

Another reason I never shoot handloads I didn't personally load.  Nor do a handload for anyone else.

[Krazy Kajun]

2 hours ago, Cliff Hanger #3720LR said:

Good choice.

 

Now for the powder/fertilizer.

As a commercial reloader, I had many times to disassemble ammunition because I couldn't remember the powder used.

I also got ammunition from shooters that they were not sure of.

I would pull the bullets to salvage the case, and primers.

Beings I cast most of the bullets I used in the business, I would melt down the pulled bullets so I would have fresh bullets and not bullets that might be distorted.

 

Back to the powder.

I put it an plastic bucket (2 gallons) and mixed it with water. (let it sit for a day or two)

Then this was pours around my rose bushes outside.

My rose bushes after 18 years of reloading are now about 15 feet tall and 10 or so feet in diameter.

I have to trim old roses every day when blooming.

It has started.

My morning chore. (I do about 10 minutes a day)

 

Some thing about trying to save the powder.

I think about it as cheap insurance.

I could not have any ammunition go out the door I was not certain about that anyone would shoot.

 

 

Just don’t smoke around the rose bushes! 

 

Kajun

[Max Payne]

On 5/5/2021 at 5:55 AM, Cliff Hanger #3720LR said:

Good choice.

 

Now for the powder/fertilizer.

As a commercial reloader, I had many times to disassemble ammunition because I couldn't remember the powder used.

I also got ammunition from shooters that they were not sure of.

I would pull the bullets to salvage the case, and primers.

Beings I cast most of the bullets I used in the business, I would melt down the pulled bullets so I would have fresh bullets and not bullets that might be distorted.

 

Back to the powder.

I put it an plastic bucket (2 gallons) and mixed it with water. (let it sit for a day or two)

Then this was pours around my rose bushes outside.

My rose bushes after 18 years of reloading are now about 15 feet tall and 10 or so feet in diameter.

I have to trim old roses every day when blooming.

It has started.

My morning chore. (I do about 10 minutes a day)

 

Some thing about trying to save the powder.

I think about it as cheap insurance.

I could not have any ammunition go out the door I was not certain about that anyone would shoot.

 

 

Thanks. Good thoughts.

[Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409]

Speaking from experience my wife does NOT like surprises such as one of my BP shotguns shells in her ammo which is smokeless. Yes its a pain but better to be safe than sorry. As stated already just reuse the case and primer and bullets and fertilize the plants,

 

 

Hochbauer