Blackpowder shooters gun cart ideas

[Renegade Roper]

Schwaby is going to shoot blackpowder so we are looking for ideas (for the Rugged Gear 4gun cart) to hold the water bottle/container for brass.  What modifications (if any) have you made to your gun cart to hold the bottle or container you use to put the water solution you put your brass in?  Thanks

Roper

[Cemetery]

Well, make sure Schwaby stays the heck away from Pyrodex.....he can ask Smilin' Pete about what Pyrodex did to his guns!

 

That being said, as far as I have seen, I have never come across anybody with special mod's to their gun car to accommodate a jug for brass.  Besides making sure the cap is tight and doesn't leak, I have simply seen people just place it their carts with the rest of their shooting supplies.  As for me, I just wait till I get home to deal with it all.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I leave the soapy water jug at the car and dump the brass in after the match.

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I used to carry a bottle of soapy water to hold my brass after every stage, but now I just handle the brass the same as smokeless.  I dump the brass into a container of soapy water at the truck.

[Kid Rich]

Just wait till you get home to soak your brass if you live in a high humidity area (NY). If you live in a low humidity area like AZ just wait till you clean it to give it a good rinse before tumbling. I have gone as long as 2 or 3 years with it in a container before rising or cleaning brass here (AZ).

kR

[Snakebite Dust SASS 75484]

I normally keep mine in my pouch on my gunbelt during the match and when I am loading up to leave I put it in a ziploc bag sometimes and then in water when I get home. Seems keeping the air off of it in the sealed ziploc keeps it from going bad as fast. Sometimes might be a day or two before I put it in soapy water

[Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667]

I take it home dry so that I can run the cases through a universal decapping die in my progressive press before wet tumbling.  Pre-soaking just made a mess when I went to decap the cases.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

 Abe E.S. Corpus sez:

I take it home dry so that I can run the cases through a universal decapping die in my progressive press before wet tumbling. 

 

This is what I do too, and I live in humid Ohio.

I decap when I get home, and put it in soapy water, shake it around, and wet tumble the next day.
Same procedure for Black Powder & APP

Been doing it this way for 25 years, with no detrimental effects on the brass.

--Dawg

[Eyesa Horg]

Same ^^^^↑

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

There is no need to be lugging around a jug of soapy water.  I know, I Know, you've see so many "others" doing it and that must make it the way to go.  NO!!  Those folks do it that way because they have seen Other "Others" do it that way.  Here be the deal.  Just dump yer brass inna bag like you would smokeless brass.  Take it home.  Then drop the brass in a small bucket or shop sink with water and a goodly amount of White Vinegar.  White Vinegar - no, not the low percentage used for making salad dressing from the super market.  I order up 45% White vinegar from Amazon.  Amazon delivers it to my door.  Soak the brass about 30 minutes, rinse, dry, then I tumble in Lizard Litter for about 30 - 45 minutes.  Done. 

[Scarlett]

I used to to the bucket thing but always forget it. 🤦🏼‍♀️. Now, I just bring it home. @Kid Rich is right about AZ! My brass is fine - of course I forgot my bucket again. The zero humidity thing is something I could get used too - it’s the dust that’s the deal breaker. 
 

I was hoping YOU were joining Schwaby on the Dark Side 😂🤣. When I do carry a jug, I keep it in my cart on the stock rest or in the front.

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Renegade Roper]

The other issue is needing to keep the smokeless brass from the blackpowder brass until it can be cleaned.  Good to know about the humidity thing.  Thx.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

I used to to the bucket thing but always forget it. 🤦🏼‍♀️. Now, I just bring it home. @Kid Rich is right about AZ! My brass is fine - of course I forgot my bucket again. The zero humidity thing is something I could get used too - it’s the dust that’s the deal breaker. 
 

I was hoping YOU were joining Schwaby on the Dark Side 😂🤣. When I do carry a jug, I keep it in my cart on the stock rest or in the front.

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

 

Those of us who live and shoot in the desert carry and use dust covers as needed.  It only takes a few dust devils to fill your guns with dirt and grit.  We also drink a lot of water while on range.  These actions keep our guns and bodies working.

 

At EOT I washed brass after four days of shooting.  There was not excessive tarnish.  However, I wash brass daily when shooting in humid conditions.  I've never carried a jug of water.  

[Krazy Kajun]

I use a Rugged Gear gun cart and shoot black powder at times.  There are 2 places to place drinks, one on each side of the cart.  I keep an old Gatorade bottle with one drop of Dawn mixed in the water in one of those drink holders, fits perfectly.  I dump my BP brass in it and give it a shake after every stage.  When I get home I rinse it out and set it out to dry on an old towel.  When it's dry I just throw it in the same bucket with my smokeless brass. YMMV

 

Kajun

Edited March 13 by Krazy Kajun

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

11 hours ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

I leave the soapy water jug at the car and dump the brass in after the match.

This ^^^

 

Chancy

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

I just throw them in my brass bag and take them home.  When I get home, deprimed then threwn into a wet tumbler.  I do have dedicated brass for when shooting smokeless and dedicated brass for BP.  I didn't have to change anything in my gun cart.

Edited March 13 by I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321

[Barry Sloe]

With regard to shooting black powder:  make it easy by shooting a BP substitute such as American Pioneer Powder. It does not become corrosive the way BP does and you'll still make plenty of smoke. 

 

Just my 2 cents,

BS

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I have a old Sunny Delight  bottle with the orange lid on top .

When I leave my house in the morning it get filled 1/2 way up with hot water and a shot of Dawn dish soap. 

A little splash of baking soda and shook up. 

It sets next to my long guns in my cart .

After I come back from the unloading table .

I dump all my brass in the jug and give it a good shake .

Then it goes back into the same spot when I get done to start helping out instill the next stage and repeat. 

When I get home the whole thing gets dumped out in the back behind my garage into a strainer that I rinse off with fresh water and let them dry till the next day .

Then they go into the tumbler and the whole process starts all over again .

Rooster 

[Medicine Creek Johnny]

9 hours ago, Renegade Roper said:

The other issue is needing to keep the smokeless brass from the blackpowder brass until it can be cleaned.  Good to know about the humidity thing.  Thx.

I don’t keep it separate.  Throw it all in the cement mixer with soap and water when I get home

[Frontier Lone Rider]

11 hours ago, Renegade Roper said:

The other issue is needing to keep the smokeless brass from the blackpowder brass until it can be cleaned.  Good to know about the humidity thing.  Thx.

Now you tell me.

 

Last year, at an Annual Match, I shot the Pistil Caliber with black powder, but shot the Single Shot Big Bore with smokeless.  I threw them both in the same can.

 

When I dumped them out to start cleaning, the smokeless brass had dark spots and streaks.  It was a pain to get off.

 

Now I keep the smokeless in a bag and the black powder in a plastic coffee can.

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

13 hours ago, Renegade Roper said:

The other issue is needing to keep the smokeless brass from the blackpowder brass until it can be cleaned.  Good to know about the humidity thing.  Thx.

Just have 2 separate brass bag or any 2 containers, one for smokeless and the other BP.

[Doc McCoy, SASS #8381]

I wash my brass when I get home.  It might even be a couple days later.  That’s with real BP and humidity.  Of course my brass is brown, so maybe don’t do exactly what I do!

As for keeping it straight, when I shoot C45S Wild Bunch and 38/40 BP CAS at a match I throw the brass in separate bags at the camper.  I don’t seem to ever get them mixed up.  Since mine are such different calibers I would know if I mixed them.

In my Rugged Gear cart I don’t do anything different when shooting WB or CAS (BP).

And Schwaby, welcome to the Darkside!

[Warden Callaway]

Stand in Rugged Gear cart. Powder pre-mesured in centrifuge capsules. 

[Scarlett]

3 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

Stand in Rugged Gear cart. Powder pre-mesured in centrifuge capsules. 

Be careful when exerting pressure on  this set up. The handle joint is and try are not intended for such. 
 

@Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971, I had dust covers… and water. The dust everywhere is a dealbreaker! 😉

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

[Chantry]

On 3/13/2025 at 12:07 AM, Renegade Roper said:

Schwaby is going to shoot blackpowder so we are looking for ideas (for the Rugged Gear 4gun cart) to hold the water bottle/container for brass.  What modifications (if any) have you made to your gun cart to hold the bottle or container you use to put the water solution you put your brass in?  Thanks

Roper

 

Schwaby can always borrow some of my BP shotgun shells!   

[Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409]

I usually forget to bring the bottle with soapy water with me. That said the brass might not get soaked for a day or two. Most of my 44wcf brass is stained but always clean. Once its dry after soaking it then gets into the tumbler with crushed walnut media and tumbled for a few hours.

 

Hochbauer

[PrairieDogPete]

When I first started using APP, I threw my brass in soapy water like some said. Later on, I found it was not necessary. I throw all of my smokeless and APP brass in a bucket until I wet tumble all of it together. 

[Double Tap Taylor]

I use APP, I do use small container with water and simply green. I use a canvas feed bag to carry to unloading table, also have balistol and wipes in it. 

Yes they say I don't have to do this. But I do. I deprime and wet tumble once a year. 

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

22 minutes ago, Double Tap Taylor said:

I deprime and wet tumble once a year. 

WOW you must have a Bunch of brass to only clean it once a year!   Or I guess you could be shooting dirty brass between your annual cleaning.    

[Seth Bradford]

On 3/13/2025 at 12:07 AM, Renegade Roper said:

Schwaby is going to shoot blackpowder so we are looking for ideas (for the Rugged Gear 4gun cart) to hold the water bottle/container for brass.  What modifications (if any) have you made to your gun cart to hold the bottle or container you use to put the water solution you put your brass in?  Thanks

Roper

Hi Roper! I’ve been using a 16oz peanut jar with a little dish soap and water in it. Fits perfect in the “water bottle net” on my Rugged Gear cart. And you get to eat the peanuts first lol

[Kid Rich]

I do brass about once a year. I have more than a 6 gallon bucket of each caliber. The BP brass can be cleaned with the smokiless as long as it is rinsed before tumbling. I use wet tumbling in a Thumler B model. I have 2 of them and can do 3 batches in each one of them in a day. Sometimes I separate the smokiless from the BP and sometimes not, depends on the volume I have.

kR

[German Jim]

On 3/12/2025 at 9:40 PM, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

I leave the soapy water jug at the car and dump the brass in after the match.

DITTO

[German Jim]

On 3/16/2025 at 3:53 PM, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

WOW you must have a Bunch of brass to only clean it once a year!   Or I guess you could be shooting dirty brass between your annual cleaning.    

Maybe he only shoots 1 match a year!! 😁🙄

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

Jug much like Seth's or Kajun uses and I carry very small bottle of Dawn and add couple drops to water (ranges most always have plenty of water so no need to worry with that until get to range).  Sassy has her own "bucket" for her smokeless brass.

 

Enjoyed having you on posse at EOT.  Let's do it again and event Schwaby.