My Dear ZVP -
please do not think too badly of the prior posters; I think I can safely say that they mean little harm but are "funnin with ya" and trying to relate the sense of "historicity" so many of us like to enjoy when one has played this C&B "cowboy" game long enough.
I must admit sometimes the repartie seems a tad harsh to newcombers unfamiliar with these gentlemen and their "turn of phrase".
Why, after reading one long thread at one time I thought Delmonico and Mako must be mortal enemies!
To address your original post -
Many of us who have been shooting traditional smokepoles long before this cowboy game remember the original hype around Pyrodex. We found that it would not ignite in our flintlocks, and would often foul or somehow clog in the labyrinth path of our patent-breech caplock plains rifles. If one believed the original marketing hype and did not immediately clean one's rifle or smoothbore several folks reported finding horrible and irrevocable corrosion after perhaps a week or so (depending upon climate and local weather)
That alone (e'en tho over 20 years in the past) has left a bad taste in the mouths of many.
But regarding specifics ..... Ummmm .... I'm afraid you are basically right, Goex gives more fouling and less velocity than Pyrodex.
I have found that Fouling and binding in a revolver (especially a Remmy repro) is an unfortunate fact of life with most true BP , (except for Swiss) - and even with Pyrodex there is some. However, there have been worse, as I remember a particularly bad batch of Elephant.... but I digress.
Pyrodex does clean up (visually at least - more in a minute) more easily than Goex. And it *is* readily available! True BP *is* getting harder and harder to come by in stores.
If you are ever able to lay your hands on some Swiss you will experience what the best "sporting grade" blackpowder was like "in the day". So clean burning it leaves barely a trace of residue, consistancy that is to dream about and excellent velocities. just google "swiss powder"
Technically, I believe you are correct in your supposition that modern steels are to some extent to blame. The old wrought-iron barrels literally seem to have an abillity to take on a property we call "seasoning" and while they wear quicker, they do not seem to foul or corrode as quickly as steel ... perhaps it has to do with the carbon content . I have some old wrought iron I have blacksmithed and a number of old original wrought-iron barrels and can attest to my experience in regards to wrought irons corrosion resistance when compare to steel (your milage may vary).
In the end, while I sing the praises of "true black", for everyday Cowboy type shooting I admit to using Pyrodex in my C&B pistols (where i have had no ignition problems) and reserving the harder to get BP for my muzzleloaders and Sharps Falling block caplock where it really matters.
However - please be aware of the corrosive differences! Pyrodex has a particular issue with regards to the "perchlorate" compounds in the mix. This is similar (if not identical) to the old "corrosive perchlorate primers" that old timers were always concerned about in surplus or "old" cartridges. Unless you are meticulous about cleaning your revolvers, the perchlorate residue can remain unseen, causing microscopic corrosion that might eventually eat right through the cylinder walls.
A craftsman of fine muzzleloading rifles once dissected a rifles breech and breechblock to discover that perchlorate erosion had eaten a channel nearly through the barrel wall.
yhs
prof marvel
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