CAS TOPICS > The Darksider's Den

Black powder and Pyrodex comparison

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Cliff Fendley:
I had some old ammo a while back loaded with Pyrodex and was shooting it up. I decided to do an experiment after noticing the rapid effects on the brass after shooting the pyrodex loads. This was a firm reminder of why I quite using Pyrodex a long time ago.

Both groups were fired in a Cimarron Model P 44wcf revolver and the revolver was cleaned between each firing.

Cases were new Starline.

Cases on the left were KIK 2f black powder.

Cases on the right were Pyrodex P.

Both groups were fired, deprimed and dropped in separate jugs of water overnight.

The photo is after dumping out the following day and allowing to air dry.


Just overnight the black powder brass rinsed off fairly clean. The Pyrodex brass already had a caked on residue forming. I have had BP brass get that way but it takes BP brass much longer, usually weeks or more to get that kind of effect.

Another thing I noticed. I did not bother to chronograph the loads but comparing recoil it seems the Pyrodex loads certainly had more energy than the 2f BP. 3f BP loads seem more comparable. So The Pyrodex may be a good choice for powerful hunting loads and such but a person just can't hesitate in cleaning the gun immediately.

I also shot up some old APP loads and noticed it seemed to have the least recoil but the APP shot cleaner than Pyrodex or Black Powder. If I had to shoot a BP substitute I would be shooting APP. I was actually quite impressed with it.

Pettifogger:
Several years ago I flew from Phoenix to New England for the Great Nor-Easter.  Since my ammo weighed more than the allowable 11 pounds to take on the airplane, I mailed it to a friend.  I never particularly liked Pyrodex but did use in in shotgun shells.  Not to bad here in a dry climate.  Up there the guns started rusting about four seconds after shooting them.  At the end of the match I had several boxes left over and didn't want to ship them back so I tried to give them away.  I literally could not give them away.  The locals just plain did not like and would not shoot Pyrodex in their guns.

Coffinmaker:
Pyrodex ....... Sux >:(

Coffinmaker

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Flatbush:
That's an incredible difference!

Cliff Fendley:
Yes and the effects are even worse on your guns if not cleaned immediately and VERY thorough.

Besides the corrosion effects probably my biggest disdain for Pyrodex to this day is how they lied years ago when it was introduced by advertising how much less corrosive it was than Black Powder. I learned the truth the hard way. It about ruined one of my guns overnight in Kentucky humidity after a late evening hunt.

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