Is the CIA method still viable?

[justvisiting]

Paramax, Ned's site is Fireworking.com. It's a pay site, 40 or 50 bucks a year. Mike Swisher is a member there, and is an authority on all things gun-related. He's probably the most intelligent human I know of. I don't think it's bad form to suggest an alternate source for a good answer, so I mentioned it. If I knew enough about guns, I'd ask him for you- but I've already proven I don't

[Arthur]

Making a very precise powder, good ingredients, weighed well and milled well will give you a slow powder, pressing it hard will improve it. Then you need to break (or corn) the pucked powder and pick a particular size grade through mesh screens, probably 3FA or 4FA will be useful then you return all the other powder to the press and re press it.

 

Settling on a mix and method very precisely will give you the most reliable experience shooting.

 

PS.

The ability to weigh to three figures at the scale of your load per round is essential. No-one will hit a target with rounds loaded with significant variation.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Arthur

[Richtee]

I'm pretty sure that the slowest smokeless powders are quite a bit faster than the fastest black powder? Even in smokeless powders, the slower ones tend to be used for rifle and the faster ones for pistol. That was one of the biggest changes going to smokeless powders - the longer range the soldiers got. Wouldn't I want the fastest powder I can get?

MAYBE..maybe not

 

https://youtu.be/4w4MpHLAQA4

[Paramax55]

All good information. Thanks! Right now, I'm trying to make a bunch of charcoal. Then I think I need to cast some more lead shot for the ball mill. I'll check out Ned's site, too.

[Paramax55]

Richtee... was that granulated? Corned?

[MikeL]

Pecan. Right out of the ball mill. It's a good bit faster when it's granulated. I'm going to "pyro baseball" test the difference between BP made with homemade pecan charcoal and ERC next week. This video was from pecan that I peeled the bark. I also have some made from pecan with bark that I'll test.

 

https://vimeo.com/495652903

 

Not all smokeless powder is faster than BP. I found one YT person that was reloading for his .45-90 with mid-range speed smokeless powder

Edited March 9, 2021 by MikeL

[Richtee]

Richtee... was that granulated? Corned?

Pressed/Corned. Newspaper charcoal. Stuff’s fast. And what’s cool is you just bust to flakes in the retort, weigh and dump right into the ball mill with everything else. No pre-grinding or anything.

 

But it’s my opinion if you want consistant, and quality BP, you need to ball mill. If you want great BP, you gotta corn/screen.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Richtee

[Paramax55]

I've wondered how cardboard would work as charcoal. The stuff goes up like a christmas tree. I'm guessing newspaper is like soft cardboard. But where would you get newspaper in this century?

[Bourbon]

Mike Swisher is a member there, and is an authority on all things gun-related. He's probably the most intelligent human I know of.

Man you're not kidding. Mike Swisher is machine in almost any area you can think of. A delight to read what he posts. I have to say, if the guy were to run for an office, he'd probably get my vote, and I can't stand politicians.