Black powder Cartridges

[royden]

Having recently made enquiries about a black powder licence i came to the conclusion that for the amount i would shoot it might be easier for me just to buy the cartridges i need. Discussing this at a local shop i was told i would need a black powder licence to posses  the cartridges. Is that right. If so the only other options i can see will be to have my hundred year old 8 bore nitro proofed but when i mention this i am advised against it. Thanks in advance.

[London Best]

I do not think you need a Black Powder Licence to possess loaded cartridges.

[bruno22rf]

BP licences are free, only real outlay is a suitable box. You could then load your own, a square load is simple and effective and you wont need any equipment.

[enfieldspares]

Black powder cartridges are (other than the hassle of a BP Licence to obtain the actual powder) actually very easy to load and to load with the minimum of gear. What I would however advise against is deciding to use either Pyrodex or Triple-7 instead. It is harder to clean is reason enough but additionally it does not give the same sort of pressure as genuine black powder. One final advice. Not all backpowder is equal. Some is very very poor quality. If you are going to the trouble buy best quality blackpowder of the appropriate type.

32 minutes ago, London Best said:

I do not think you need a Black Powder Licence to possess loaded cartridges.

Correct!

Edited November 11, 2021 by enfieldspares

[royden]

1 hour ago, bruno22rf said:

BP licences are free, only real outlay is a suitable box. You could then load your own, a square load is simple and effective and you wont need any equipment.

Excuse my ignorance but what is meant by a square load. I do have a powder box, a set of scales and a RTO tool. The main thing lacking is a licence, safe place to store the box and the cahoonas to load my first cartridge.

[Dave at kelton]

I have always understood a square load to be one were the height of the shot column is the same as it’s width.

I have loaded plenty of BP loads over the years and it’s pretty simple. Nowhere near as sensitive as nitro. Just go for it if you have the materials and tools with the two licenses.

[royden]

6 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

I have always understood a square load to be one were the height of the shot column is the same as it’s width.

I have loaded plenty of BP loads over the years and it’s pretty simple. Nowhere near as sensitive as nitro. Just go for it if you have the materials and tools with the two licenses.

Thanks Dave. I have most everything i need including the data you sent me at the beginning  of the year. Just the licence and the confidence lacking. I was up your way a few weeks ago shooting a few inland ducks. Didnt see as many geese as the year before though. A local chap said it may be due to the dry summer causing the stubbles to be turned in earlier. Hope your season is going better.

 

Thanks for your help gents. Application going in to the local firearms tomorrow.

[enfieldspares]

Greener's "The Gun and Its Development" will tell all you need about loads for blackpowder as to powder charge and shot charge. The book is now online, I think, so no need even to buy it.

[holloway]

When faced with the same issue With a Scott 10 ga i went down the Pyrodex route and used Bismuth homeloads ,cant say if they were inferior to proper black powder but they worked fine on ducks and geese.

concerning the nitro proofing I was also told it would be a bad idea but having tried to sell it ,everyone used the black powder only tag as a negative point.I nitroproofed it and it sold easily.

[Velocette]

1 hour ago, royden said:

Excuse my ignorance but what is meant by a square load. I do have a powder box, a set of scales and a RTO tool. The main thing lacking is a licence, safe place to store the box and the cahoonas to load my first cartridge.

I did use Pyrodex and black powder in the few hundred cartridges I loaded last year and used the volume method of determining quantity of shot and powder. Simply the same volume of shot and powder. I measured 30g of no.7 shot and placed it in an old paper case with an over powder card pushed right down first to cover the primer hole. I trimmed the case to be level with the top of the shot load, empty the shot out and this was my measure. Fill it with the powder of choice to give a "square" or "by volume" load. You may need to faff about a bit with trimming the wad to get the column height right but after that its plain sailing.

[royden]

 

2 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

Greener's "The Gun and Its Development" will tell all you need about loads for blackpowder as to powder charge and shot charge. The book is now online, I think, so no need even to buy it.

Thanks i will have a look for that

2 hours ago, holloway said:

When faced with the same issue With a Scott 10 ga i went down the Pyrodex route and used Bismuth homeloads ,cant say if they were inferior to proper black powder but they worked fine on ducks and geese.

concerning the nitro proofing I was also told it would be a bad idea but having tried to sell it ,everyone used the black powder only tag as a negative point.I nitroproofed it and it sold easily.

I dont know if its because it has a damascus barrel that i have beeen discouraged from nitro proofing it but i have seen a similar gun that had been done. Thanks.

[royden]

2 hours ago, Velocette said:

I did use Pyrodex and black powder in the few hundred cartridges I loaded last year and used the volume method of determining quantity of shot and powder. Simply the same volume of shot and powder. I measured 30g of no.7 shot and placed it in an old paper case with an over powder card pushed right down first to cover the primer hole. I trimmed the case to be level with the top of the shot load, empty the shot out and this was my measure. Fill it with the powder of choice to give a "square" or "by volume" load. You may need to faff about a bit with trimming the wad to get the column height right but after that its plain sailing.

That makes sense. Thanks for the simple explanation........

[wabbitbosher]

6 hours ago, royden said:

Having recently made enquiries about a black powder licence i came to the conclusion that for the amount i would shoot it might be easier for me just to buy the cartridges i need. Discussing this at a local shop i was told i would need a black powder licence to posses  the cartridges. Is that right. If so the only other options i can see will be to have my hundred year old 8 bore nitro proofed but when i mention this i am advised against it. Thanks in advance.

You don’t need a black powder license to own black powder cartridges 

[Windswept]

This may be of interest for a little background knowledge, a simple blog from Henry Krank ( https://www.henrykrank.com/blog/handloading-black-powder-cartridges.html )

[holloway]

My Scott was Damascus ,only problem was the proof house stamped the chamber length wrong and

 it had to be restamped correctly.