Official BP Firearm Thread!

[Warthog]

I did this for 1885fan, want to see some of his stuff that he has for BP.  Here is one of mine, and I hope to see more here too.

Traditions 32 cal Navy, was on sale a while back and the price was right so I grabbed it.  Haven't been able to fire it though, just got healed so that will have to wait for summer.  I love it, got is to be a companion to my 36 caliber Flintlock.  I wanted a 36 cal flint pistol but couldn't find one, seems folks want 45 or larger for those.  Too poor right now to put one together but one day that too will happen.  Sadly, here in my city all you can find is BP substitute so I order from Graff's whenever things go on sale or go no hazmat.  I love BP too, when I was still able to shoot Cowboy Action I shot BP Cartridges and shot shells.  Kept the mosquitoes away and made a wonderful sulfurous smell that everyone loved.  LOL  I even shot skeet a few times with BP shells which really made the trap shooters at the range angry, they lack a sense of humor IMO and don't have fun the way Skeet shooters do.

case hardened color is a beautiful thing IMO

through in the brass flask for color



pix embiggin if they are clicked.

Anyway, if you have some BP stuff, post it up right  here.

[1858Fan]

Fun idea! I'll start with some pistol stuff.

Here are two of my replication Remington New Model Army 1858's - Tyrion and Erica (I name all my black powder guns). Tyrion is the 5.5" Sheriff and Erica is the 8" stainless.

Below that is one of my favorite accessories - the Tower of Power. When you get your rhythm down you can load a cylinder pretty darn fast and easy with this. I think it cost me about $100 but it was worth every penny!

[Warthog]

GREAT!  I will dig out my Flintlock eventually though it will likely be after the new year.

Just for fun, here is my Ruger Old Army.

[1858Fan]

GREAT!  I will dig out my Flintlock eventually though it will likely be after the new year.

Just for fun, here is my Ruger Old Army.

Oh, nice, you've got the stainless one. Those are a bit harder to come by. Shame Ruger discontinued them. I love my 1858's. I have a blued 5.5" and 8", and a stainless 8". I really need to get a stainless 5.5" as I really prefer the balance of the shorter barrel.

[Warthog]

Yeah, got this just before the stopped making them.  Yours are nice too but stainless cleans up so much easier with hot soapy wanter than the blued ones.

[Uncle_Lee]

My Old Army




US Navy Tribute

[smokeless joe]

I've got this one that I inherited from my father. I have never fired it.

[To Old To Run]

 Just sweetened up my coffee this morning with all this beautiful Eye candy ,thanks for posting the pictures everyone 

[1858Fan]

This gun isn't the usual replica of some legendary arm from days bygone - almost the opposite. I have a .50 caliber muzzle loading Remington 700. Well, technically it's a Remington 700 ML. They don't make them anymore but I was able to find one at a gun show that had some cosmetic issues from being in a wet gun case for a bit. I was able to fix up her blemishes and I think she's quite beautiful now.

The bolt handle opens like a normal bolt action gun - to reveal the nipple where you put your #11 percussion cap. Other than the ram rod below the barrel it looks pretty much like a modern Remington 700. Well, that and the massive half inch hole at the end of the barrel.

[Warthog]

You have a lot more BP stuff than I 1858fan!  I love your stuff, I love BP too.  Just wish BP was sold here, only that substitute stuff. 

[WECSOG]

You have a lot more BP stuff than I 1858fan!  I love your stuff, I love BP too.  Just wish BP was sold here, only that substitute stuff. 

Graf's will ship you some. Shipping is only $7.95 plus $10 HazMat, and the prices are good too.

[1858Fan]

You have a lot more BP stuff than I 1858fan!  I love your stuff, I love BP too.  Just wish BP was sold here, only that substitute stuff. 

Is genuine holy black illegal where you live or just not readily available? I count myself as very lucky that we have a great gun shop here locally that is well supplied with black powder supplies. They have #10 and #11 caps, and genuine holy black in 2F, 3F, and 4F, plus substitutes of course.

If it's legal in your area and just not available it's definitely worthwhile to mail order some.

[Uncle_Lee]

You have a lot more BP stuff than I 1858fan!  I love your stuff, I love BP too.  Just wish BP was sold here, only that substitute stuff. 

Is genuine holy black illegal where you live or just not readily available? I count myself as very lucky that we have a great gun shop here locally that is well supplied with black powder supplies. They have #10 and #11 caps, and genuine holy black in 2F, 3F, and 4F, plus substitutes of course.

If it's legal in your area and just not available it's definitely worthwhile to mail order some.

Around where I live in Indiana you can't find black powder because of storage regulations.
Not enough people around shoot it to pay for the shops to keep it on hand.

[1858Fan]

Around where I live in Indiana you can't find black powder because of storage regulations.
Not enough people around shoot it to pay for the shops to keep it on hand.

Interesting. In Florida a federal firearms licensee is exempt from the explosives licensing, permitting, and storage requirements when possessing up to 150 pounds of black powder. Users are so exempt when possessing up to 25 pounds of black powder. I thought most states had broad exemptions from their explosives laws for sporting use of black powder, but I guess there are always exceptions.

You could always mail order it. The substitutes are pretty good, but I really appreciate genuine holy black.

[Uncle_Lee]

I haven't popped a cap in 10 years so no real need for any.
When one gets old and can't do what one wants to, one has memories.

I sold off a bunch of replica revolvers when we moved to town in 2008.

This was my Jose Wales set.




This was my Gus set. (Lonesome Dove)

[Warthog]

As Uncle Lee says, you must have a special magazine to store BP so most places, who are in towns, can't do this so they sell the substitute.  I will order from Grafs next time I can get a bunch of folks to order with me so the hazmat isn't so bad for all of us.  I love the smell of real  BP.

[WECSOG]

As Uncle Lee says, you must have a special magazine to store BP so most places, who are in towns, can't do this so they sell the substitute.  I will order from Grafs next time I can get a bunch of folks to order with me so the hazmat isn't so bad for all of us.  I love the smell of real  BP.

Actually even buying only one pound from Graf's would be cheaper for me than buying locally. I can get it locally but it costs about $35/lb plus tax, so a little over $38. That's not even counting the gas and time it takes to go pick it up.
Goex black powder (which is what I can find locally) is $18.59 at Graf's. Add $10 Haz Mat and 7.95 S&H and you end up with $36.54.
If I decided to buy 2 lbs it would be $18.59 x 2 = $37.18, plus $10 plus $7.95 = $55.13 or $27.57 per lb.
The more you buy the less effect the shipping and hazmat has on the final price, but even a single lb would be worth it to me vs. picking it up locally, if only for the convenience factor.

[Warthog]

Well WESCOG, it is even better in a group buy.  I know a few folks nearby who will do this and some even have cannons that got through BP like it is going out of style, so they will get with me eventually and we can group buy.  Grafs is also good about this when we tell them this is what we are doing, they put stuff back for us so it will be there when the order arrives.  I only want a few ponds to shot my flintlock and my other revolvers.  It is fine for me to use the substitute until the GB can be done.

[pietro]

.

At least one local (within 20 miles) funshop stocks Goex & Swiss BP @ about  $18/lb (plus state sales tax).

I usually keep about 10lbs (+/-) in a waterproof container in an outdoor shed, as far away from the house as I can.



I've had/used these Thompson Center downsized (from the T/C Hawken) Cherokee & Seneca .45cal caplock rifles successfully since 1985.

Those models have locks & stocks much smaller & more refined than a Hawken, and have thinner barrels (13/16" vs 15/16" or 1") to save weight (about 4-1/2-5lbs).

Cherokee's were issued with 24" bbls; Seneca's 27" bbls





Oh, and I lately acquired a matching .36 Seneca (lower rifle, below) to use during small game seasons, when my .45's are not allowed (in my state).






My 2 Seneca's and the Cherokee are not marked as such on the barrels, which makes them early guns, manufactured before T/C made the model marking on the barrel a standard.


.

[WECSOG]

Well WESCOG, it is even better in a group buy.  I know a few folks nearby who will do this and some even have cannons that got through BP like it is going out of style, so they will get with me eventually and we can group buy.  Grafs is also good about this when we tell them this is what we are doing, they put stuff back for us so it will be there when the order arrives.  I only want a few ponds to shot my flintlock and my other revolvers.  It is fine for me to use the substitute until the GB can be done.

Well ok then!

[Warthog]

Sweet Pietro!  and thanks WESCOG

[Warthog]

OK, here is my 32 caliber Gonne.  Made of brass by a guy on another forum I use now and then.  At one time, these hand cannons, though of a higher caliber, were used to defend the realm.  I have a small brass flask I use for both my flintlock pan and this in the small hole to put the BP dust to prime it.

Put the stick under your arm, then use a smoldering cord, or punk or cigarette to light it off





pix get bigger with a click

I tend to use OO Buck as the round as it is close enough to 32 cal to make this go.  No rifling so it isn't very accurate but it is a lot of fun.  Now that I have a mold for 32 cal, I might use it, though it will be more used for my 32 cal revolver.  A little fine dust BP in the top and set it off with a smoldering punk, if has been a lot of fun.  He no longer comes to the old forum, I wanted him to make me a larger caliber one but he isn't there to make it for  me now.   So this will have to do.  It is fun to use though so I guess it is going to be able to make me a lot of fun.

[1858Fan]

OK, here is my 32 caliber Gonne.  Made of brass by a guy on another forum I use now and then.  At one time, these hand cannons, though of a higher caliber, were used to defend the realm.  I have a small brass flask I use for both my flintlock pan and this in the small hole to put the BP dust to prime it.

Very cool. I like it.

[Honky Tonk Man]

Warty, I never heard of a Gonne.  So you put the stick in the hex shaped end, and hold the stick in your hand and under your arm when you set it off?  So why didn't they put a handle on it?  Was it built that way for concealment?  Really odd, eh?

[LHB]

Why would you put a handle on it, when you have a good pike shaft to use after you fired your one and only shot?   Handles were going to come much later, along with a shorter name.

[Warthog]

These were used a very long time ago, back when the west first found they could use a firearm with black powder.  Knights in their armor ruled the field but a commoner if he was given one of these could kill a knight.  IDK why they ere called "Gonne" but I did do a search for the word and found it was what they had called them.  That was a while back so IDK what you would find now.  Probably due to Olde English and the way they spelled and pronounced things.

OK, the stick went under your arm, they didn't aim them they just fired a lot of them, all at once, against the charging knights.  IDK why there wasn't a handle, they just put a stick on it back then, they weren't all that sophisticated yet.  These were the first time a commoner could kill a plate armored knight, I guess they could have used bow and arrow too but these were firearms.  They also used these with a much larger caliber than 32 cal plus they weren't even trying to conceal them, they were part of a castle's defense.  They weren't carried around as a personal defense.

They are really easy to reload so it wasn't just one shot.  Just keep a horn of BP and some round ball shot and keep shooting.  They used a long braided cord that smoldered, like a match lock to set it off back then, I used a punk because it was what I had.  They were also called Hand Cannons as the really big cannons were already around.

I got it off a guy who was learning how to use a lathe and made them for folks to order.  This one was made and used by him and no one wanted it because of how small the caliber was, I bought it cheap.  The brass stock was hex shaped and he turned them into these things.  It has been a lot of fun to shoot though it tends to go where ever it feels like going if you use it at any sort of distance.  Like I said, they fired them en masse and so they went where ever but still wound up killing a bunch of charging knights of advancing warriors.

It's fun! 

[Warthog]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_cannon

That was about all I could find.  Near the bottom of the page there are pix of these that are like mine, a stick with the "cannon" on the end.

like this one...

[billmeek]

Search for Handgonne and you may find more information:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Handgonne

[Honky Tonk Man]

Now that's interesting Warty!  I thought I knew quite a bit about firearm history, but never heard of these early pieces.  I think I considered match locks as the first guns, but these pre-date those.  They do look like a lot of fun. 
If you follow bill's link; it looks like there are other people making and selling them.  I imagine you could create quite a stir at a renaissance fair.   Thanks to both of you!

[Warthog]

Thanks Bill, your link is a better one and I may even wind up with another HandGonne!  or a Blunderbuss!  I have wanted a Blunderbuss for a long time too!

[billmeek]

Warty,

Blunderbuss from a kit?

https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/rifles/traditions-blunderbuss-kit-54-caliber-percussion.html

Or a complete rifle?

http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/MDBB.shtml

[Warthog]

IDK yet, have to wait either way to save some money Bill.  I sort of want a Flintlock Blunderbuss but a caplock with do me fine too.

Probably a kit with an assembled lock, I should be OK as long as the lock is put together, my fingers aren't what they once were when I was a gunsmith.

[billmeek]

If you want the traditions kit, you might want to grab one sooner than later.  The KR500 Blunderbuss isn't listed on the Traditions Firearms website anymore. 

[Warthog]

Yeah, seems the same lots of places.  BP firearms are going to be caplocks or nothing.

[RogueTS1]

I think gonne is the old english spelling/pronunciation for gun. Now where gun came from I do not know.