Black Powder Cartridges?

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07-14-2011, 06:51 PM

#11

Landngroove

Fork Horn

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: Vermont

Posts: 180

The .32 Winchester Special was originally designed to be reloaded with smokeless, or black powder. The twist rate of these rifles (1 in16") was slower than the .30-30 (1 in 10", or 12", depending on maker) because it was thought that the slower twist would not foul as much.

07-16-2011, 01:41 PM

#12

bigboomer

Fork Horn

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Brandon Fl

Posts: 134

Check out this link ... very informative on loading Black powder cartridges
http://www.wahsatchdesperadoes.com/I...CR_Loading.pdf

07-17-2011, 09:57 AM

#13

rafsob

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Nov 2004

Location: Hayes, Va.

Posts: 2,332

Quote:

Originally Posted by HEAD0001

As stated above. Marlin and UMC did not want to use the name Winchester in their rifle and cartridges. So they stayed with current(at the time) nomenclature. Only one problem, they were not using BP in this cartridge. So initially the load was 30 grains of "smokeless" with a 160 grain bullet in 30 caliber. No BP involved what so ever-only in the parent case of 38-50(Ballard) and 38-55.

So they(Marlin and UMC) used the name 30-30, but the second thirty represented smokeless(a stray from the normal classification) powder, not BP. Tom.

This is very correct. This was a very common practice during this time in history. It was so correct that S&W lost a government contract because of it. I am talking about the more superior handgun, the S&W Schofield. Wesson would not design his handgun to take the Colt .45 round for his gun. And the Army would stay with the .45 Colt SAA pistol. It was a shame because the break top Schofield was much more capable for reloading then the SAA and would have been much better for the mounted calvary troops.

Just thought I would throw out this small tidbit.

07-17-2011, 10:10 AM

#14

rafsob

Nontypical Buck

Join Date: Nov 2004

Location: Hayes, Va.

Posts: 2,332

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigboomer

Check out this link ... very informative on loading Black powder cartridges
http://www.wahsatchdesperadoes.com/I...CR_Loading.pdf

You should make this guide your go to guide. It covers it all. Been using it for a while.

In my case I load for my Trapdoor .45-70 and H&R 1871 .38-55. I started doing so for the Trapdoor because it is an original and I didn't want to destroy it. As to the H&R, I just fell in love with the idea of loading BP and enjoyed shooting it.

If I was loading a cartridge for hunting whitetail deer, I would load the powder to the top of the case and then use my case cleaner to vibrate the powder down inside the case, or use a drop tube and then load the bullet. The vibration actually moves the powder down into the case and anything that gives off any vibration will work for this.

This will compress the charge some and give you just a little more umph to the cartridge. Good luck.

Last edited by rafsob; 07-17-2011 at 10:15 AM.

07-17-2011, 10:51 AM

#15

Muley Hunter

Giant Nontypical

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Colorado

Posts: 9,557

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemoyne

Muley Hunter
According to what I have read 30-30 stands for 30 grains of black powder and 30 caliber. It also was one of the first and most popular when smokelesswas in its first years.

You used the name 30-30. Regardless of it's origin. The 30-30 was never a BP cartridge. 30 gr of BP would be a pretty weak load. The 30-30 was never a weak load.