Use Of Nitrocellulose Propellant in Black Powder Guns

 EEEK  

.. Now I'm not going to repeat that this can be extemely DANGEROUS - Nor am I recommending that anyone ever experiments at using 'smokeless powder' in any blackpowder firearm or cartridge. - 'Needs Must' - The key to understanding is awareness of VARIABLES.

But .. I just watched Jake from 'Everything Blackpowder' demonstrate shooting a percussion revolver he loaded with mixed powders. Another of his excellent videos - linked here ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPbXOLQr40A

His video is thought provoking and very interesting to watch. Full Stop.

- Going back in time, there used to be, from around 1900-1945ish various brands of .22" Rim Fire ammunition using 'LESMOK' that was a "Crossover" transitional powder that was something like a mixture of BLACK POWDER & NITROCELLULOSE .. possibly nitrated wood pulp was the base propellant.

Now this 'LESMOKE' powder was in a semi-smokeless cartridge using around 10-20% smokeless powder to it's advantage BUT it was still  dirty stuff  and corrosive to shoot .. They used more powerful VERY CORROSIVE MERCURIC PRIMING COMPOUNDS - because the smokeless powders were less easily ignited than the charcoal-saltpeter stuff.

- Later the makers Winchester changed the priming chemicals and renamed this blended powder range 'STAYNLESS'.

I understand that other cartridges were loaded by manufacturers with blended mixed powder at the time so this clearly shows that the simple prohibitive DIRE WARNING to never use smokeless powder in black powder guns may be questioned by thoughtful shooters.

And it seems that - to this day - the real BIG BORE ORDNANCE on warships actually are loaded with a little old fashioned mixed Gunpowder to set-off the main nitrocellulose charges ..

All I'm suggesting is that - if you know what you are carefully doing .. variations of the generally accepted RULES may work.

I had a mate once who became a millionaire and he would say "Every practical problem has got a practical solution .. The only REAL problem is people." 

Marty K.