pyrodex

[Deleted]

" Our muzzleloaders, fired with Pyrodex, destroyed themselves within three years or so, despite the best care we could give them."

Anyone out there lose a barrel from shooting RS even after cleaning it the best you could?

I have a 20+ year old cva hawken shot with nothing but pyrodex and when i read this, i just about fell off my chair in laughter.

[mountainam]

I've not lost a barrel, but I bought one on Gun Broker that a fellow used Pyrodex that was in deplorable shape. It was Rem 700ML SS and when I first looked at it I thought it was just dirty and needed cleaning. The fellow told me that that's all he used was RS. I thought if the barrel was bad I could rebarrel it. The barrel was pitted as if the stainless actually flaked off in chunks. There were degraded areas in the lower part of the action. It had to have been exposed to water or moisture along with the RS. I returned the rifle. What they considered GOOD was Poor at best. I've never seen that much degradation on stn. stl. It has caused me to rethink the whole stainless steel issue. I've inspected other RS shooting rifles that their owners said were cleaned and decided that CLEAN is very subjective. To me it's just laziness. Of course using pellets is laziness as far as I'm concerned. I do a lot of shooting and own a lot of muzzleloaders and never had pellets be more accurate than any loose powder that I use. With any propellants you have to be serious with you cleaning regimen.

[blackhawk7204]

Pyrodex rusted a SS Thompson Center Firehawk in only 2 days after firing a single shot!
After a lot of elbow grease I was able to save the barrel but that stuff is far more corrosive than black powder or anything else I've tried.
I made the mistake of thinking that SS could be shot without immediate cleaning and waited a couple days before cleaning it. I won't do that again!
As long as you clean your gun PROPERLY after firing there is no problem with any type of propellant..

[10ga]

for proof of corrosivness do the "spoon" test. Go by the Goodwill, Salvation Army or local second hand store and get several matching cheap stainless spoons. Put a small quantity of powder, ie. 777-pyrodex-goex-etc, in each and safely light it/burn it. do not rinse or clean but leave outside to be exposed to dew and atmospheric water. You will see how corossive and how each residue attracts water. Of course there will be differences between summer in GA and winter in Mn. The more water in the atmosphere the greater the chance to get damage if you don't clean rather promptly. Here in VA I have had guns start to rust before leaving the range in August and conversly when it's January and below freezing I have shot 5 or 6 days straight without complete cleanup and no sign of corrosion. I no longer use Pyrodex or 777 and have gone back to "Holy Black" in guns that use it. Best, 10 ga