Got my GB Mortar But I have a sad sad tale to tell.

[Iron Balls]

Got my GB mortar from Dom the other day. I could not build one for the price. And Dom charged me $12 shipping, but after packing it up, he put $12.40 in postage on it. Thanks Dom.
Well, I got my sled made and took pictures, but I can not find the dnld cord. Things sometimes get misplaced bouncing back and forth between AZ and MN. But that is not the sad part. About a month ago, I stopped in at Gander Mountain and checked the black powder. I saw the cans marked Pyrodex and next to them I saw the bottles marked FFG. Well, today I drove the 25 miles to pick some up and found the bottles marked FFG were also a BP substitute. Well, I checked all the other places that might handle BP and, no luck. No one handles BP in the area. Guess I am going to have to get it off the internet.    Now I have to figure out how many cans to buy to cost average the Haze mat fee.
BTW, it seems these people will no longer stock BP. Is this a back lash from the bombers?

[Doc Brown.]

Got my GB mortar from Dom the other day. I could not build one for the price. And Dom charged me $12 shipping, but after packing it up, he put $12.40 in postage on it. Thanks Dom.
Well, I got my sled made and took pictures, but I can not find the dnld cord. Things sometimes get misplaced bouncing back and forth between AZ and MN. But that is not the sad part. About a month ago, I stopped in at Gander Mountain and checked the black powder. I saw the cans marked Pyrodex and next to them I saw the bottles marked FFG. Well, today I drove the 25 miles to pick some up and found the bottles marked FFG were also a BP substitute. Well, I checked all the other places that might handle BP and, no luck. No one handles BP in the area. Guess I am going to have to get it off the internet.    Now I have to figure out how many cans to buy to cost average the Haze mat fee.
BTW, it seems these people will no longer stock BP. Is this a back lash from the bombers?

If you only plan to fire golf balls you should just use the pyrodex. If you want to get a big boom then you will save money with black powder in the long run. Just my opinion.

[Double D]

If you buy your powder from www.powderinc.com the pricde you see per pound includes hazamat and shipping...that is why at first glance Powder inc's prices seem higher...they aren't

[GGaskill]

Try to find some other BP users in your area and make a 25 pound buy from one of the distributors (I use Coonies) and split it up; Coonies will let you order different grades in the case.  Then the hazmat extortion adds only about a dollar a can to the price.

[Iron Balls]

Try to find some other BP users in your area and make a 25 pound buy from one of the distributors (I use Coonies) and split it up; Coonies will let you order different grades in the case.  Then the hazmat extortion adds only about a dollar a can to the price.

I have contacted 2, who do not need more powder, and I am waiting for the 3rd to get back to me.
Double D, Thanks for that heads up. I will have to look into that.

[KABAR2]

BTW, it seems these people will no longer stock BP. Is this a back lash from the bombers?

the bombers used fireworks for their propellent... not stocking it has more to do with paperwork and propably fire code.... many areas require a lock box for BP with insulation and wheels .... many places don't want the hassel and expence ....

[flagman1776]

Yes, black powder sellers are required to have a wheeled magazine...  the idea being that it can be rolled out the door to safety in a fire situation.  Our reenacting club buys mixed cases all the time.  I forget which powder house they use. 

[Iron Balls]

Yes, black powder sellers are required to have a wheeled magazine...  the idea being that it can be rolled out the door to safety in a fire situation.  Our reenacting club buys mixed cases all the time.  I forget which powder house they use.

Thanks for that info, Kabar and Flgmn.
I am really glad that you posted Flgmn. Question. Curious. I have been going through the archives and all your posts were Smilies. Then I noticed someone answering you. But you didn't have a true post, just  .
So, now the question. Do you deletet all your posts and replace them with smilies?
 

[dominick]

Got my GB mortar from Dom the other day. I could not build one for the price. And Dom charged me $12 shipping, but after packing it up, he put $12.40 in postage on it. Thanks Dom.
Well, I got my sled made and took pictures, but I can not find the dnld cord. Things sometimes get misplaced bouncing back and forth between AZ and MN. But that is not the sad part. About a month ago, I stopped in at Gander Mountain and checked the black powder. I saw the cans marked Pyrodex and next to them I saw the bottles marked FFG. Well, today I drove the 25 miles to pick some up and found the bottles marked FFG were also a BP substitute. Well, I checked all the other places that might handle BP and, no luck. No one handles BP in the area. Guess I am going to have to get it off the internet.    Now I have to figure out how many cans to buy to cost average the Haze mat fee.
BTW, it seems these people will no longer stock BP. Is this a back lash from the bombers?

Good to see you got your barrel ok.  Powderinc.com is the company I deal with for BP.  He'll sell you 5 lbs and the price with shipping is less than some of the local retailers.

[Iron Balls]

Got my GB mortar from Dom the other day. I could not build one for the price. And Dom charged me $12 shipping, but after packing it up, he put $12.40 in postage on it. Thanks Dom.
Well, I got my sled made and took pictures, but I can not find the dnld cord. Things sometimes get misplaced bouncing back and forth between AZ and MN. But that is not the sad part. About a month ago, I stopped in at Gander Mountain and checked the black powder. I saw the cans marked Pyrodex and next to them I saw the bottles marked FFG. Well, today I drove the 25 miles to pick some up and found the bottles marked FFG were also a BP substitute. Well, I checked all the other places that might handle BP and, no luck. No one handles BP in the area. Guess I am going to have to get it off the internet.    Now I have to figure out how many cans to buy to cost average the Haze mat fee.
BTW, it seems these people will no longer stock BP. Is this a back lash from the bombers?

Good to see you got your barrel ok.  Powderinc.com is the company I deal with for BP.  He'll sell you 5 lbs and the price with shipping is less than some of the local retailers.

Yes I got it and let me express again how very, very pleased I am. What a great value.
 

[Iron Balls]

Here are a few pictures of the sled I made the other day.
 

 

 

[Draxx]

 Looks good. I bought the same barrel a few years ago, it works great.

 Having been there, done that regarding powder, don't bother trying Pyrodex. It doesn't work worth a darn. I had to bite the bullet and ordered three pounds of 2f for my mortar and one pound of 3f for my revolver from Grafs. Real black powder made a world of difference. Well worth it.

[Iron Balls]

Thank you Draxx. As you can see, I didn't go with the cross bolts as this was a hurry up job. I don't know how much recoil you get launching a golf ball, but I figure it is straight back and not lateral. If it does not hold up, I have duct tape and I can always build one the correct way.

[dominick]

Iron balls and Draxx,  Nice looking mortar beds.  Good to see the barrels find a good home.  I've been experimenting with Pyrodex in a GB mortar and managed to get a few hundred feet range by patching the ball.  BP substitutes burn too slow for the short barrel.  I think the patch slows the balls departure enough for a near complete burn.   Dom

[Iron Balls]

NFP!!!

[slowburn]

Thought your mortar bed was real close to mine. With a little twist. 

[Double D]

Hodgdon reloading manual use to have an article on Pyrodex  explaining the need for patched balls, tight slugs and crimped cases in order to get what they called the correct "pull" or resistance upon firing.

It's one thing to patch a .50 or .75 round ball and force it down the bore.  It quite another thing to force a patched ball down a 1.75 inch bore.  Clean bore not real difficult, fouling build up can cause some problems.  Golf bals should be no problem the should be fairly easy to pull if the get stuck.  Those Fox steel balls will be a little harder to get out just drill and tap them if you stick one.

Don't use Pyrodex with Zinc round balls, the fouling by products will attack zinc

One thing debated about Pyrodex "pull" is that it represents a pressure build up...  Remember all the BP substitutes are smokeless powder and act like smokeless powder-a corrosive smokeless powder.  You must clean accordingly.

I know the main reason folks go to the  BP Substitutes is the availability.   The hardest part about buying Blackpowder-"mail order" is placing the first order...after you make the first order and and see how much easier it is to load shoot and clean, you will not give it your reorder a second shot.

[Iron Balls]

Thought your mortar bed was real close to mine. With a little twist. 

Yes they are. My tube will also stand up for loading. So far, no one has jumped me for not using bolts.
Thanks Double D. I had no intention of using Pyrodex. I will be ordering powder tomorrow. I know I need FFX for the GB Mortar, but I still have dreams of a howitzer. As long as I need to order 5 lbs, should I be ordering a few cans of something else, betting on the come? How about for a pop can mortar? Something else I've been thinking on.
 
 
 
 

[Double D]

I use  FG for all my cannons and mortars with bores or chamber greater the 3/4" and no more than 1 inch.  For    Cannon and  mortars with chambers  greater than 1" I use Cannon grade. 

My one .50 cal SAMCC cannon I use FFg. 

Remember that with equal charges of Cannon grade and Fg with the same weigh projectile, FG will produce 40% more pressure.

[Iron Balls]

Well, I ordered powder from Powder Inc. I ordered 2 lbs of FFG and 3 of FG. I have hopes of something bigger in my future.     Ordered fuse too. 65 feet? Well, I won't have to buy shoe laces for a while. 

BTW.  They are 7 to 10 days behind in shipping, so if you want powder tomorrow, you had best order 2 weeks ago.

[Iron Balls]

I was told I needed to sign for BP so I sat home until 4:30 yesterday and, guess what, I didn't need to sign. They would have just left it on my door. So, the good news is; I have BP and I have ignition. I love it. Even when I load it hot and can not see the ball go, I love the sound. I think the sound and smoke are the best part. I could shoot blanks and be happy. I suppose I will hear from someone here, because I shot it off right outside my house and then I took it down town and shoot off a half dozen rounds there. This is the best. I even love the smell of the tube while I recharge. This is the best. 

[Zulu]

I was told I needed to sign for BP so I sat home until 4:30 yesterday and, guess what, I didn't need to sign. They would have just left it on my door. So, the good news is; I have BP and I have ignition. I love it. Even when I load it hot and can not see the ball go, I love the sound. I think the sound and smoke are the best part. I could shoot blanks and be happy. I suppose I will hear from someone here, because I shot it off right outside my house and then I took it down town and shoot off a half dozen rounds there. This is the best. I even love the smell of the tube while I recharge. This is the best. 

If I took a gun downtown here and shot it off, you wouldn't hear from me for 5 to 10.
Zulu

[Iron Balls]

I live in a small town. I will post some pictures of where I was shooting as soon as I get my new dnld cable for my camera. My phone takes nice pictures, but getting them on the computer and posting them is a PITA.
I took the tube down to the old timers work shop to show some guys. They had seen it when I built the sled, but I wanted them to see it in action. What a blast. No pun intended.
BYTW, Zulu. I have taken a page from your book and turned a cannon at the shop. I could not find any dry wood of size so I bought a ceder post, 6x6. It was the closest grain I could find. I am having grain problems so I am going to spray it with some build up primer and see if I can get around this. The other day, I checked out drift wood on the beach. I may pick some of that up and see how it turns. The best candidate I found at the beach was balsam or spruce. Some kind of pine.

I was told I needed to sign for BP so I sat home until 4:30 yesterday and, guess what, I didn't need to sign. They would have just left it on my door. So, the good news is; I have BP and I have ignition. I love it. Even when I load it hot and can not see the ball go, I love the sound. I think the sound and smoke are the best part. I could shoot blanks and be happy. I suppose I will hear from someone here, because I shot it off right outside my house and then I took it down town and shoot off a half dozen rounds there. This is the best. I even love the smell of the tube while I recharge. This is the best. 

If I took a gun downtown here and shot it off, you wouldn't hear from me for 5 to 10.
Zulu