So why do you need to own a Cannon to have black powder?

[Vern_in_IL]

Friends tell me I need to purchase a black powder cannon before I purchase a pound or two of black powder, or fuse. They say I'll run afowl of ATF rules, going to have swat teams at my house. Does anyone know what rules that is?

 

[bullwinkle]

Geez, good thing you weren’t buying C4, or nitroglycerin, or dynamite! What’s a handloader to do these days?

 

[Greasymechtech]

Rules change daily. Less than 50lbs and have a easily verified purpose...

(1) the black powder is commercially manufactured;
(2) the quantity of black powder does not exceed 50 pounds;
(3) the black powder is intended to be used in antique firearms or antique devices solely for sporting, recreational, or cultural purposes.

Any other purpose requires an ATF permit. Its is an explosive powder after all.

Brand new black powder rifles/pistols are considered 'antique'?????? Oh wait, forgot about where its coming from.

Federal rules are one thing. You also have a city/town, county, and state rules to deal with, and you must research your local laws.

What are you intended purposes for the black powder?

 

[Hall]

Different rule but we were at friends one July 4 and a friend of theirs brought his little "cannon". He said the main "rule" he follows is never fire it twice at the same place.

 

[joegreen]

Idk cant your buy those black powder substitutes like 777 and what not right at the store?

 

[MRC01]

@Greasymechtech is right. I used to own an 1860 Colt .44 revolver (not the Walker or Dragoon but the Army model). Black powder with percussion caps. I bought black powder at gun stores on a regular basis, no problem at all. With firearms, a little goes a long way. 25-30 grains per shot and 438 grains per ounce gives you about 240 shots in a 16 oz. jar of black powder - you don't need 50 lbs.!

 

[bunnspecial]

The small amount of black power I have I've used in the past to load metallic cartridges.

Granted I only ever loaded 45 Colt to shoot out of my Uberti SAA replica, and it's such a royal pain that I haven't done it in a long time, but that was/is my "easily verified" purpose.

I was also living in Kentucky then also, though, and the only obstacle to buying it at the time was I had to wait for the store to get a new shipment in so that they had FFF. At the time that particular store-Biff's Gun World(Dixie Highway in Louisville) was supposedly one of only two stores in the state that had real BP(the other was Reloader's Supply in Richmond, which I think has since closed).

 

[The_Eric]

Different rule but we were at friends one July 4 and a friend of theirs brought his little "cannon". He said the main "rule" he follows is never fire it twice at the same place.

I've known of a couple of those... 2" bore and filled with a kitchen measuring cup (1/4 cup, heaping)

In a river valley, it made one hell of a roar that rolled up and down the valley for a while

 

[CleanSump]

Just check your state and local laws and regulations. Check the Fire Marshall for storage requirements that may be stricter than Federal requirements.
Graf's and Powder Valley sell BP online. Only Fedex will deliver it. USPO and UPS won't ship it, but the companies that sell it take care of all that and charge you a hefty HAZMAT fee.

 

[M56959]

Check your local laws. Hearsay topics of this type are a waste of members time.