Manual

Black Powder Pressures

And Velocities

It is not the purpose of this manual to delve deeply into the complex subject of cham-

ber pressure or how it relates to all firearms. There are, however, some basic differences

between a muzzleloader and a modern cartridge firearm. The reader must understand and

respect these differences if he or she is to use their T/C muzzleloader in a safe manner.

Shooting muzzleloading firearms requires rethinking all that you have learned

about firearms. It requires discipline to cope with the requirements of being

a reloader and rifleman at the same time. It requires strict adherence to the

instructions set forth in this booklet. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUC-

TIONS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE FIREARM AND INJURY AND/OR DEATH TO

THE SHOOTER OR BYSTANDERS AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.

Odd as it sounds, your safe introduction to muzzleloading firearms requires a good

deal of reverse thought. Our forefathers, trained in the use of muzzleloaders, had little dif-

ficulty using the products of their day or adapting to improved concepts as each new idea

presented itself in a normal progression. The transition from flint lock to cap lock to

breech loader each represented a step forward toward a more technically sophisticated

era. Users of firearms had hundreds of years to adapt to these changes. In a single life-

time, no one was exposed to drastic change.

The muzzleloading enthusiast of today, however, has been trained in the use of car-

tridge firearms. To safely use a muzzleloader he must adjust his thinking backward -

bridging hundreds of years of product development - in one giant step! Those reading this

booklet must face the realization that the design of a muzzleloading firearm is rooted in

tradition. In other words, a manufacturer of muzzleloading firearms, while he does have

the benefit of using modern steel, proper heat treating and other technical advances, does

not have the option of drastically altering a design which is centuries old. To use a muz-

zleloader safely requires considerable mental adjustment on the part of today’s shooter.

Modern cartridge firearms depend heavily upon the strength of a brass cartridge

case to seal the chamber and to safely confine expanding gas. Equally it is the cartridge

case which holds the bullet in a fixed position, confines the powder charge to a given vol

ume and controls headspace. Modern cartridge firearms are designed to withstand high

working pressures since these same pressures make possible the high velocities, flat tra-

jectories and increased range of modern ammunition. Yet, the modern firearm is no

stronger than the cartridge case that is used in its chamber. If the case ruptures, the

primer punctures or if the headspace is altered, hot powder gases under extreme pres