Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Pyrodex In My 30-30?

for cleaning Lever guns fired with BP i use a damp bore snake and a pan of hot water. i dampen the snake and rub some dawn dish soap on it. feed snake through from breach and rinse. have a hose with funnel that is soft enough to fit most chambers. after scrubbing bore i pour water as hot as i can through to flush and heat the metal.
stand muzzle down and let dry for a while. swab bore with oil of choice.
i bought a wet pin tumbler and my brass shines inside like new. vib tumbler never got all the residue out especially bottle neck's
jm2c

If said break action single shot's barrel pops off the frame easily, I would clean it like I clean military musket and black powder shotgun barrels - take them into the shower with me along with a cleaning rod and patches. Clean the gun at same time I clean myself.

Interesting to think of using the cleaning rod and patches on the personal side.

Yup. I liked a wet soapy boresnake when I used to shoot 38-40 with blackpowder

Ya just swallow the bore snake and then...

No Pyrodex here, by enthusiastic choice, but lots of BH209. Lots of data for that if I ever get in a pinch, plus some for 777, though I don’t trust the longevity of that, even sealed inside a loaded cartridge.

The article I read on BH209 said it was hard on brass if left dirty, so it remains an emergency option due to extreme laziness.

I have some old 777 on hand. Maybe I should check on it. I didn't know it had a shelf-life, so to speak.

Next time you come into town, I'll give you a pound of W748 or H380, your choice. Either should get your 30-30 perking along!

30-30 was never a black powder round. It followed the same nomenclature as bp rounds but referred to 30 grains of smokeless. Pyrodex is a poor substitute for anything in any gun unless it is all you have. I've found it to be just as or more corrosive as real black.

My basic advice is don't do it.

No, I have not used BP or a substitute in a lever gun. However, I've tried it in a 44 mag revolver and it really gunked things up in a hurry. I finally ran the cylinder in the dishwasher.

The other experience I have is shooting BP substitutes out of Mossberg 500 ML barrel. Yes it works. It's actually a decent ML rig, but the problem is cleaning up on the back end. The bolt and bolt face get badly coated. I basically have to strip the whole thing down and give it a deep clean.

Now, neither of these are a lever, but don't think I'd want all that gunky residue in my action. If it were a break-action single-shot, I'd maybe do it.

Bottom line: this does not sound like fun to me.

That’d be the last powder I’d shoot in my 1894. Lots of other powders available for reduced or up to near full power loads.

41

Or use a Marlin.

Friend of mine destroyed the barrel on a new inline with pyrodex. Thought the subs wouldn’t corrode like Lord Black. Left it in the closet for a couple weeks after shooting and then asked if I would clean it. The damage was epic. Subs suck. Not inclined to use black in anything other than single shot or SxS guns. Hell will freeze before I buy a sub.

If you have never used black powder or a sub, just realize case care and gun cleaning is first and foremost after shooting. It doesn't take long to corrode a brass casing.(and firearm, too) I throw mine in some soapy hot water as soon as I get home. That neutralizes the salts until you get around to cleaning them. A sonic parts cleaner would be even better. I clean my guns asap.