bulk or grains

[charlie cleveland]

question on hazzard powder...when loading a shotgun shell of bygone years washazzard powder measured outin grain or in drams...i looked up hazzard powder it seems to have been a bulk powder but ive seen a loaded example here lately with a top wad thad was clearly marked with 30 grains and a 1 1/8 ounce load of shot...and i believe BRUCE had a hang tag spefing grains for a parker instead of drams....can anybody explain.... charlie

[Pete Lester]

""Infallible Smokeless Powder".....21 grains of "Infallible" Powder equaled 3 drams, 24 and 25 grain loads were recommended for field and trapshooting." Made by Laflin & Rand, then Dupont, then Hercules, then Alliant and now ATK. (Powder is now called Unique).

""Ballistite Smokeless Shotgun Powder" - "Whereas one avoirdupois pound of black powder will load 85 "three dram loads", 4f oz. of Ballistite smokeless will also load 85 shells with "24 grain loads, i.e. 24 grains is equal to a '3 dram load" of black powder"

""Dupont Smokeless" A bulk shotgun powder. "The recommended load for 12-gauge guns are 2f to 3j drams by measure, put in the shell with 25-30lb pressure and 1^ to 1^ oz of shot."

""Hazard Shotgun Smokeless", whose manufacture has now been discontinued is a small brick red grain bulk nitrocellulose powder.""

"E.C. Improved Shotgun Smokeless" is an orange colored bulk nitrocellulose powder...."

""New Schultze" is a hard grain smokeless bulk shotgun powder.." Made by Dupont

""Empire Smokeless Shotgun Powder" is a dark grey granular bulk... In 12-gauge guns the loads run from 2-2 to 3j drams."

""King's Semi Smokeless Powder".....it is a bulk powder, the best results obtained by an ordinary primer such as used for starting black powder"

All information taken from Edward Wordens book "Nitrocellulose Industry" dated 1911

[Dave Suponski]

Thanks Pete, I find this stuff very interesting. Can this book be found anywhere?

[Pete Lester]

Dave if you Google it you can find copies are for sale. You can read it free on Google books below. The chapter on gunpowder starts on page 808. Click on "Read Online" button on the left.

http://archive.org/details/nitrocellulosein02worduoft

[charlie cleveland]

thanks pete...i had read that it was bulk powder but was not sure how the top wads were posted on shells...i guess they could have posted it as grains or drams on the top wad...mysterie to be solved.... have any body seen a shell or top was listed as drams for this powder hazzard....i have seen a top wad as of a few days ago listed in grains....what a name HAZZARD.....