The idea that there is only one tree in all the world that can produce premium charcoal and it is, of course, on another continent, is absurd. I am schooled enough in plant physiology and Silvics to know it's not that simple and even authorities don't always agree.
The question as I see it is not that suitable trees for the production of superior charcoal can't be found in America; but rather are the manufacturers of propellant grade charcoal creating the quality they should aspire to? If the answer is "no", then either the charcoal makers need to be more particular or we should be importing this super charcoal and NOT just the wood. If we import the wood and it is correct that no one in America can make premium charcoal, then it matters not what the source of the charcoal is; the inferior American charcoal maker will screw it up, anyway. What's to be gained.
I'm not making any claims for or about Old Eynsford or Swiss. I am saying it will take a fair number of chronograph sessions and target sessions with different calibers and different rifles to come to any rational conclusion. There are many who either do not like or get accustomed results from Swiss or who consider any improvement not worth the higher price.
With all due respect to Mad Monk, and I mean this sincerely, there is no ultimate authority on black powder possibilities as there is no ultimate authority on virtually anything you care to name. This "condemn first then blow off the results" is not the reaction of a logical mind.
Did you READ anything on the Laflin and Rand site? The files about making BP in particular?
In America Maple is now used for BP making. Its the THIRD CHOICE for RIFLE grade powders. Below certain Alder and Willow species. Yes American made powder SHOULD be made with better charcoal but SFAIK its not.
If people will READ the material on the Laflin and Rand site they will stop making unsubstantiated assumptions about charcoal and why some woods are preferred. Any charcoal will make BP, HOWEVER, to make a GOOD blackpowder requires care in choosing the charcoal and HOW ITS BURNT. Making a true SPORTING grade powder requires even more care.
C&H used, according what I was told, a certain wood from Spain. Either Dogwood or Alder.
I have been told on good authority that when the supply was cut off they stopped making Diamond Grain.
Certain woods from certain areas have certain properties. WHEN they are cut can effect the finished char and the finished powder. Its that important.
There were some powders made in the US in the 19th C using American woods for the char that were very good powders If not equal the C&H Diamond Grain very near it. However, since Maple is the only commercially available wood in the US right now the charcoal being used is at best a rifle grind charcoal.
As a result of this premium powder grade charcoal is not available here. Not from lack of trees but from lack of anyone MAKING the charcoal. This is easy to understand, or I thought it was.
Charcoal equal to that using in Swiss is not available here.
Mad Monk has been doing chrono work with BP in MLs for DECADES BTW.
The problem in America is that we used a relatively low grade powder here for something like 100 years. Since Dupont destroyed BP powder making in the US. The plant Dupont kept in operation never made a premium powder that I know of. In fact the loading instructions on some old cartridge boxes does not even list Dupont but rather Hazards, LAflin & Rand and some other powder makers. What Dupont had and Goex still does, is MILITARY CONTRACTS. This is a whole other story but the military never used a powder of great quality most of it was Musket if used for a propellant.
As the 20th c progressed in the BP making in the US DEGRADED and it got pretty bad at times. But few ML shooters noticed. But the BPCR shooters sure did. Some lots of powder made at Moosic were so bad that competitive shooters would GIVE the stuff away to get ride of it. So if a good lot was found they stocked up.
I have had lots of powder that once past the 1/2 way mark the powder would become very dusty and would produce 5 grains or more of fines in a cartridge case when drop tubed. I would then throw away 1/3 +- pound of powder, open a new can and use it till the dust appeared then repeat.
But ML shooter never see what the charge looks like when it lands in the breech.
Also MLs shooting 50-100 yards are a far different proposition than a BPCR or slug gun shooting 200 to 1000 yards where standard deviation must be no more than 10fps to prevent excess vertical stringing. Yeah I chronoed EVERY load I used in competition.
Getting a new lot of powder meant shooting it to find if the old load still worked with the new powder. If not then load development started all over again. It was a major PITA.
When Swiss arrived this all went away for the people who use it. You can buy Swiss and it will work like the last case worked.
Dan
