[lugerholsterrepair]

Wes,I guess I am still puzzled. Black powder was and is, a common substance with which to load many brass cartridges. It's pressure charecteristics should not preclude it's use in almost any cartridge designed for smokeless powder. Of course one would have to be prudent about the loading but your story does not necessarily lay blame on the black powder without considering other possibilities, such as an obstructed bore or perhaps the wrong cartridge inserted into the rifle.

I can see where such a tradgedy would linger in your mind over the years but from a students point of view I have to wonder what really happened....Black powder is generally much less volitile and slower burning than smokeless. It is so slow to burn that one can hardly overload a black powder rifle.

Is it possible you obtained some other powder like flash powder? Just a curiosity that leads to a mystery. Thanks for relating your experience. Jerry Burney