Is there any reason why a "black powder" muzzle-loading, percussion-primed, firearm cannot be built to be safe with EITHER smokeless or black powder?
If a large bolt action rifle barrel blank can be chambered in calibers like .458 Win Mag and .460 Weatherby Mag, why can't that same barrel be put on a modified stainless-steel receiver that has a tiny flash hole and a nipple for a percussion cap?
If a modern 12 gauge shotgun can be built that holds 3.5" magnum shells, why can't a "black powder" shotgun be built that can handle the same amount of smokeless powder as you'd find in that factory-assembled 3.5" magnum shell?
THE ONLY PROBLEM I see here is the risk that people will misunderstand that even though this gun can use black powder, or smokeless powder, it won't use the same AMOUNT of those powders. The powder charge for black powder will be a "larger" charge (at least in weight, not sure about volume or the difference in powder density). For example, a historical 19th century "normal" .45-70 Gov't cartridge would use 70 grains of black powder.
But that same cartridge, when loaded with modern smokeless powders, only gets 50-60 grains per powder charge.
If a large bolt action rifle barrel blank can be chambered in calibers like .458 Win Mag and .460 Weatherby Mag, why can't that same barrel be put on a modified stainless-steel receiver that has a tiny flash hole and a nipple for a percussion cap?
If a modern 12 gauge shotgun can be built that holds 3.5" magnum shells, why can't a "black powder" shotgun be built that can handle the same amount of smokeless powder as you'd find in that factory-assembled 3.5" magnum shell?
THE ONLY PROBLEM I see here is the risk that people will misunderstand that even though this gun can use black powder, or smokeless powder, it won't use the same AMOUNT of those powders. The powder charge for black powder will be a "larger" charge (at least in weight, not sure about volume or the difference in powder density). For example, a historical 19th century "normal" .45-70 Gov't cartridge would use 70 grains of black powder.
But that same cartridge, when loaded with modern smokeless powders, only gets 50-60 grains per powder charge.