Knight MK-85 with BH 209???

[tdespot]

I'm new to this site, so this question may have already been asked before, but has anyone had any experience using a Knight MK-85 with the Blackhorn 209 powder? I know BH 209 is not meant for #11 caps and I have converted my MK-85 to the 209 primer set up with the red FPJ. From what I have read about BH, I would certainly like to switch from T7 if possible. Just wondering if anyone with a similar setup as mine has tried the BH 209 and what kind of results they had with it. I would hate to purchase a container of it and find out that it won't work in my gun. I talked with a Knight Tech about this, and he said they are still in the testing stage, so they are not able to provide that info. Thanks for any feedback.

TD

 

[SK33]

I hope this might help. A friend of mine has a MK-85 and we recently shot it with BH209, and found out that you need a very tight fitting sabot and bullet combo. If not you will most likely get a mis-fire or hang-fire. Try a tight fitting 300gr. and it should shoot well!

 

[jsteurrys]

I would be interested in hearing what happens to the Primers. Do they stay in one piece, cock the hammer, and/or become projectiles?

 

[Reese]

I have a .50 cal MK-85 that I tried BH209 in. The best ignition combo I found using a #11 cap or musket cap still created bad hang fires.

I also have a .45 cal Wolverine 209 that uses the red FPJ. I have installed the Wolverine's 209 plunger and breech plug in the MK-85 to see if it would fit and it did. I have not shot the MK-85 with the Wolverines 209 plunger and breech plug but it should work. I say all of that to share what my experience is with the Wolverine 209 and BH209, which should be very similar to the MK-85 with the 209 conversion kit since it seems to be the same parts that are on my Wolverine 209.

In the Wolverine 209 I use 110 gr of BH209, .40 cal SST/SW, Harvester smooth light blue .45/.40 cal sabot and Winchester 209 shotgun primer in the red FPJ. Not on every shot but on some I will get the primer lifting a bit out of the primer cup or all of the way out. On one or two occassions out of close to 50 shots it has re-cocked the plunger. I plan to do more testing at some time with 100 gr of BH209 and also test with Federal 209A shotgun primers.

 

[tdespot]

Thanks for the info. I'll pack it tight, use a hot primer, wear my eye protection and see what happens. Hopefully, it works well.

 

[jsteurrys]

Please post your results.

 

[tdespot]

Will do, but it will have to warm up a bit. Been below twenty degrees here and that's too cold to sit at a bench - at least for me.