OK. I have serial #383 Hopkins and Allen Falling Block shotgun. 12 guage. Made in 1884 I think. I forget but that's about right. I have some full brass shotgun shells. I need help trying to figure how to load them. Will proydex work? Etc

Better check with DPCD first.
He has plenty of serious reasons for
not using it.

George

It will probably work, I wouldn't use it unless it was all I could get. It's hard to ignite and very corrosive.

I shot Pyrodex exactly twice. As in, 2 shots. It’s just nasty to deal with. I use black powder in brass cases regularly. For a 12ga, I use 3dr of 2F, a nitro card, a greased felt or fiber wad with an an overshot card (to keep shot from sticking to the greased wad), 1oz of shot, another overshot card and a little glue. White Elmer’s works fine. Glue dries overnight & you’re set.

Most shy away from black because of all the horror stories about cleaning. I use windex to clean. A couple sprays in the bore and patches do a great job. Once the patches start coming out clean use a Dry patch, oil patch, dry patch. Hit it with an oil patch again a couple days later. Not sure why, but I always get a grey patch a couple days after.

I have the exact gun. It was handed down from several generations on my dads side. Somewhere along the way most all the internals were lost and the bore looks like a sewer pipe. I turned it into a lamp.

PM an email or phone number if you'd like to discuss.

Bryndon

To add to Bryndon's post, use the vinegar-based Windex rather than the ammonia-based.

That comes up on Google as a very interesting design -- and one that ought to be a lot of fun with loads like the one Bryndon describes -- assuming the action is tight and the gun is in good condition overall. You might want a copy of this little booklet as well:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/290893129421

Ballistic Products
https://www.ballisticproducts....productinfo/XMBRASS/
Has a manual either hard copy or download on loading Brass shells with Black powder and various substitutes