Buying/Selling Black Powder

[Poor Private]

On a muzzleloading forum we have been having a discusion concerning the legality of selling poweder to a buddy who happens to run out. Finally one of the members took it upon himself to email the ATF concerning this.
Here are the examples and the replies given:
Example #1
From time to time there is always the occasion when a fellow shooter will show up and realize he's forgotten his powder, left it back at the house, etc...and someone will usually have an extra can in thier shooting box and let the guy have it at what ever the cost was.
Reply: Yes whenever black powder is sold the distributer must have a license to deal in exploxives as required by 27 CFR 555.41-43

Example #2
With all the shipping and handling fees, plus the HazMat fees, by far one of the least expensive ways to buy black powder is tho buy it by the 25# case. (25 1 lb. can) Every now and then somebody will be needing to order some more black powder, but not wanting to whole 25lbs in a cas, it's not uncommon for 2-3 guys to agree to use all 25 cans but only one guy places the order of course, then they simply split up the cost according to however many 1lb cans each guy wanted.
Reply: I would not interpret this as selling because there is a proir arrangement to split the order once received and one person is just ordering it for connvenience purposes. If an individual gets a portion of the order and sells it to another individual then they would need a dealer's license.

These responses are from Gary A. Kirchoff@usdoj.gov

So be carefull at events on selling extra powder, because you can be arrested, by local and federal officers. Your best bet would be to loan/give the powder to em and hope that in the future they will recipricate.

[50th vice pres]

I guess I wouldn't sell it to anyone outside of your unit. I mean, who would tattle on you? thats pretty low to have some one rat you out for helping a brother in arms solve his/her powder shortage crisis.

[flattop32355]

I doubt the ATF is lurking behind trees at reenactments or infiltrating unit meetings to catch a reenactor selling cartridges/powder/caps to a comrade who ran out. By the same token, if they want to get pissy, they can at any time to prove a point.

You can always give the cartridges/powder/caps to a comrade at no cost, and he can in turn give you lunch/gas money for the trip home.

[Radar]

It's getting pretty d@mn low when someone writes the ATF to see if it's OK to help out a pard with black powder. This is the kind of fool I wouldn't turn my back on. He/she would report me for pissing in my yard.

[Shortround]

Arrgh, the skirvy wag would report ye to the cursed upstarts who replaced the queen just to cover their barnicle encrused bottom.

Arrgh

"Black Bill" Hensler
Looking for an O'Day Sloop for a Pirate Ship