[Alpo]

Whether he used one or two sticks should have no bearing on whether or not it will ignite. Back when I was shooting black, I hunted with 90 grains and target shot with 45. Both fired. Used CCI caps. I always used black powder. The only sub that was around, back then, was Pyrodex, and it cost too much.

Pyrodex P is pistol powder. It is the equivalent of 3F, and should be used in pistols 31 to 50 caliber and rifles 45 caliber and below. You can use it, in larger caliber guns, but it is not as efficient in the bigger chambers. It likes small chambers.

If I was you, with what you have, first I'd just pop a couple of caps. If you have a clear passage for your fire, when you pop a cap on an empty gun you hear this "hollow" sound in the barrel. Once I had the right sound, I'd pour about 30 grains of that Pyrodex P down the hole and pound a wad down on top of it pretty tight. Cap that and fire it. If it goes bang, and it probably will, then the problem is the powder sticks.

Pyrodex is harder to light off than real black powder. Pyrodex makes a powder stick (they call 'em Pellets), and I believe they have black powder on the bottom of them. The black catches and ignites the Pyrodex. It may be that American Select is also harder to light off. Your friend may end up having to drop 5 or 10 grains of black down the barrel before dropping the sticks.

I believe the reason for the use of shotshell primers, in the inlines, was because of the difficulty of igniting the substitutes. 209 primers have much more flame than a #10 cap.

I thought the number of the cap was the size. The "M" on that one may certainly mean it is hotter, but the 11 should mean it is larger than a 10. If the 10s he has fit, the 11s should be too big.