1 1/2 f In Flintlocks?

[Rob Dorsey]

The long title of this thread says it all; Is it ok to burn 1 1/2f powder in flintlocks? Or, is 2f the largest grain that will light off?

Thanks,
Rob

 

[wattlebuster]

I shoot Fg in my flintlock 12 ga smoothbores all the time an it does just fine :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

When I got my new fowler I intended to use up a pound of Swiss 1 1/2Fg I had getting used to my new gun.
I was not able to get ignition, no way, no how. Went to 3Fg and it bangs reliably.
1 1/2Fg is bp, I would think it would go off OK but it didn't. Why is a puzzlement.
BTW, I gave it to a friend who load black powder cartridges.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I've actually fired "cannon" grade Goex in flintlocks and it worked, though obviously not as well as finer grained powder. As long as the touch hole is large enough or the inside coned to allow the powder grains to get close enough to catch the incandescent heat from the priming charge, or both, it'll usually go BOOM.

 

[Dphar]

The long title of this thread says it all; Is it ok to burn 1 1/2f powder in flintlocks? Or, is 2f the largest grain that will light off?

Thanks,
Rob

1.5 f Swiss gives very good results, accuracy wise, in some RB rifles. Its almost interchangeable with FF.
If a FL will not fire with 1.5 F it needs help. Bad vent liner design or some such.

Dan

 

[BrownBear]

Never tried it, but I use 1f Goex all the time in my Bess, even in the pan. Reliable as the day is long. Could have something to do with that huge pan on the Bess.

I've tried it in both my 62 and 58 cal flinters, and it was fine there too. I'd get an occasional clatch if I used it in the pan in those two, even if they're fine with 2f Goex in the pan. Soooo, I use 2f in them. I just hate to carry a separate priming horn.

BTW- In my smoothies a charge of 1f is the best thing ever to sit behind a load of shot.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

We ignited cannon grade in a Siler pan. Its better than subs as primer. Had to arrange the individual grains to close the frizzen. There is no reason 1.5 f wouldn't work in a FL. I do like smaller grain sizes in the pan tho.

Regards,
Pletch

 

[excess650]

BTW- In my smoothies a charge of 1f is the best thing ever to sit behind a load of shot.

That's good to know. I have several # of Swiss and Goex fg, so will try it in the 12 bore.

 

[BrownBear]

BTW- In my smoothies a charge of 1f is the best thing ever to sit behind a load of shot.

That's good to know. I have several # of Swiss and Goex fg, so will try it in the 12 bore.

In my 10, 12 and even 20 gauge, it just seems to throw the smoothest patterns. Let us know how it works for you- We're all still learning! :thumbsup:

 

[Rob Dorsey]

Ok guys, wow, thanks! I gotta tell ya' this is the best forum I've been on. For the most part friendly and helpful people with good ideas.]

Other than my old Dixie Po'Boy .32 squirrel rifle I've been out of BP front stuffer shooting for about 10 years. Other interests, BPCR silhouette shooting and sporting clays pretty much filled my shooting sports time. Then there was life, work, etc. so in retirement I'm just getting back to BP flintlock although I did a lot of it before that.

Anyway I'm having to feel my way back into the flint lock world and you guys sure have been a tremendous help.

I'm not trying to be cheap but from BPCR shooting I have like 14 pounds of Swiss 1 1/2f which I shoot in all my cartridge guns. I'll order a few pounds of 2f for this stuff but in the interim I'd like to shoot some of this 1 1/2f stuff up until the 2f comes. I know, it's a fair question to ask, "why the hell don't you just go out and try it yourself rather than wasting our time and electrons with a thread like this." And I agree except it was 16 degrees here today with 20 kts of wind to shove it through your clothes so... maybe another day. For now, I ask.

Thanks again, Merry Christmas,
Rob

 

[Zonie]

While your ordering black powder, you might want to add a can of 3Fg.

It will be faster than 1 1/2 or 2Fg in the pan and if you want to use it as a main powder charge it can do that too. Just reduce the powder load about 10% if your using 3Fg.

 

[okawbow]

Here is a video of a .69 cal musket with 1f in the barrel, and 3f in the pan. I get 0 misfires if I keep the touch hole clear.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20524843@N03/8366214688/

 

[Rob Dorsey]

Okee-Doke, As soon as it stops raining here (remember that Elvis song "in the cold Kentucky rain" or something) I'll grab a dozen pre-load tubes and head out.
:surrender: Another gentleman took me to task on another thread concerning my experience and lambasting me for being a "beginner expert" so some such. I'll let y'all decide for yourself on that one but I got a little pissed and my reply seems to have stopped the thread. Shame, it was a good thread. Anyway he was in error and I suppose mistook enthusiasm for lack of experience.

What I'm enthused about now is these two chamber preload tubes. The ones I found were all made from a fairly soft silicone rubber (non-static) and can be operated with one hand. I am trying, except at any rendezvous I may attend, to become "possibles bag free" and just carry these things in my pocket & my tools around my neck. Instead of the possibles I have a "shoulder wallet" I can carry over my shoulder, duh, and it serves well as a game bag; or I can just wear one of my regular upland hunting vests or jackets that have a game pouch built in. I also like the ability to sit here at my desk in the library and build loads.

Anyhow I'm really hoping that the 1 1/2fg works well in my flints and my 12ga double. I did take the precaution of changing the nipples on the double to the musket cap size to get a little more fire down there.

Question: (and this is a newbie one for sure) I've always been curious about the tiny little hole on the powder side of the nipple. Anybody ever try drilling them out a bit to get more cap fire into the chamber. Stupid question probably but I've always wondered.

Enough blabbering for now, thanks everyone for your help, :v
Rob

 

[54ball]

That hole is tiny for a reason. If it was too large it would allow pressure and gas to blow back the hammer or worse, blow gas and fragments in the shooters face.

 

[Wes/Tex]

The hole size in a nipple is another of those question that gets a lot of debate. It needs to be small enough to jet a good flame but not so large that you get a lot of blow-back from the powder explosion. I've seen a couple worn nipples allow enough back-blast to reset the hammer to half or full cock. Perhaps I've been lucky through the years. New ones seem to to be good from the start. When they wear to the point I start having any problems, they get tossed for new ones. If your guns working properly, use what you got till it needs changing. My 2-drachmas worth! :wink: :haha:

 

[Herb]

Here you go. This is a .58 fullstock Hawken I built. With it, Swiss 1 1/2F fouled badly with 110 grains or more. Couldn't load more than three or four times without wiping the bore. With the right hand target of 120 grains, I had to wipe the bore after every shot. The powder bridges in this hooked flint breech powder chamber. Would barely work at all with the original .360 diameter powder chamber, but after I drilled it out to .440 it worked. Someone posted earlier saying it wouldn't work in his rifle, and the bridging is the reason. But it works perfectly well in flintlocks except as noted here.

 

[Rob Dorsey]

Gentlemen,

Thanks so very much for the caution regarding the vent hole in the chamber side of the liner. I'm intrigued enough that I'm building an equation to describe the hole/chamber/powder relationship based on the constants of a .628 diameter chamber and a .020 vent hole, 40" barrel tube length, cylinder bore. For the purpose of the thought experiment the variables are 80gr Goex ffg under 1oz lead shot. I'll consult Goex for the particulars of the powder and the rest I reckon I can figure out. What I'm hoping will fall out of the equation is when we have enough gas pressure to blow the hammer up, even a little. This all Newtonian stuff so should be doable, I think. Please understand, lacking a good ballistics lab a lot is going to be guess work.

Any physicists (or engineers) out there feel free to jump in.

This'l be Fun,
Rob

 

[BrownBear]

...a .020 vent hole....enough gas pressure to blow the hammer up....

Before you start on the fun, explain how pressure from the vent hole is going to blow the hammer up on a flinter.

Apples and oranges? I can see it on a capper, but a flinter?

 

[Rob Dorsey]

Of course I didn't mention it applied to cappers only. Blow it up on a flintlock... even the screwed up laws of quantum mechanics don't allow for that except on very very small micro-flintlocks :haha: .

 

[BrownBear]

And here I thought this thread was about flintlocks. My mistake, even if it's in the flintlock section.