4-5 grains 4F before main powder load for quicker ignition

[chironomidkraut]

is there any truth to this?
I use 4f BP for the flash pan and 2F BP for main charge....
also is it better to leave a vent pick in the touch hole during loading procedure or load it then just give it a quick pick to create a little hole to help ignition

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I have not seen the need to load 4f under the main charge, I use it in the pan and it works fine for me.

I usually will place the pick in the vent and then prime the pan, remove the pick close the frizzen and fire.

 

[Alden]

The title implies a pinch of finer powder down the barrel first while the post itself indicates it for the pan.

The former is frowned upon primarily because of too-fast initial launching of the rest of the powder and ball with overpressure concerns, while the latter priming is the norm.

 

[roundball]

is there any truth to this?

I can't say from first hand experience...but can say I've never had an ignition problem using Goex 2F or 3F straight.

In addition, 2 negatives about 4F came to mind while running some very controlled experiments using small amounts of 4F as main charges one year:

1) The fine 4F is easy to get blown out of the vent from air pressure while seating a PRB;

2) And with 4F being so susceptible to moisture, sitting right there inside the vent it could become contaminated from humidity, not be able to be refreshed occasionally like we do in the pan itself...then not fire at all.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Keep it simple.
A bit of 4Fg for pan.
Your choice 3Fg or 2Fg for main charge. You do not need to screw around with an initial 'starter' charge behind main charge in barrel.
Some keep a pin, or whatever, in touch hole when loading. Not necessary and pointless, IMHO.

 

[don hepler]

This step that I'm about to mention is probably unnecessary, but I've developed a routine, and had great success with it. After each shot I use a dry rag, to wipe of the flint and frizzen, and the pan. After loading the main charge, I use the touch hole pin, to feel for the powder, inside the touch hole. I try not to move anything, but my fingers have become sensitive to touching the grains of powder. I'm speaking mostly from a hunting situation. I do not wipe the barrel, after firing a shot, when I am hunting. I have never had a FTF, while hunting.

And I use 4f in the pan, 2f or 3f main charge

 

[ord sgt]

In my flint smoothie, I use FFg in the barrel and FFg in the pan. Goes off every time that I get good spark. In my rifles, FFFg in the barrel and FFFg in the pan. Goes off every time that I get good spark.

 

[Darkgael]

My own loading in the field uses one powder only - FFFg in the pan and as the main charge. I pick the charge after loading. The gun always goes bang.
Pete

 

[Vaino]

Duplex loading has been tried in CFs....slow burning powders first and then progressively faster burning powders...the slow burning powder overcomes inertia and then as the bullet progresses down the bbl, the faster burning powders speed things along. All this to no advantage.

BP shooting is simple.....no advantage in complicating something so simple.....Fred

 

[Dphar]

is there any truth to this?
I use 4f BP for the flash pan and 2F BP for main charge....
also is it better to leave a vent pick in the touch hole during loading procedure or load it then just give it a quick pick to create a little hole to help ignition

I cannot understand how picking the vent of a loaded gun is an aid and I have shot FL since the 1960s. I don't even carry a pick in my hunting pouch.
For one this UNPACKED powder, some airspace between the grains as is normal if not heavily compressed, is faster, better flame propagation, than a packed charge. So jamming a pick in the vent and packing the now broken powder grains seems like a massive waste of time for speeding ignition.
If a faster, more reliable vent is needed this is it.

It really works.

Dan

 

[chironomidkraut]

I was reading this on another forum, never tried it just was wondering if there was any truth to it... now I know there is really no need

 

[MercerLake]

:v I use either FFg or FFFg in my flint guns and prime usually with FFFg. Packing the powder by some variation of pounding or bouncing the ramrod can cause a problem. Just seat the PRb against the powder don't lean on it or pound and it will go off just fine if you have a spark and ignition in the pan. :v

 

[Wes/Tex]

Agree with Dan, only need to pick is if there's fowling build-up in the touch hole. As yo ca see in his picture, the powder granules are close to the opening and will ignite from the incandescent heat of the priming flash...that's the real secret to fast ignition.

 

[illuveatar]

A duplex load of 4F and pyrodex seems to fire consistently but I wouldn't trust its accuracy. After I had first built my flintlock I had issues using my old cans of pyrodex. Adding some priming powder to "sweeten" the load provided excellent consistency of detonation. However, once I ran out of Hodgdon's I began using a pure main charge of black powder and have seen my accuracy increase pleasantly.

 

[JeffG]

I have tried duplex loads with percussion guns, black powder rifle cartridges and flintlocks. The paper target and the chronograph said erratic ignition. A physicist friend said the organic time-pressure curve of black powder was being disrupted by two different burning fuels. Like throwing gasoline on a wood fire, it is hard to control ignition, time and dwell of burning rates. Stick to a simple loaded charge; my 2cents. :thumbsup:

 

[BigBoreBLR]

A few things I have picked up to make a good fast and reliable spark.

Keep it clean. Shiny metal reflects heat. Moisture laiden soot residue is black and absorbs heat.

Keep it low. More pan powder is worse, not better. I reduced my charge in the pan by half and I see better results.

Flint gap. Keep the flint as close to the frizzen as possible. Give off more spark. Also, the flint hits the frizzen more gently, making your knapped edge to live longer.

1/16" drill bit is your friend..... I also used a bigger drill bit to make a smooth cone entrance.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I have seen a lot of people fill the gun with a pick in the vent. I do this as well. However, I clean the vent hole by moving the pick around a bit.

Also, in my rountines, after each shooting session when cleaning, I remove the flint, clean it, and rotate it's position. I usually flip it upside down and wear out one side, then start using the other side. A small bit twig behind the flint can help it be stable ,yet get it close to the frizzen face.

The pic when filling is very common in my general area at muzzie shoots.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have seen a lot of people fill the gun with a pick in the vent. I do this as well. However, I clean the vent hole by moving the pick around a bit.

Also, in my rountines, after each shooting session when cleaning, I remove the flint, clean it, and rotate it's position. I usually flip it upside down and wear out one side, then start using the other side. A small bit twig behind the flint can help it be stable ,yet get it close to the frizzen face.

The pic when filling is very common in my general area at muzzie shoots.

Personally, I see no point or advantage to putting anything in the touch hole while loading.
Flipping the flint on schedule seems unnecessary to me. Flipping when performance changes is OK. But some work better bevel up, others down. If it works for you, go fer it. But I doubt that would be an popular approach for experienced flint shooters. And, I question the "very common" thing. Nearly 50 years of shooting I haven't seen much of it. I'll pay closer attention the next 50.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, charging the barrel with powder and ball while a vent pick is in the touch hole can have two different results, depending on the design of the breech.

With the vent pick in place in gun with the touch hole going directly thru the barrel wall into the bore, the vent pick can create a hollowed space in the powder charge, enlarging the area of powder that will be subjected to the heat from the pan's flash.

This could speed up the ignition of the main powder charge.

With the vent pick in place in a gun with a chambered, or patent breech, the obstruction of the vent hole can keep the blast of air created by ramming the ball, from blowing the loose powder down thru the flame channel to the interior of the vent liner/hole.

This could create a "flash in the pan" because no powder is close to the pans flash.

I've read several accounts of the people using a feather in the vent while charging the barrel but these were written during the time that a direct hole thru the barrel wall into the bore was the common design.

Although the Patent breech and chambered breech were developed during the flintlock era, I have not read a contemporary account of the shooter using a plug of any kind in the vent hole while he was loading a gun using either of these breaching systems.

 

[Dickydalton]

I put 5 grains of 4F in mine first once. It trickled through the flash hole and filled the pan. When I was in my stand and went to fill the pan it was already done so I then had to tamp the whole load down again to be safe. I don't do that anymore.