4 F powder in ROA?

[bigbore442001]

Has anyone here ever shot 4 F in their cap and ball revolvers? If so, what did you notice different? Thanks

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I haven't tryed a full charge of 4F - yet. I do use a .32 acp caseful of 4F under my charge of 3F. seems to 'kick' more but I don't own a chrono so can't say what effect.

 

[John Taylor]

Never tried 4F but 2F works great in my ROA, better than 3F.

 

[bigbore442001]

When the weather gets better, I may have to get out the Shooting Chrony and see what I can do with the ROA.

 

[Zonie]

After putting on my Pain in the A$$ hat, I have to say:
I wonder why a lot of people want to try things like using 4F powder in large caliber pistols?

Is it just to try something different?

Is it because they (like me) have a can or 4F and realize that they could prime their flintlocks for the next 20 years and still have 1/8 of a pound of 4F sitting in the can?

I guess it could be that they are looking for the ultimate power they can get out of a 150 year old gun design rather than accepting the fact that a .44 C&B gun is going to be limited to what it is.

Well... If there is any C&B gun on the market that a person can safely try this in it is the Ruger Old Army.
I wouldn't suggest trying it in the thin cylinder wall, low carbon steel (read 'weak') Italian reproduction guns unless a person is wanting to be really Period Correct and have their cylinders blow up just like they did in the 'old days'. :grin:

zonie

 

[ol vern]

Right on Zonie! :bow: :bow:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Zonie is correct to advise against the use of FFFFg in revolvers. Having said that, a pal and I once thought we'd put R.I.P. Ford's thoughts about the Walker Colt to the test. Ford was the admin. officer for Hays' regiment of mounted rifles in the Mexican War. It's his journal that proves that only 180 Walkers were ever issued to the "Texas Rangers" as they liked to call themselves, and not the 500 that many old sourcees like to quote. He also indicated that he figured it was the troops' accidental insertionof the projectile in backwards that caused so many of the Walkers to blow out...actually it was probably Eli Whitney's use of cheap iron to make them that was the problem (Whitney had contracted out for Colt to build the guns). In an attempt to see if this was a reasonable problem, we tried the cast projectiles from a Walker-style mold and tried full chargers of FFFg and FFFFg to see what happened. Big BOOM with FFFFg but no problem with the gun. Stupid, yes....revieling, yes....source of a problem, no! Do not try this at home!! :shocked2:

 

[Leatherbark]

In the old Lyman Black powder manual they tested it in percussion pistols. They had loads,velocities and pressures printed. Not sure if it was the old C&H powder though. Curtis and Harvey Black powder was somewhat less powerful than Goex................Bob

 

[almrl]

Lyman Black Powder Handbook, 1975, p. 78

Ruger Old Army Revolver

G-O FFFG, .457 R. B. Rem. #10 caps
Charge (grs.)/Vel.(FPS) /MV (FT./LBS)
30.0 / 858 / 233
W/Corn meal filler
40.0 / 917 / 263

G-O FFFFG, .457 R. B. Rem. #10 caps
Charge (grs.)/Vel.(FPS) /MV (FT./LBS)
31.0 / 964 / 295
W/Corn meal filler
41.0 / 1036 / 340

No pressure readings given.

"We had no difficulties with any phase of the revolver sequence. Each piece of equipment performed as it should have and there were no signs of strain, bulging or other pressure problems. Be sure to examine your revolver and follow only your manufacturer's loading recomendations." p. 69

FWIW

Old Coot

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Thanks for the info, Coot. I'm gonna try that max 4F load as I hunt hogs over bait (legal here) and the extra power is good to have. that 41 gr. load is getting into .44 sp./.45 colt range. I use a Lee mold conical slug and it does penetrate.

 

[almrl]

Hey, Blizz'

The loads in the earlier post were for RB. Here are the comprable loads for conicals.


G-O FFFG, 185 gr conical, Rem. #10 caps
Charge (grs.)/Vel.(FPS) /ME (FT./LBS)
25.5/717/210
W/Corn meal filler
34.0/813/271

G-O FFFFG, 185 gr. conical, Rem. #10 caps
Charge (grs.)/Vel.(FPS) /ME (FT./LBS)
26.0/860/303
W/Corn meal filler
35.0/905/335

If you compare RB to conical loads, the MV is less, but the ME is pretty close.

Old Coot

 

[J.S. Colt]

N/M

 

[almrl]

Another post on ffffg in pistols asked similar question. Zonie said that the 2nd ed. of the Lyman Black Powder Handbook did not have loads in ffffg. I emailed Lyman to see if there was a specific reason They replied:

Lyman did not use ffffg powder for pistols in the 2nd edition. 4fg burns much too fast for use in the handguns. You get a much better profromace with the 3fg powder.

Lyman customer service

Sorry

Old Coot