4F Blackpowder uses?

[Cowboy]

I have a chance to pick up some 4F Goex BP at a next to nothing price at a local gunstore here. I have never used 4F in anything and do not know its purposes? Have a couple of cap&ball 1851 navy's that I use 3F in. I guess my questions are, can I use 4F in the pistols and also could it be used in my muzzleloader long guns? All my muzzleloaders are percussion types. Also while Im asking, the gunstore also has some Elephant brand of 2F and 3F that he is trying to get rid of. I can also pick this BP at a very low price. I have always used Goex BP and I know nothing about the Elephant brand? Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[hawkeye2]

I tried Elephant when it first became available. If they are giving it away take some home and put it on you wife's roses otherwise leave it where it is.

 

[Artificer]

4 Fg / FFFFg has been the powder of choice for many years to put in the priming pan of a flint lock. However, most folks nowadays use the same powder granulation in the priming pan as we do in the bore.

Never even thought about using FFFFg in a revolver. Personally, I would not do it without checking out the Lyman book to see what the pressure would be in a revolver. I always stuck with FFFg for revolvers for both round balls and blanks.

Gus

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

Some people use 4f in very small caliber revolvers such as in .31 pocket model revolvers, about 8 to 12 grains is a charge used by one person I know of.

I use 3f in my .31 caliber arms.

4f is mainly used as a pan priming charge in flintlocks to set off some 2f powder charges.

 

[Cowboy]

Thats sort of what I thought that 4F might be used for as for flintlock pan priming. I now see that I would not have any use for it beings that I use 3F in my pistols and all my long guns are percussion. As for the Elephant 3F and 2F BP, the gunshop owner just wants to get rid of it and get it off his inventory. No one around here shoots Traditional muzzleloaders save myself. They all shoot modern stuff with pyro. pellets. I can pick up the Elephant BP next to nothing so I am going to try it and see if I can achieve satisfactory results. If all is good with it I will go back and clean him out and stock up my own supply. Thankyou for the replies. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[Alden]

With the price and availability of BP, though Elephant is extinct, if it is a real bargain I would indeed snap it up -- buy cheap, stack deep. OK, don't replace your Swiss with it for competition. Even if it's just for reenacting and plinking consider investing in it. It's not like you won't be able to resell it to some BP shooters you run into some day either to at least get your money back if it's cheap... I don't see BP going down in price, LOL, and they're not building alot of new BP factories.

FFFFg is indeed a priming powder though some use it for VERY small (sub .30) parlor pistols I know too. We're talking a pinch...

 

[No Deer]

As for the Elephant 3F and 2F BP, the gunshop owner just wants to get rid of it and get it off his inventory. No one around here shoots Traditional muzzleloaders save myself. They all shoot modern stuff with pyro. pellets. I can pick up the Elephant BP next to nothing so I am going to try it and see if I can achieve satisfactory results. If all is good with it I will go back and clean him out and stock up my own supply. Thankyou for the replies. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

In my experience Elephant powder worked very well........ but, it was very very difficult to clean the gun in comparison to Goex. It used to be, when it was generally available, cheaper than Goex, but the difficulty in cleaning did not make it worth the price difference. Went to Goex powder and did not shed any tears when Elephant was no longer readily available.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

though Elephant is extinct

They brought it back as Diamondback powder, same plant, same dirty results.

GOEX now has "reenactor" grade powder for blanks, and since it matched the Diamondback in price, I went back to GOEX.

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

I can pick up the Elephant BP next to nothing

Elephant is not well thought of. I dislike the stuff. :barf: But, with the cost of all bp these days it might be worth your while to try. Be prepared for dirty, real dirty, results and gun.
And, I'll echo the others, 4Fg is primarily a flintlock pan primer. Some use in C&B pistols.

 

[Maven]

"They brought it back as Diamondback powder, same plant, same dirty results."

That's just not so, LD. Yes, it's produced in the same facility, but by different techniques, which -> a superior product. I've used 23 lb. of DB (out of a 25 lb. lot) and find it cleaner than GOEX about as clean and energetic of Graf's/Wano. Is it as good as Swiss? Probably not, but I paid less than half for DB than I would have for Swiss. Btw, I've done well with it in NMLRA Monthly Postal Matches and local woods walks and I don't damp swab between shots.

One more thing, DB FFg is still available, but FFFg is harder to find. I'm not sure whether I want to stick with DB or switch to the more expensive Schuetzen FFFg for the sake of comparison.

 

[ZUG]

As others have said 4F is used for prime in flintlocks. Some do use it in small caliber pistols and short barrel small caliber derringers as well. As for Elephant Brand black powder some is good and some not so good -- let me clarify this statement -- early Elephant was dirty and left a lot of residue in the barrel then they changed their charcoal and it was just as good as GOEX then they went out of business. If that Elephant powder is early stuff then it will be "dirty" and not generate as much velocity as GOEX but it will go bang. If it is the later stuff it will be as good as GOEX. This is a fact and has been established in writing in an articale on Elephant Powder Company and can be looked up on the web. Hope this helps.

 

[necchi]

chance to pick up some 4F Goex BP at a next to nothing price,,
also has some Elephant brand-- I can also pick this BP at a very low price.

Key words; "next to nothing" and "very low price".
Go for it. BP comes in handy for all kinds of stuff.
I've a pound of Goex 4f sitting around here for about a decade now. It's nice an dry and just sitting in the powder locker,, it hasn't caused any harm to anything.

can I use 4F in the pistols and also could it be used in my muzzleloader long guns?

I wouldn't try it in the long guns,, but if I had too,, I'd at least experiment in the revolvers with really small charges of 10-15 and maybe a little more.
Safety First!

 

[AZbpBurner]

As wiser heads have already indicated - price is a motivator, so buy the 2F & 3F. Get some 4F, just to have it on hand. It's likely you will someday get a flintlock ... than another, and you'll already have pan priming powder for it. I bought a can of 4F several years ago, and still have much of it. I shoot flintlock a lot & that 1# will last me for years to come.

 

[M. De Land]

Along with priming for muzzle loaders it can also be used for duplex charging in black powder cartridge guns for more velocity and a cleaner burn.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use 4Fg to prime my smoothbore. Never much bothered with it (I've used 3Fg for main and prime, and even 2Fg for both in my Bess). But Horner75 made me up such a nice little flat priming horn that I now carry it in my shooting pouch.

 

[Cowboy]

Yes, I have decided to go for it and buy everything he has. Im not sure how much he has on hand but I am going to take it all. Like I mentioned before, he is trying to get rid of it. No one around here uses BP save myself. I can get what ever he has below cheap. As for getting me a flintlock long gun. Yes! I can see myself getting one in the near future. I will have a lot of questions to ask and a lot of research to do before going down that road. I know I am in the right place to ask and learn. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[hrp103]

I bought a couple of cases of elephant when the price was right. You can "improve" it by sloshing a pound back &a forth in a clean white sock. Remove most of the graphite and "schmutz" and it approaches the other powders in performance and cleanliness!

Pep, in Cameron, MO

 

[faste350]

the lyman handbook shows several 4f loads for revolvers from .31 cal, through 45 cal. i would look into that as a possibility in your revolvers if you are going to have alot of it.

 

[M. De Land]

4F will make good trading fodder as well for other powder granulations you may need. Good buy!

 

[Alden]

That's in the WORST case M.D. Actually blackpowder62's suggestion is the worst so far, but, you know what I mean...