FFFFF priming powder?

[JeffS]

Hi, I had a flintlock about 10 years ago, it was from cabelas, not sure of the brand, but I'm almost 100% sure it was a .58

I could never get it to set off the main charge. I think out of about 50 tries, it actually shot 3 times. The pan would flash most every time, but never set off the main charge. I was using 5F (yes FFFFF elephant, I still have about 95% of the can sitting right here) powder. It is like chalk dust. Is that why it would never go off? Anyone ever used that stuff? I got frustrated and sold the gun at a gun show years ago. Wish I wouldnt have now.

I'm leaning toward getting a GPR flinter, and was wondering about priming powder. I understand 4F is more standard, and I think Ive read about people using 3F also.

Thanks for any advice, Jeff

 

[roundball]

Since you were getting 'pan flashes', that means the priming powder was igniting OK...sounds like the problem was that the fire from the pan flash was not reaching the main charge, or the powder used for the main charge was poor quality, or contaminated with oil, moisture, etc

 

[JeffS]

I just read the thread, "alternatives to 4f" and learned a good bit. Maybe answered my own question. I just thought the 5F was wierd and obviously so rare, maybe it was a failed test? Sure didnt work for me, but I dont claim to know what makes a flintlock run good.

Jeff

 

[JeffS]

Roundball, it could well be that I was making some other dumb mistake. Hard to fix a problem that was so long ago. I probably shouldnt have bothered the group with it, but all this time I have thought it was the 5F maybe. I didnt realize how odd 5f was back then, and after I learned more I started wondering. (and lost interest in flintlocks)

It WAS flashing though, not making it thru the hole, or not setting off the charge for another reason. Your suggestions make sense. Thanks.

I really like the idea of a flintlock, I need to do some studying tho. I have seen them work very well, at a match recently, I know it can be done.

Jeff

 

Vaquero:
(You gotta Vaquero???? I gotta Vaquero, LOVE it.)
You say:"I probably shouldnt have bothered the group with it,..."

I say:
You are NEVER a bother, and NO question is dumb. I feel I speak for 99% of the members when I say that, and PLEASE don't ever be bashful about asking or posting anything realted to this fun and fascinating sport.
I bought a case of Elephant a couple years ago and was going to get 5FG, but they quit importing it.
It's not that it didn't work it's that most people never knew it existed.
I even caught some backlash on another forum when I asked if anyone knew where I could get some 5f and those that answered said there was no such animal.
I doubt the 5F was the cause of the "flash, awe manure" syndrome. Finlters can be finicky and they are unique and require some tinkering sometimes.
Wish we lived closer, I'd swap you outa that 5FG as I'm gonna run some tests with different pan powders. I just got some new Swiss Null-B pan powder.
Now to find time to shoot! :curse:

 

[wulf]

You probably were using pyrodex as your main charge.......

 

[peter]

Wulf has a good point, flintlocks do not work with black powder substitutes, ya gotta use real black powder. It seems the substitutes have a higher ignition point. My flinter will not go boom unless I use black, and my GPR will misfire 20 to 30 percent of the time when I use substitutes. When I ran out of black I used sub. in my '61 springfield and worked ok, but that gun uses musket caps which are much larger than regular percussion caps and produce a larger and hotter flame. Its sorta like the difference between a honda and a stretch limo.

 

[Donny]

Just this weekend I saw my first can of 7f, FFFFFFFg ,wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I believe that is photographic flash powder (the OLD school of photography.

If you're igniting the pan it shouldn't matter if it is FFg or FFFFFg. The flash is incandescent gas and has slipped the surly bonds of granulations at that point. The problem could have been vent size or poor placement.

And if it was the case, it's a futile persuit trying to launch Pyrodex with a vent flash.

 

[rexdevantier]

G'day, I tried real fine fireworks powder to prime my Pedersoli 1816 and although it flashed nearly every time I had a lot of main charge failures. I noticed the flash was not as quick or as violent as the 4F that I usually use.
Cheers Rex Dev. :m2c:

 

[JeffS]

Maxiball, I have 3 vaqueros, (had 4, but sold one to a pard) and I love them too! I do quite a bit of Cowboy Action Shooting, and they are my favorite pistols. .45lc's, 250gr rnfp, and 34gr 2f or 3f holy black. Also run black thru my 66' yellowboy, and my shotguns. You can make a LOT of smoke in a hurry shooting black powder cartridge at a CAS match! ::

Wulf, I may have been using pyrodex back then, I know I did have some. Also had real black, but I'm sure that back then, I wouldnt have known that pyrodex and flintlocks dont mix. That may well be the answer.

Again hard to figured out a 10 year old problem, I always wondered about the powder. Thanks to all who chimed in!

Jeff

 

[JKirkland]

Well, I loaded up my Penn .45 Long Rifle the other day with Swiss 3Fg (to show some friends how a flintlock worked) and I forgot my priming powder. So I just used the 3Fg Swiss to prime with. Amazing. Here's a link to a MOV of this shoot. Flintlock Now the Swiss have introduced a new priming powder into the US called NULL-B (null is german for 0). It is very expensive (about $22.00 / lb.) but it is FAST!