Flintlocks and Black Powder

[Gordoncourtney]

.577-500 is a brass cased breechloding gun, AKA: a sealed breech. Fast nitro powders like RedDot are more similar to BP, and are less susceptible to issues with pressure and position than slower powders. I of course do not recommend shooting nitro in a gun not proofed for it. BH209 is nitrocellulose based, and people use it, against Hodgdon's recommendations, in traditional percussion guns, they just use a Magspark adapter and use 209's.

Yes the magspark adapter is available in the uk but I have never seen it used. Most ml shooters I have known are firmly BP. I would consider nitro , say R15, in my .36 percussion double rifle to get 2250ft/sec. But although 1885 this is a modern heavy steel barrels, and providing I could keep the pressure under 12tons square in. I would be dead happy to use it on my .5 ML 1885 heavy barrel .5 centre fire However I hesitate to use it as Graeme Wright R15 tables for my 577-500 no2 even though the pressure should be only 10 tons. Why risk ruining a beautiful gun for a bit of fun. ( 70 g Varget is ok instead of 140g Bp ) Maybe I’ll risk it one day if it makes me happy It’s all interesting conversation , but definitely NOT a conversation with a novice, I was reloading back in 1966 and I have seen a few guns and pistols blow up, including a more recent martini . BP is still a lovely product to shoot and hunt with , a friend uses a nitro powder in brass cartridge BP guns as he target shoots a lot and it keeps the cost, and also pressure way down. I guess I should not be mentioning anything about nitro with novice shooter reading it. Better to discuss it elsewhere It’s all a bit daft as they are now just wall hangers theses days., I just dream and have memories to pass on due to our gunny police state. Such is life in our green and pleasant land

I wish you well

 

[Gordoncourtney]

I must apologise ,why has nitro powder come into the conversation , when the subject is flintlocks and black powder, I guess it’s just our interest and enthusiasm, the scarcity of BP and it’s rising costs, Let’s stick to BP and most of all , advice from those who make their own. I wish you well

 

[springfield art]

In my flintlock smooth bores, I use 2f in main charge and for priming.

Yeah, the difference often is beyond human perception.

 

[springfield art]

Many shooters, including me, use one type of powder for the main powder charge and for priming the pan. Less to carry if walking about or just shooting at targets. FFFg or FFg, depending on the firearm.

BTW, I bought some "Gunpowder Tea", and it looks just like 2F with a greenish tinge. Plus they say green tea is good for you. I was just curious about the name of it, and it's good!

 

[Gordoncourtney]

We all need a winter project and it’s right cold in London. I found a couple of 8” dia by 1.5” matching grindstones down the old shed. And making them into a mini Victorian gunpowder mill. Ok so far We had a massive one at our company 6 ft dia stones terrifying to watch driven by gears made of apple wood I don’t know if this will be better than a stone tumbler using lead balls. Perhaps a bit of both Charcoal and the tiny amount sulphur cost nothing just the cost of potassium nitrate around £14/kg That’s cheap BP if you can make it so it burns fast granulated of course.
Need to find a motor now for the top half and some scraper blades to direct the powder under the stones. If nothing else it will be a great conversation piece. Ha ha the wife will toss it in the shed I suppose I should drive it with a windmill in the garden as there’s no running water for a waterwheel. And they have just fitted a water meter. Oh dear Enjoy keep warm

 

[springfield art]

We all need a winter project and it’s right cold in London. I found a couple of 8” dia by 1.5” matching grindstones down the old shed. And making them into a mini Victorian gunpowder mill. Ok so far We had a massive one at our company 6 ft dia stones terrifying to watch driven by gears made of apple wood I don’t know if this will be better than a stone tumbler using lead balls. Perhaps a bit of both Charcoal and the tiny amount sulphur cost nothing just the cost of potassium nitrate around £14/kg That’s cheap BP if you can make it so it burns fast granulated of course.
Need to find a motor now for the top half and some scraper blades to direct the powder under the stones. If nothing else it will be a great conversation piece. Ha ha the wife will toss it in the shed I suppose I should drive it with a windmill in the garden as there’s no running water for a waterwheel. And they have just fitted a water meter. Oh dear Enjoy keep warm

Hello. I must remember that phrase, "down the old shed"! Best for the New Year.

 

[Stone]

Interesting story.

A friend is coming up from Virginia to hunt flintlock in Pa. with me this week. He and I are both novices at this tradition. He asks if he can use 4F for propellant and I chuckled. He asks why I chuckled and I said "I will explain it when you get to camp" but for now, we will use 3F in the barrel.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Hello. I must remember that phrase, "down the old shed"! Best for the New Year.

It did not work very well till I added water. My video clips don’t seem to get through. I am using just charcoal for test as it’s illegal to make BP in uk I guess without a permit

 

[Gordoncourtney]

It did not work very well till I added water. My video clips don’t seem to get through. I am using just charcoal for test as it’s illegal to make BP in uk I guess without a permit

It did not work very well till I added water. My video clips don’t seem to get through. I am using just charcoal for test as it’s illegal to make BP in uk I guess without a permit

I don’t know why but nothing is attaching see previous stone wheel photos. By adding water you get a bit of a wave which washes mixture under stones. I need around 75 rpm it also keeps stones clean. I might add in days of old “ Bishops Piss” was used as they generally ate well , mine is too high on my desk to piss in then I thought about the smell so used tap water , of course I am testing with just charcoal as I don’t have a permit to make BP

 

[Erwan]

I might add in days of old “ Bishops Piss” was used as they generally ate well , mine is too high on my desk to piss in then I thought about the smell so used tap water

Too bad, the piss of bishops and that of young virgins (I forgot the proportion of each), used by a dark and moonless night, were however of these ingredients which gave to the old powders a great part of their qualities today (and forever) disappeared...

 

[Gordoncourtney]

. I don’t know why but nothing is attaching see previous stone wheel photos. By adding water you get a bit of a wave which washes mixture under stones. I need around 75 rpm it also keeps stones clean. I might add in days of old “ Bishops Piss” was used as they generally ate well , mine is too high on my desk to piss in then I thought about the smell so used tap water , of course I am testing with just charcoal as I don’t have a permit to make BP

[QUOTE="Erwan, post: 1980957, member: 34027"Too bad, the piss of bishops and that of young virgins (I forgot the proportion of each), used by a dark and moonless night, were however of these ingredients which gave to the old powders a great part of their qualities today (and forever) disappeared...
[/QUOTE]
Greeting Erthink the use of urine died out as so many , including hatters and felt makers , who used it, died out as they often contacted syphalis from it I have to call it a day as my trial batch of a cupful has reduced to a teaspoon now drying
You could once sell piss in a bucket. , it describes the poor with no money “ not a pot to piss in”
Bonus of water is the stones did not get clogged up It’s an interesting project as we had an original stone mill with 2m diameter stones , terrifying thing, at Willows Francis in London. I was MD of the Epsom company Just a bit of fun Kids just got back from Italy No PCR or flow test needed just a uk locator form. Cannot wait to get back to France but when ???? DFDS ferries not a clue Cold and wet in uk still nothing will attached as I have added a bowl to the stone mill, I still get splashed most of the batch on floor and walls. Ha ha. It’s driven by a cordless drill. Impatient for the 25 rpm motor to come from China eBay. Should have ordered 70 rpm as it produces a better wash. We shall see. Bit nice to meet no doubt in the distant future not been to La Rochelle always headed for Arcachon Final question is where are all the hogs in France I only saw one on a motorway sign. I think they are good in woodland as they till the soil , but for farmers an utter nightmare

I wish you well as to all others especially Tommy in Maine and Jan in Georgia. Kindest regards Gordon uk
(No still nothing will attach )

 

[Blackpowder Jack]

In my flintlock I try to use 4fg for priming because I get more reliable ignition with a weak spark. 3fg works fairly well too but there is a slight delay. That delay teaches us about follow-through. I say to each his own, use whatever works for you.

 

[Kodiak13]

I've used both 3f & 4f with no issues, but I prefer 3f in my pan during humid or damp days!!!

 

[DuncNZ]

In my flintlock I try to use 4fg for priming because I get more reliable ignition with a weak spark. 3fg works fairly well too but there is a slight delay. That delay teaches us about follow-through. I say to each his own, use whatever works for you.

I only notice that there is any ignition delay in my flintlocks when I shoot a caplock , I follow through on everything I shoot .

 

[Larry Pletcher]

To my knowledge no one has done the testing that would answer this question. From my background as an experimenter, it would be fun to see a valid pressure test with the powders in question, but I have no equipment to do that . ( I can do timing tests but not pressure.)

In my own flintlocks I tend to use fffg for most barrels. I like Swiss NullB for the pan. A friend just made a very nice .25 flint rifle. If I were shooting that, I'd probably give Null B a try in the barrel.

Rather than pick sides, I'd see what my rifles like. If one powder shows a decided advantage, that would make my decision.

There is one place where I differ from some shooters here. Because of a bad hand, I like to carry priming powder in a small flat horn in my pocket. I don't like pouring powder from a horn into a pan. I do a more careful job with a flat horn with a plunger tip. I saves my handling my horn and its stopper more than once.

Regards,
Pletch

 

[david w]

To my knowledge no one has done the testing that would answer this question. From my background as an experimenter, it would be fun to see a valid pressure test with the powders in question, but I have no equipment to do that . ( I can do timing tests but not pressure.)

In my own flintlocks I tend to use fffg for most barrels. I like Swiss NullB for the pan. A friend just made a very nice .25 flint rifle. If I were shooting that, I'd probably give Null B a try in the barrel.

Rather than pick sides, I'd see what my rifles like. If one powder shows a decided advantage, that would make my decision.

There is one place where I differ from some shooters here. Because of a bad hand, I like to carry priming powder in a small flat horn in my pocket. I don't like pouring powder from a horn into a pan. I do a more careful job with a flat horn with a plunger tip. I saves my handling my horn and its stopper more than once.

Regards,
Pletch

I use a pan primer because I have wasted a lot of powder using my powder horn. No powder, no powder, oops, too much powder! My pan primer dispenses 3 gr. of 4f. It does not like 3f, or I might use it. I would consider a small flat horn, but still would use a 3 gr. dispenser.

 

[Will]

I might try 3f in the pan someday but my very quick ignition I get with my 50 cal. Lyman GPR keeps me with 4f for the pan even though I use 3f for the main charge. I think I would be to clumsy trying to prime from my large powder horn.

 

[Sawney Beane]

I have found that to ensure reliable function that 4FG in the pan is a must. Also, I only use real black powder such as Goex in flintlocks. Make sure you rock it back to the flash hole too!

 

[Felix the Cat]

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