how much prime to use

[fleener]

I dont have a lot of experience with flinters, and I have been frustrated by lack of quick ignition.

I was watching a video from another member shooting a squirrel with his. He was using a small priming container with a spring loaded tip that when pushed down drops a small measured amount of powder for the pan. He showed that he uses 4 measured amounts for his pan. In the video his rifle did not hesitate when he fired it.

I have always just used one of those little premeasured amounts in the pan, figured that was the right amount.

Anyone else have experience using one of those things and how much powder do you put in the pan?

I am thinking that I just might of figured out the source of my ignition problems, too little priming powder

Thanks

Fleener

 

[smo]

Fleener

I use one and always use two pushes,sometimes three. Mine is supposed to drop three grns per push. I use ffffg in the pan.

 

[Larry Akers]

I just pour out of a small horn--not measured. I will fill the pan about half full.

 

[azmntman]

Fill mine from a hard to find H/C 35mm plastic film can to where its just under the flash hole. I prime with 3f

 

[Black Hand]

I prime from the horn and fill about half-way. You'd be surprised how little prime it actually takes to ignite the main charge.

It might be helpful if you told us more about the gun.

 

[Trot]

I just dump some in and don't worry about the amount. I don't think the amount would make a noticeable difference in ignition time. What rifle are you shooting?

 

[Don Steele]

Fleener,
What you need to remember is that the spring loaded tool you're referring to will deliver different amounts of priming powder depending upon how long you keep it pressed down.
I use one of those, and like it real well. In my case,when I push the tip down against the bottom of the pan, I hold it there until the little tube that forms the tip has had time to fill, then when I lift it, the spring closes the access to the main compartment and the powder that has filled the tip flows into the pan.[At this point I should add that I wipe my pan clean and dry between every shot] On the other hand, If you push it down and let it up immediately, it will take multiple "pushes" to get the amount your rifle may prefer. The fellow you referred to wasn't using 4 "measured amounts"...based on the capacity of the tip as that much powder wouldn't fit in any pan I've ever seen. I suspect he was just using quick a push-and-release technique until he had enough prime in his pan.

 

[Spikebuck]

Don, you hit the nail on the head as far as using one of the spring-tip primers. I watched the squirrel video and he was pushing down and pretty much immediately letting it back up, which puts out very little powder at a time. If a person holds it down and lets it fill, about one...maybe two if one has a big, wide pan, is all the "pumps" that is needed.

I fill my pan about 2/3rds full. I only have one rifle that's persnickety about where the powder sits in the pan. For my rifle with a direct-drilled hole (no vent liner) I have to make sure the powder is up to the touch hole against the barrel vs sitting over on the other side.

Fleener...how big is the touch hole? 1/16th? Bigger or smaller?

I am assuming you're getting pan powder ignition that is not then igniting the main charge and not having problems actually getting the powder in the pan to ignite.

 

[yonderin]

I use one and only press once.

 

[fleener]

Two different rifles. The first is a Jackie Brown that is .54 cal. I have since sold the rifle. I need the money to help buy my Rigby and keep my wife happy.

The other rifle rifle which I picked up last year was made by Frank Bartlett and is a .40 cal.



I have Mitch Yates building me a Christian Springs rifle as we speak. Something that could be a style that the first Fleener might of used in the new world.

Anyway, it is something that I need to figuire out, and this certainly could be part of my problem.

thanks

Fleener

 

[Vaino]

I use a spring loaded priming "whatchamacallit" that throws varying amounts of prime, some of which at times has to be leveled w/ my finger and at other times is barely enough....but, the flintlock always fires w/o any delay in ignition. Perhaps I've been lucky w/ my hunting flintlock LRs, all of which have TH liners....some home made and others w/ the "White Lightning". A slight advantage going to the WL....but so very slight as to being insignificant.

Possibly it's not the amount of prime but a "finicky" lock, TH size, lack of a liner w/ a proper TH inner funnel, swabbing between shots and clogging the TH or a myriad of other causes...none of which have anything to do w/ the amount of prime......Fred

 

[excess650]

There are at least 2 versions of that priming device and one throws twice as much powder as the other. My rifles aren't terribly picky about the amount, but my .45 was before I widened the pan (needed a full pan). Depending upon how big the pan is, I might use 1/2 or 3/4.

My quickest ignition rifle has the smallest flash hole, less than .06", and a moderate sized pan. It is the least fussy about prime of my (4) flinters.

A friend complained that his new custom .50 (large Siler) was unreliable. He had shot a couple of TCs for years and swore by 1/2 pan banked away from the flash hole. When I shot his rifle it went of quickly and every time. The difference was that I nearly filled the pan with prime. He hasn't had any complaints since.

 

[jbwilliams3]

I dont have a lot of experience with flinters, and I have been frustrated by lack of quick ignition.

I was watching a video from another member shooting a squirrel with his. He was using a small priming container with a spring loaded tip that when pushed down drops a small measured amount of powder for the pan. He showed that he uses 4 measured amounts for his pan. In the video his rifle did not hesitate when he fired it.

I have always just used one of those little premeasured amounts in the pan, figured that was the right amount.

Anyone else have experience using one of those things and how much powder do you put in the pan?

I am thinking that I just might of figured out the source of my ignition problems, too little priming powder

Thanks

Fleener

I would say it depends on the lock you use and perhaps the powder you're using. On a small lock or a lock with bad geometry, you probably need to just about fill the pan. On really good locks I can get away with a very small amount of prime. On my Chambers Virginia lock, for example - though it is a large lock - only a small amount of powder is needed to ignite the main charge. I use a bit more than necessary to be sure. There is usually a happy median on priming amount and position of the powder. I've found that it takes some experimenting but generally too little and too much powder will cause issues.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Those small whachamacallits can clump up with powder when it's hot and humid out. That said, I still use one. I some times like to deliver a "shot" directly in to the touch hole with the rifle tilted on its' side before giving the pan a couple of shots. You want enough powder in the pan that it will light reliably with the sparks thrown from the frizzen. With a newer and sharper flint you generally get more of them than you do when the flint is more worn, so the amount you put in the pan may vary the longer you use the flint.

 

[Docgp]

Seems like about half a pea size works well for me. Still so much to learn though.

 

[mr.flintlock]

Some rifles seem to be pickier than others. I use one of the little spring loaded gadgets and usually two or three pushes. I get the pan full enough to come up to the bottom of but not covering the touch hole. This gives me quick ignition.

 

[TerryK]

I use about 1/2 the pan in an L+R RPL lock. I think more slows it down.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Hi Fleener,
When dealing with flint ignition I would suggest a number of places to look for more speed. Most of these come from tests I've run over the years.

--Regardless of the vent type, it must be squeaky clean.
--I like vent diameter .064-.067 because I can clean with a pipe cleaner, if necessary.
--Priming should cover the whole bottom of the pan to give sparks a large landing zone. We all argue about how much more than that, but at least cover the pan.
--Priming should be up against the barrel instead of away - can save 20-25 %.
Prime with Null B or at least 4fg. I have slow motion video of everything from Null B to cannon grade. All sizes work, but small grain sizes ignite faster.

As far as locks go, they all vary in how well they produce sparks. If you spark your lock in the dark, you should see bushels of sparks. Do the sparks land in the pan or beyond the pan? If you have doubts about your lock, bring it to Friendship in the spring. I intend to time and photograph locks in the booth across from Jim Chambers (Homer Dangler's old booth). I plan to time a lock 10 times, determine an average, and photograph the sparks. It should give a shooter a good idea of his lock's performance. As an example of a spark photo, look at my the photo at the top of my Face Book page

Regards,
Pletch
Larry Pletcher

 

[hanshi]

The lock size does often make a difference. I have a couple of the little brass primers and like them very much. I've found that just a little prime is better than a lot of prime. I mostly use one push that just deposits a smidgen of prime; any more and ignition is slower. My fowler carries a Chambers Va lock with the large pan. I usually put at least two pushes in that huge pan because the prime from just one push is about like a BB on a 4 lane highway. I get great ignition from just a little bit of prime but one rifle does like a bit more of it.

This little primer is a favorite and is made from a deer leg bone. It dispenses whatever amount you like.

 

[excess650]

A friend of mine made one from a section of antler with the brass plunger assembly fitted.