How To Article about gunpowders

[preventec47]

I have seen reference to F, 2F, 3F, and 4F powders and different replacements or alternatives from different suppliers.... If they are replacements which F powder
are they replacing ? What is the difference in the F powders and why ? What are the
different replacement powders available and advertised and real benefits ?
When is it best to use each?

These are all my questions but everyone must ask the same questions starting out.
I just thought this is such a common topic there ought to be an article explaining
it all and the special Article area of this forum.

 

[Le Loup]

I have seen reference to F, 2F, 3F, and 4F powders and different replacements or alternatives from different suppliers.... If they are replacements which F powder
are they replacing ? What is the difference in the F powders and why ? What are the
different replacement powders available and advertised and real benefits ?
When is it best to use each?

These are all my questions but everyone must ask the same questions starting out.
I just thought this is such a common topic there ought to be an article explaining
it all and the special Article area of this forum.

I can't comment on modern replacement powders, I have never used them.
I believe 1fg is for cannons, 2fg is for .50 caliber & larger, 3fg is for calibers up to .45 caliber, & 4fg is for priming only. I don't use 4fg, I prime from my horn with 2fg.
More on gunpowder here: https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2016/03/about-gunpowder-gutenberg-file.html
https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/search?q=2fg+3fg+4fg
Keith.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Those granulations are only “guide”, less ONLY using 4Fg for priming.

I use 3Fg up to my 62-cal smoothies and use 1Fg in my large caliber (65 & up) AND long-barreled (54” & longer) smoothbores, works awesome! Tighter groups w/ shot loads and great roundball groups, without too much fouling buildup to boot.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Actually 1Fg is more like large musket powder .75 caliber and larger.
10 guage, 8-bore, 4-bore,cohorn mortars, and like wall guns and amusettes. Cannon powder is even larger.

Pyrodex was made to provide small muzzle loading gun shops a propellant that avoided hazmat shipping fees and explosives storage regulations. It's actually a form of black powder, but reduces the sulfur, and uses 50/50 potassium nitrate and potassium perchlorate (iirc). So when not compressed, it burns, instead of being the "low explosive" that is Black Powder. That's it's only advantage....availability and cost. It's corrosive and often just as dirty. It's tougher to ignite so it sucks as prime in a flintlock.

The other subs are based on the same idea, but with different formulas so some can get a "cleaner" burn. So folks who don't like the chore of cleaning, gravitate to them. Some seem to give a bit better velocity, perhaps more consistant than "standard" black powder. My observation is that those that are super concerned with velocities are either long range target shooters, where variations in velocity from shot to shot may mean the difference between a 9 and a 10 on the target. That's valid. The others are those who are trying for some reason to duplicate smokeless powder load performance in their muzzleloaders. A bunch of the folks in that crowd that I've conversed with in another forum, are not well informed and thus lack confidence in the old loads. The amount of deer/elk/venison harvested with the old tech..., doesn't seem to impact their judgement. A few have regulations on where they live for storage, and some just want less hassle when cleaning. They sometimes even buy stainless steel muzzleloaders for that reason.

Several of the black powder manufacturers have come out with much more precisely made versions of black powder, and thus will give one target accuracy and consistancey, and burn well. They cost more than the standard offerings from these makers, but if that's what you need, they work quite well.

As for hunting, plinking, blanks...., basic black powder has worked for several centuries, forged empires, defended hearth and home, put meat on the table, and won contests and achieved bragging rights.

LD