Pan priming

[Gene L]

2F, 3F your human senses won't know the difference.

My senses can tell the difference. Unless I'm fooling myself and I don't think I am.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Larger granules have less total surface area by volume ....less area means less water absorption.

 

[Kirkschopped67]

I use 3f for my main charge, and 4f for the prime. I was getting miss fires with the original flint that came with the gun. (Jim Kibler Southern Mountain Rifle). I purchased some English flint from Buffalo Arms. These flint are working great with no miss fires. I believe now I am going to change out the buckskin pad for a thin piece of lead. These English Flint shower the pan with very fine sparks, unlike the first flint.
Kirk

 

[Loyalist Dave]

A LOT of people use 3f as the main charge in their .50s and they also use it to charge their pan. The thinking is that it is easier to carry only one horn for both the main charge and the pan.

This is true, I use 3Fg for both main charge and priming powder in my all my rifles, from .54 down to .40 for simplicity, and they work fine.

I also found in the past that 4Fg absorbed moisture more quickly than did the 3Fg.

LD

 

[Don Steele]

If you have the Jim Kibler SMR kit rifle that came with a Chambers lock there's a couple of things you might want to consider.
First is that using lead to wrap your flint VOIDS the warranty on your lock.
Second is that in my experience, looking at several Kibler kits so far...the flint that is in the lock when it arrives is a French Amber. Like anything else...opinions vary. Without getting into a discussion of French Amber vs Black English flints I'll just say that unless you just happened to get a bad rock...those French Amber flints have nothing to do with your problem and let it go at that. If changing rocks is all it took to solve your problem...good on you, and ENJOY that new rifle.
In our club, we already have 2 Kibler SMR kit rifles that have been built by members and are showing up at our shoots.
One of them exhibited "issues" with reliability after a few range sessions.
The guy shooting it wasn't cleaning it properly and getting a significant buildup of "crud" on the breechface, preventing reliable ignition. Spending some time with some BP solvents, a scraper, and a breechface brush, along with replacing the rock (which by then was darn near rounded off on what had been the "edge"), got him back in business.

 

[shootrj2003]

I made a priming tool really nice piece of antler but after awhile I did like the long hunters and mountain men probably did for simplicity's sake,and now I prime with what I am shooting,usually 3 f,it is one less tool to worry about,I use a homemade cows knee for protection in inclement weather

 

[Kirkschopped67]

I did not know about voiding the warrenty. What do you think the problem was with that flint? I will shoot this English flint for another 50 shots, and change back to the amber flint. Maybe it was installed wrong by me. I will keep playing and learning as I go. You guys are always a lot of help and I respect your knowledge and put it to good use. I am a beginner to say the least,and without a local club, info it at a premium.
Thanks again for the help I get here.
Kirk

 

[M. De Land]

I use meal-D for pan priming which is black powder dust basically and is faster than any other granulation of powder.
It seems to light just as well as 3F in inclimate weather if the pan starts out clean.
Fouling is what attracts water more than black powder itself.

 

[Black Hand]

Some locks like the flint bevel-up, others bevel-down. When on half-cock, the flint should be positioned just short of and parallel to the frizzen face. Keep the edge sharp and tight in the cock, and it should spark. Prime with what you use for the main charge. A piece of soft leather works very well to hold the flint.

 

[Ridge]

I have 5 flintlocks that I shoot. At least 2 require 4F or the ignition slows down.

Play around with your gun until you find what it likes. No one else can tell you.

OR get one of those Chambers Virginia locks. I think I could put sand in the pan and that thing would go off.

 

[hanshi]

You're right about that! I have a Colonial Va lock on my smoothbore and am always concerned that my shirt might catch on fire. :thumbsup: