Powders

[Bugtrucker]

What is the uses for the different powder grades 1F, 2 Ff 3 Fff etc?

 

[Ponderosaman]

My understanding is that as the number gets bigger, the powder is finer. With more surface area a finer grained powder would burn faster and be more explosive. There is a happy medium where you would get good pressure based on the size of your chamber. A bigger chamber needs a coarser powder. The more experienced guys can weigh in on what should be used for what. 2F is good for my 12 gauge shotgun.

 

[Historian]

In a very simple explanation it goes like this. This is not carved in stone however.
1Fg is typically used for large bore muskets and shotguns. Like .75 caliber and up.
2Fg is typically used in rifles .50 caliber and above and shotguns.
3Fg is typically used in pistols and rifles .50 and smaller. Also can be used in 20 ga and smaller shotguns.
4Fg is standard priming powder used in Flintlock priming pans.
Again people experiment and use what works best for them and their muzzleloader.

 

[William Lincoln]

There are books on this subject. In a nutshell, Black powder is marketed in particle size
according to fineness. 1f being the largest mesh screen to separate it. Black powder is
polished with graphite represented by "g" therefore 1fg is one fineness powder with graphite ,
the largest commercial particle size for sporting black powder. The graphite reduces friction
generated static charges, improves the flow characteristics and reduces moisture adhesion
(hygroscopic absorption) . Powder is sold from 1fg through 4fg granulations, labelled as
fg, ffg,fffg,ffffg and OB or null B a very fine explosive powder. The higher number of fines(f's)
the finer the particles the faster the burn rate. There are some variations to these.
I will leave off here,after these technical label basics, and let other members fill you in on the rest.
Our members are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced black powder experts
on planet Earth.

 

[tenngun]

A given charge in a .50 or .62 or whatever the 2F will produce lower velocities then 3F. So you might need 80 grains 2 to get the same velocity as 65 or 70 grains 3.
But
80 grins 2 will produce lower breech pressures then 70 of three.
Should your gun be large bore it can have thinner walls. So lower pressures are a good thing.
3 tends to burn cleaner so fouling is decreased, this has a lot of variables, like temperature and humidity or even patch lube.
Pound for pound you get more shots from 3 as you shoot a lighter charge. 2 works well in larger guns.
Shooting shot 3 tends to blow the pattern.
Longer barrels seem to like 2 better then 3.
Different brands also effect
Swiss tends to be hotter and produce higher velocities the Gerhart Owen. But GO is about 2/3 the price of Swiss. GO 3 acts much like Swiss 2

 

[Musketeer]

As an aside, for visual comparison, here are the four most common sizes next to each other. From left to right: 4f, 3f, 2f, 1f.

 

[Dashing Leper]

There are books on this subject. In a nutshell, Black powder is marketed in particle size
according to fineness. 1f being the largest mesh screen to separate it. Black powder is
polished with graphite represented by "g" therefore 1fg is one fineness powder with graphite ,
the largest commercial particle size for sporting black powder. The graphite reduces friction
generated static charges, improves the flow characteristics and reduces moisture adhesion
(hygroscopic absorption) ...

In case anyone is wondering, the other side of this coin are the black powder grades with an 'a' at the end instead of the 'g'. These powders are used in blast charges and fireworks, and the fineness scale of 'a' powders is very different from 'g' powders.

For example, what we call a 3Fg pistol powder would be a 5Fa blasting fuse powder to a mining operation. 1Fg cannon powder is finer than 2Fa blast powder (1Fg is, in fact, the same fineness as 3Fa powder).

Simply put: Don't buy a can of black powder with an 'a' after the F, or you'll be disappointed.

 

[Feltwad]

These are the powder that I used to use in my large bores up to a 4 and small down to a 20 . Sadly they are no longer made they were the best

Feltwad

 

[Boatncamp]

Can anyone explain the re-enactor granulation that I saw listed at Graf's

Thanks

Woody

 

[Grenadier1758]

The reenactor grade powder is a granulation that seems to be between 3fg and 2fg. It burns with more fouling than standard GOEX, but it is considerably cheaper.

We use that or Jack's Battle powder which is also a reenactor grade powder in our King's Muskets, but then who cares how dirty our muskets get. The serjeant makes us clean them up the same to be spotless.

 

[Bugtrucker]

A given charge in a .50 or .62 or whatever the 2F will produce lower velocities then 3F. So you might need 80 grains 2 to get the same velocity as 65 or 70 grains 3.
But
80 grins 2 will produce lower breech pressures then 70 of three.
Should your gun be large bore it can have thinner walls. So lower pressures are a good thing.
3 tends to burn cleaner so fouling is decreased, this has a lot of variables, like temperature and humidity or even patch lube.
Pound for pound you get more shots from 3 as you shoot a lighter charge. 2 works well in larger guns.
Shooting shot 3 tends to blow the pattern.
Longer barrels seem to like 2 better then 3.
Different brands also effect
Swiss tends to be hotter and produce higher velocities the Gerhart Owen. But GO is about 2/3 the price of Swiss. GO 3 acts much like Swiss 2

Well, being the newbie in black powder that I am, I ordered 5 pounds of this 1F Olde Eynsford Goex powder! I only have a Uberti 1858 New Army 44 cal.Will I be able to use this or mark it up to ignorance? Also ordered Lyman’s book on Black powders, cart before horse!!!

 

[tenngun]

The knights an off topic, the revolver will shoot 1F fine but to low velocity, a full charge will do about a half charges velocity

 

[Feltwad]

Maybe members from across the pond remember these two types of black powder
Feltwad

 

[Coot]

I may still have a couple of empties of the can on the right (newer one).

 

[William Lincoln]

The can on the right is the older GOEX can. Also, the powder imported from
Scotland was sold here. Nobel made some of that. The can on the left
was before my time, but interesting.

 

[Kansas Jake]

As has been said, Bugtrucker, the 1f will shoot fine in your revolver. Lower velocity and more fouling may happen. Now you just need to get a shotgun to burn it up in.

 

[Grimord]

I have several of the old "Dupont" cans like the one shown, and one green round can with a screw lid in the center of the top of the can that is also labeled "Dupont"

 

[Bugtrucker]

As has been said, Bugtrucker, the 1f will shoot fine in your revolver. Lower velocity and more fouling may happen. Now you just need to get a shotgun to burn it up in.

Thanks!