Prime Powder

[crs1945]

I know everone says you should use FFFF powder for priming a flintlock. Why can't you take FFG and grind it up using a NON-Sparking morter and use this for primeing ( would not have to buy two types of powder )???

:haha:Muzzie

 

[riarcher]

I just use a spoon and small bowl and grind it up by pressing on the spoon (crush it really). May not be perfect but it works.

 

[musketman]

Depending on the type of flint lock you have, you could just prime with un-crushed FFg, many skinners prime this way...

The trouble free thought of only taking one horn into the woods is appealing to many people, but to answer your question, YES...

You can crush (corning) the powder into finer grains, use only non-sparking tools, like glass, wood, and various non-sparking metals...

 

You can crush (corning) the powder into finer grains, use only non-sparking tools, like glass, wood, and various non-sparking metals...

I like blackpowder, on my "corn" (popcorn, thet is!!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Thet reminds me,...... How many of you have ever heard of feed'n blackpowder to a dog,... to make him more "agressive"??

I had an ol' feller tell me thet, back in the early '70's, when we was talk'n "coon hounds".

I had mentioned thet one'a mine was kind of a "sissy" and wouldn't fight a coon.

The ol' feller tolt me to feed'im some blackpowder, and he'd "git'ta fight'n" after a while.

It didn't work,... and, I'da been better off use'n the powder on a coon!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

The only 'fault' with this is perhaps the dust you produce. 4F is graphited to promote even sifting or flowing, without bridging in a container. Ground double will then have many grs. of powder that arn't coated and in moist conditons or other, you nay have minor difficulty with it bridging in your primer.
: Go ahead - most of us have done just that at one time or another & it worked. It's another reason to perhaps find a load for your rifle with 3F, which isn't such a bad priming powder itself. 3F priming works just fine in the large musket locks and larger rifle locks with lots of kinetic energy. In a very small rifle or pistol lock, it may not be quite as quick, so you'll just have to follow through, just a bit longer.
: Grinding powder is an option many have used at one time or another.
Daryl

 

[bob1961]

i use fff for my loads and one day at the range i ran out of ffff so i used fff in the pan and had no probs.......bob

 

[musketman]

FFFg is thought to do better in wet weather too, is doesn't attract moisture as fast as FFFFg...

 

[roundball]

My appaoach to priming powder is always with the thought of ignition speed in mind...every little thing contributes to ignition speed / lock time from polishing every moving part with a dremel & buffing compound, to using large vents, to razor sharp flints, and using the fastest prime available, and I do anything and everything I can to promote the fastest ignition possible.

On the subject of 4F being more easily affected by humidity than 3F, I took BirdDog6's advice a couple years ago and when hunting, I just dump the 4F prime every 45 minutes to an hour depending on the humidity, and replace it with fresh...the cost of 3grns of powder, refershed 3-4 times on a mornings hunt is only a penny and a half.

$9.00 ~ 7000 = .0012857/grn
Times a 3grn prime charge =.0038571
Times 3 refreshes = .0115713

So the original 3grn prime, plus 3 refreshes in a 4 hour hunt = a grand total of .0154284...that's one and a half cents worth of 4F per hunt, takes about 10 seconds using a small pan charger from my shirt pocket.

I've had the good fortune to drop a hammer on seven deer with flintlocks now and so far the 4F approach works so good I'd be afraid to change it just to be changing it

 

[LRB]

Daryl, it is my understanding that 4f is NOT graphited, and thats why many use 3f in damp conditions. If you have a good source for your opinion that it is, please let us all know. I switched to 3f a while back and thought it was working as well as 4f, but my last two shooting sessions were plagued with hang fires that I have had little problem with in the past using 4f. Thanks.

 

I'm kinda like roundball.....I like my 4Fg. I also emptied my priming horn at a match once and reverted to 3Fg and I couldn't tell any difference either. But for hunting....I guess I'm just a little leary and always 4Fg. Also, as others have alluded to, I believe lock size and spark shower make a difference. My flintlocks all have medium sized locks.....I dunno...I'm simply more comfortable with 4Fg.

Vic

 

[Crow-Feather]

The fear I would have grinding powder would be to grind some so fine that it slips tween the lock and the barrel. I have seen wood powder crushers sold as period correct for the fur trade but I forget where I saw it.

C F

 

[2172]

Led on by some of the posts here, I tried using 3f as my primer. It works fine. I'm still using a priming horn with 4f, as I still have 4f and can't find any other use for it (not only will my dawg not eat it,I won't either, 'cause I know from Army days that it is supposed to kill "desire and interest"..and I can't run that risk). Too, I find it convenient in target shooting, when I get to the line, to prime from the priming horn, my powder horn being on the opposite side of my body from the lock...I've been told that is the safest way to carry it. My priming horn is in my bullet bag, on my hip on the lockside...Hank

 

Hank,.... At my age, I "try" to remember what "desire and interest" is,.... or,... maybe it "IS" thet BP on my popcorn thet's affect'n the "romance" in my life!! (never thot'a thet!!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[PowderFlask2]

I have not given up my priming horns yet, but while playing around with 2F out of my main horn I can not see any difference in speed than with 4F

my two cents

 

[Donny]

I see no difference in my priming with 4F or 2F.... Isn't 4F unglazed with graphite like the 2F and 3F? grinding 2F would break up the glaze and expose pure powder to quicker ignition???? Black powder contains salt peter, what I have heard oldtimers say they gave to draft horses to keep them from breeding all night, and saving strength to work the next day. Maybe that is why they gave it to hunting dogs???

 

Perhaps we should all take more serious note of "Killpecker Creek" near Rock Springs, Wyoming. History has it that the birth rate in that area was near non-existant when the area was settled. Folks were getting their drinking water from said creek and it was found to have a high content of saltpeter. I dunno if it's true but when I lived in Wyoming my apprentice was from Rock Springs and he swears it's true.

Vic

 

Makes me wunner if,... "production out-put",.... is higher with Pyrodex-shooters,.. or,.. Blackpowder-shooters!!

Anybuddy know what the,.. "national-average",.. for each group is???? :: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[2172]

my frequent thought is, God Bless Bob Dole for inventing Viagra...Hank

 

Saltpeter was a normal additive for the food in the prison I worked at, years ago. I'm not sure it had the desired effect, though.-HA!
Daryl

 

rollingb.......too funny!! It would be interesting to know....but at my age......who cares...HAHAHAHA!!!!!!