Priming Powder

[Chris Cade]

i've recently became interested in flintlocks and i have a question for the forum. i've read a lot about some using priming horns and others priming from the powder horn. i'm guessing the priming horns contain 4F and the regular powder horns contains 3F. does it matter which powder is used as priming?? what are the pros and cons or each??

cade(sc)

 

[rabjr]

I use 3F as a primer while hunting. Never seen or used 4F so I couldn't say good or bad about it. I do know 3F works just fine for me. :thumbsup:

 

[appaloosabob]

I use 2f in my gun and 4f for priming. I am shooting a 50 cal long rifle. Works fine. I use a spring loaded primer to charge the pan.

enjoy :thumbsup:

 

[MercerLake]

FFFFg (4F)is ONLY for PRIMING!!!! Don't ever charge with it! FFFg (3F) works fine as main charge and for Priming. The 4F is not coated so it will draw moisture much more rapidly than FFg or FFFg in the pan. In my flint guns I can't tell the difference in ignition speed with either 3F or 2F. Also in some pans the larger grain seem to catch the sparks better in cold damp weather. That's about all we have on the Oregon coast is damp and damper. :grin:

 

[Ridge]

I load with 2 or 3f and prime with 4f. I've heard plenty of people say that they prime with 3 F and it works just fine. Not for me though. None of my 3 flintlocks like it.

 

[tg]

You will have to try each for the prime and see how they work for you some of the smaller locks or import locks do not like the larger prime, it is very handy to prime and load from the same horn or flask

 

[roundball]

"...what are the pros and cons or each??..."

By definition, the finer the granulation the faster it burns...1F, 2F, 3F, 4F, 5F and 7F, with 7F being the finest and fastest burning of all...it was originally used as "flash powder" back in the early days of photography. Based upon the fact that 4F is faster than 2F or 3F for example, it's what I use for all my priming and it's always been outstanding for me.

When hunting on damp days or days of high humidity, 4F will attract moisture faster than the coarse granulations. And like others who use 4F, I flip it out of the pan and refresh it at least every hour, or even every 30 minutes if it's really dripping wet out. Costs less than a penny, only take a few seconds...and so far every time the hammer has dropped on game, the game rode home with me.
:grin:

 

[redwing]

I think a very sharp English flint and a very good 4F powder is the key to accurate shooting. This of course depends on the choice you made in rifles.

I have found the Swiss Null-B to with stand moisture as well as 3F. If I were out of Swiss and hunting I would use 3F to prime. I have been amazed at just how damp priming powder can get and still fire. It has rained on the Bear River Meat Shoot the last 2 years. These are those all day grey sky cold Mtn. rains. The flint locks have taken the first 3 places each of those two years. Yes, they work in the rain. :thumbsup:

 

[Halftail]

Weekend before last a guy in my woodswalk group that I was guiding had a very fine powder he was using in his fowler.I remarked that his powder seemed finer than 4f and he said it was more like 7f and it was a new powder made by Swiss that was finer and faster but was quite moisture resistant.I don't recall what he said the name of it was though.It was a Balmy,sticky moist humid day and his gun never missed a beat.

 

[wtilenw]

Weekend before last a guy in my woodswalk group that I was guiding had a very fine powder he was using in his fowler.I remarked that his powder seemed finer than 4f and he said it was more like 7f and it was a new powder made by Swiss that was finer and faster but was quite moisture resistant.I don't recall what he said the name of it was though.It was a Balmy,sticky moist humid day and his gun never missed a beat.

I believe it is called "Null-B"
Idaho PRB

 

[Halftail]

That was what Redwing was talking about then.

 

[Dickert54cal]

If you plan on shooting 3F then there is no need for 4F as a primer....(Its that simple) The good thing is you only need one horn. On the flip side if you want to use 4F by all means help the economy by spending more money on extra powder and storage devices :rotf:

 

[Halftail]

If you plan on shooting 3F then there is no need for 4F as a primer....(Its that simple) The good thing is you only need one horn. On the flip side if you want to use 4F by all means help the economy by spending more money on extra powder and storage devices :rotf:

:shocked2: :shocked2:
My god man!!
I've wasted my money! :shocked2:
:cursing: I wish I would have consulted you first! :shake: :wink:

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

It depends on the firelock, if the breach is thick it may take the extra octane of 4F to get all the way through the touch hole. For instance my 1st model bess has a real thick breach. The fire has to travel over a quarter of an inch to get to the main charge. It will only go off .50% of the time with 3F prime. 4F will cook it off every time.
I would suggest trying both powders and draw your own conclusions. Most of the top shooters I have met over the last 35 years, prime with 4F. Manyklatch can prime with 1F and make it go off most of the time. Most of us mortals have to use 4F. :wink:

 

[colmoultrie]

YOu aren't helping the economy too much unless yu shoot a LOT by buying FFFFg. I'm still using the same can I bought for shooting my Tower pistol when I was 12!

True, there were about 20+ years when I didn't touch off more than 20 shots a year with a flintlock, but I've stepped it up in the last year or so - put about 150 rounds through my rifle in the last two months, and I'm still well-stocked w/ priming powder. Granted, there are many of you out there who get more time to shoot than I do - lucky @#%#!'s - but you won't affect employment figures by using FFFFg.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I use 4f for the guarenteed ignition it provides, as long as I do my part between shots. I once ran out of priming powder on the trail and used 3f instead and had no problems.
4f is more redily ignited as there is more surface area avaliable to the sparks. :hmm:

 

[dry ball john]

Your probably going to get the same response that i'm sending but here it goes, back in the olden days a rifleman could get only one size powder so he used it for both priming and shooting. I gave this sone thought so I use tripple f for both and hav'nt had any problems Cheers John:hmm:

 

[Wes/Tex]

[/quote] I believe it is called "Null-B"
Idaho PRB
[/quote]

I believe you're thinking of "Meal-D". It's an unglazed, very fine powder used in the fireworks industry. Thought I'd try to hunt some up but the weather here in central Texas is so humid it probably would be a waste of effort.

 

[JiminTexas]

Yeah, well "back in the day" they used a lot of mortar and pestel reduction of powder to make priming powder too. I have even heard of (no authentic period documentation so far) some that used pepper mills to do this, but most them were named "Lefty" after blowing/burning a hand off with this method.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Have done similar with a wooden spoon and a china saucer. Didn't seem to make much difference so I gave up the habit! :v