SMOKE maximisation - how can I make more of it.....

[oversight]

Gradually upgrading myself from percussion cap revolver to flintlock.

I went from an .36 Colt Navy percussion cap revolver to a .44 Ruger Old Army, and I do enjoy the bigger calibre, more smoke and more boom.

I am now looking at a reproduction .67 Flintlock pistol (marked 'Japan'). I am hoping that the subsequent increase in caliber plus the flash in the pan will increase the smoke and percussive factors even more.

Just casting around for advice on how to make this generate more smoke or sparks when it fires, (without blowing myself up :wink: ).

I have used 777 powder in the revolvers so far but thought that I might try another brand with the flintlock.

Options for sale here are Pyrodex, Trail Boss, Goex, and what looks to be a local brand called Thunder Shot Black Powder Fg grain, from a Pyrotechnics company.

Any advice appreciated (also anyone shot this type of flintlock previously? Similar guns can be see on several gun auction sites by Googling 'japan .67 flintlock'

 

[biliff]

Flintlocks require real BP and as a general rule don't work well, if at all, with a substitute powder.

Note: Trail Boss is a smokeless powder (at least here in the states) and not meant for Muzzleloaders.

The Japanese Tower pistols tend to be bottom end flintlocks. Miroku seemed to make one that was at least functional. Other brands needed a lot of work to get them to even fire.

 

[coloradoclyde]

""""WARNING""" Trailboss is a smokless powder intended for modern cartridge guns...NOT MUZZLELOADERS.

 

[Many Klatch]

The Jap Tower pistols are junk. The barrel is good but the locks are terrible. If you can get it cheap for less than $50 and don't mind messing with the lock it will be an OK deal.

I had two of those pistols. One required a new mainspring because it had been left cocked for 20 years while hanging on a wall and the other had a frizzen that had never been hardened. I had some old parts that I made fit so that the guns would shoot. Then I reshaped the stocks and removed about a third of the wood.

After all that I had a pair of semi reliable smoothbores that were accurate to 15 feet. I gleefully sold them to Pyrate "reenactors" as accessories for their costumes.

 

[Dean2]

So to answer the actual question you asked, rather than opine on a whole bunch of things you didn't ask about, use black powder. It will give you the most smoke and flame of the available options. Blank loads, with just a paper over wad will tend to be smokier than ones shooting balls due to the lower pressures causing larger loads to burn outside the barrel. For blank loads, FG Goex or reenactor powder should produce more smoke but for reliable ignition on a flint you will do better with ffg or fffg for prime.

 

[Billnpatti]

You might try using an OP wad and topping the OP wad with a dab of plain old all purpose flour. Seat your ball on the flour and see if that produces the effect that you are looking for. You may have to experiment to see how much flour it takes to produce the smoke effect that you want. To increase the sparks, flame and other pyrotechnics that you want from your pan, just put in more powder. Since the powder in the pan is not enclosed, there is no problem with explosion, just more flash and smoke.

Having said this, I am left wondering why the desire for all of the dramatics? :idunno:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

ditto b&p but I'm wondering if placeing some small amount of ground up food grade charcoal atop the powder charge, underneath the PRB may have the desired effect?

 

[Claude Mathis]

Just casting around for advice on how to make this generate more smoke or sparks when it fires, (without blowing myself up :wink: ).

Guns are not toys. :v

 

[coloradoclyde]

Just casting around for advice on how to make this generate more smoke or sparks when it fires, (without blowing myself up :wink: ).

Guns are not toys. :v

:applause: :bow: :applause: :bow: :bow:

Stupid ideas can have stupid consequences.
Gambling belongs in a casino ....not on the firing range. The wager is more than you can afford.

 

[Len Graves]

I also am kind of curious as to why one would want more smoke. Most shooters I know want less smoke. More smoke means more clean up and an obscured target. More flames mean more of a chance of an accidental fire. My opinion is perhaps you should re think the seriousness of what you Are doing with firearms.

 

[MSW]

while I have nothing against smoke, I don't see why you want more smoke: you're shooting a gun, not doing a pyrotechnic show.

if you want pyro, that's fine, but use pyro, not a gun.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Flour dispersed in air is explosive. It's the cause of grain elevator explosions.

Not the best idea for shooting at a range or around responsible people.

 

[azmntman]

YES....we had a near fatal fire here at the Purina factory from that. Crews did not clean out the bins before welders entered and had a nasty explosion. Shut the plant down several days or weeks. Be careful..........

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hello Oversight,
Goex BP would be great, none better!
Get 50 lbs. and you would be good for a week of shooting :shocked2:
Best regards!
Fred

 

[Billnpatti]

Yes, flour and fine grains dust is explosive but I am not talking about filling the bore with flour, just adding a bit on top of an OP wad. The OP wad would separate the flour from the burning powder until everything exited from the muzzle. If the flour did ignite, it would be out in the open and would amount to nothing more than a slight addition to the normal muzzle flash. If it worked as I envisioned, the dispersed flour would simply resemble smoke. I have used a ballistic polymer called Pufflon to fill up my black powder cartridges when the charge I had chosen did not do so. It is a light powdery material and does not explode when it hits the air. This addition is not so different from the use of cornmeal on top of a powder charge which has been done for many years with no adverse effects.

In conclusion, we are not talking about a silo full of grain dust, only a small bit of flour on top of an OP wad that may or may not add to the appearance of smoke.

 

[inlikeflint]

How about some coffee creamer on top of the powder? I got some to try but have not tried it yet. The word is it makes a large flame when shot. Then there is sulfur, I believe that is what the smoke in BP comes from. In any case I would be careful and just try a little at a time, messing with that stuff could be dangerous.

 

[nit wit]

A decent 20 guage pistol comes from India, they spark well. The jap models are junky.
I'm amazed at some of the stupid replies, I'm surprised someone hasn't recommended gasoline! You are going down a dangerous path that will reflect on all BP shooters. Black powder in the bore, unless you have a cannon.
If you like smoke so much, join a volunteer fire department.
Nit Wit

 

[palonghunter]

The safest way (really the only safe way) I can think of is to use the largest grain blackpowder you can find. Larger grains burn slower, so there's more likelihood that some of your powder will burn after it exits the barrel. If you get some Fg, it'll probably smoke a bit more than FFFg does, and make a bigger fireball outside the barrel.

 

[Brokenlaig]

Why is this topic not locked yet?? :surrender:

 

[preston cook]

you are playing a dangerous game :v