priming powder..
 

i didnt wanna hijack the ffg post on priming so ill start this one...cayugad recomended grinding up FFG powder a bit to prime a flinter.

i know a guy that does the same...but he grinds it into DUST practically. he says it is finer and lights quicker than even 4fg...makes sense. anyone hear of that or test it or anything?? wondering how it works..if its worth it ..pros/cons etc..i got a good 5 more years left of 4fg to prime..but he got me curious...i been meaning to test it..but with college and work etc i dont make it to the range much at all and when i do its pretty rushed.

RE: priming powder..
 

I have ground it pretty fine, but it always made me nervous grinding it. I only ground very small amounts at a time as black powder could technically ignite from grinding. I never really noticed a dramatic increase in igniton speed from what I ground, to 4f and even 3f but I am suspecting there is one.

Like you, when I bought 4f I bought two pounds of it. So I really do not need to worry too much for many years to come. 7000 grains in a pound, 3 grains per flash, = 2333 shots per pound. By the time I finish with the second pound there should be something new to try. Although I am thinking of trying some duplex loads where a small amount of black powder is loaded in the flinter and then you load pyrodex. I thought 10 - 20grains of 4f and then some pyrodex and see if I can get some accuracy out of the rifle.

RE: priming powder..
 

Why would you take a chance grinding? Can't you find any 7F in your area. Tom.

RE: priming powder..
 

yes cayugad...definently thought about possible ignitions...i believe he told me he made something like a pill crusher to do it...a little "bowl" with another seperate "rod" with a curved end to do the grinding.

let me know when you try the duplex loads...i thought about buying some pyrodex or triple seven to test out when it goes on sale at walmart to do the same...but never got around to it..mainly because all i do is hunt with my flinter and thats kind of a pain to reload in a hurry...

HEAD...who makes 7f powder??? smallest ive heard of and found was 4fg. a guy that taught me the rope of shooting my flinter said he hasnt hunted with his in years and gave me a bit over a half pound of 4fg goex. the passed 5 years i went though a little bit of it. i used to shoot a good bit and also hunting season i have to fill my large priming flask about once every 2-3 hunts depending on weather. im cautious and sweep the pan pretty often. i rather KNOW my guns gunna go boom then take a chance...i know guys that KEEP their priming charge and reuse it if they dont fire their guns. to me thats not too bright...says he cant find 4fg..i offered him some and he declined. told him a bunch of shops that carry it..heck some places here sell it in a small container because theres an actual flintlock season in PA

RE: priming powder..
 

I am in Morgantown. It can be bought in Morgantown. Where are you at in SW, PA. You can not be too far away. If you want it, I will tell you where to get it. Call Marvin Wotring, he has a custom black powder shop in Morgantown. He runs the silhouette shoots at the BP club on 857 between Morgantown and Uniontown(just inside the PA line). Tom.

RE: priming powder..
 

you dont need 7f. either 3f or 4f will do fine for priming. Or like you're doing now, grinding up some 2f. I used to crush up pyrodex RS for pan and main charge when i couldnt find the real stuff and i'd double plastic bag some powder and use a spoon and roll it back and forth to crush it up. Its slow going but hopefully you'll get more than enough to prime a few times and shoot. Pyrodex / triple 7 are a waste of time/money when it comes to loading it in a flintlock. Take the few extra minutes to clean and just go with the good old reliable real stuff.

RE: priming powder..
 

To accurately shoot a flintlock you must be able to hold the rifle through the ignition timing. I load 70 grains of 3F blackpowder with 7F in the pan. I can guarantee I have the fastest ignition time out there. Therefore it is easier to hold and shoot a flinter. I used to shoot alot of silhouette with my flinter, and visitors would always take a vial of 7F home with them. I would disagree with it not being necessary. In my opinion the more consistent the better. And I am sure you would have faster, and more uniform ignitionwith factory 7F instead of hand ground 2F. Tom.

RE: priming powder..
 

thanx HEAD...im in beaver county..about 25 miles north of pittsburgh.



frontier..i know i dont need 7f powder...or to even mess around grinding powder...i was simply curious because i know a guy that grinds his priming powder into dust. my gun shoots pretty dang good with 4fg...and i got alot of it left...i was just curious if i was missing out on something good and should grind my priming powder or what...