Thinking about my priming powder.

[Logcutter]

I have two brass priming powder flasks. I had one. And it always leaked a little powder when I used FFFF. So I bought another. It leaked a little powder as well. Both put out about 3 grains a push. Neither of them loses powder when I put FFF in them. Guess the courser powder doesn't get by the seal. I don't really want to buy another because I'm guessing I may find the same thing.
Meanwhile the guy that has a shop where I buy most of my powder and such is telling me I don't even need FFFF powder. He always primes with FFF. I have tried priming with FFF and I have to admit I didn't have the miss fires I kind of expected.
Most guys I know prime with FFFF of course but I'd like to hear some opinions. Any body routinely priming with FFF? I admit the idea of one powder and being able to prime right from my horn sounds mighty attractive. But not at the costs of misfires.
I should add my flinters are .50 cal. rifles. No muskets.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I think much depends on the size of your vent. I installed a Chambers White Lightning vent liner in my Hawken Full Stock. As manufactured, the vent was a little on the small side and misfires were too frequent. I eventually bored it out to .060" and still FFF in the pan did not perform well at all. However, after switching to FFFF, ignition is instantaneous. Hard to notice much difference from a cap lock. The history books say British Regulars primed their pans from their cartridges before pouring the rest down the barrel. What is the vent size of a Brown Bess?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The vent on my Long Land Pattern King's Musket is quite large. I would say about 3/32". Yes, the british and French military regulations call out that the pan is to be primed from the paper cartridge with about 1fg powder. 2fg works just fine in my pan as well as 1fg. I get a lot of sparks from that big lock that sets off the charge. The vent is a simple drilled vent.

 

[Brokennock]

Both my flinter fire just fine with 3f in the pan, so I'm using the same powder for main charge and pan. The only difference I find is sensitivity to overpriming, if I use too much 3f it noticeably slows down lock time. I don't think I'm even using half a pan worth of prime. 4f doesn't seem as sensitive to using too much, but, it has it's own issues.

 

[Stumpkiller]

When I shot my Bess I primed with the same FFg powder as the main charge.

With my .54 flintlock I prime with the same FFFg that I use as the main charge.

I do use a priming horn with FFFFg for my 16 gauge that I use FFg as a main charge. Have a beautiful little flat priming horn Horner75 made me and it is just a delight.

FFFFg can be nice, but may not be mandatory.

 

[Livbucks]

I have heard of many people that charge and prime with 3f. Will be trying it out when the weather warms.

 

[Gene L]

As I've said before, I can tell the difference. 4F is, in both my flinters, noticeably faster in igniting. Not by much, but I could tell it was faster I'm sure 3F works ALMOST as well, in fact I tried it to have a comparison, and both me and my shooting buddy could tell a difference. I need all the help I can get with a faster ignition. Likely, (I'm not certain of this) our ancestors used whatever they had in their horns. I don't know any provenance of historical priming horns, nor what powder they carried. I've got a push-priming flask which doesn't leak. I've also got a pound of 4F that''s not going to sit in my safe for ever; to me it's proven and I intend to use it. I see no disadvantage to using 4F as a priming charge.

 

[Don Steele]

I use a brass "push-style" priming flask also. Every now and then, I take the head apart and clean it out. That seems to resolve any leaking issues.

 

[Darkhorse]

I can tell the difference. 4F is faster. I don't have the problems many others claim to have with 4f turning to "soup" etc. I bought a brass push primer around 30 years ago, it throws 3 grains of powder which is about a half pan and has never leaked.
My frizzen and pan top have been worked on so as there is no discernable gap. The brass push primer deposits the prime right where I want it in the pan, so when you close it the prime never works out. When I use my horn or a small primer horn the prime gets all over the pan and the frizzen won't close properly. That doesn't work for me.

 

[shane a gress]

I have used the same priming flask for years and problems with leakage. It hangs from a leather thong tied to vest. Then tucked in a pocket so it doesn't rattle when on the move.

 

[Twowithone]

Never gave 3f a consideration as prime was used to using 4f as prime. Did switch from 2f to 3f for main charge and I swear my ignition is faster.

 

[Einsiedler]

The only reason I prime with FFFFG is because over the decades I’ve inherited 4 pounds of the stuff. One pound is Dupont. And its down to about 1/4 pound left.
Otherwise FFFG works great in all my flinters. My favorite priming horns are simply a whitetail antler tine I hollowed out with a hardwood stopper in the end. As pictured on the right. (However this is a piece of an axis deer shed).

 

[Baxter]

3f main charge and prime works for me. Simple drilled vent. Chambers lock. Coleraine bbl.

 

[Ranger Boyd]

I have several flinters with white lightning vent liners as well as without (besses, etc.). I have always used 3F for both priming and main charge so that I can stock one kind of powder and prime from my horn and I have had no reliability issues, though I do not doubt that 4F would likely be a smidge faster.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I do use a priming horn with FFFFg for my 16 gauge that I use FFg as a main charge. Have a beautiful little flat priming horn Horner75 made me and it is just a delight.

FFFFg can be nice, but may not be mandatory.

I am with you on that. Horner75 made me a beauty as well. Carry it all of the time and prime all my flinters with it.

Dave

 

[Loyalist Dave]

FWIW I use 3Fg to prime and to shoot my rifles. I use 2Fg to prime and shoot my muskets. I've always found it simpler, and I also found that 4Fg in a pan not absolutely sealed from outside, would gather moisture and be damp.

LD

 

[cullen1780]

I've traded all of my 4F & 3F for 2F. The 2F primes just as well or better for me and seems less sensitive to humidity.

 

[Logcutter]

Thanks for all the reply s. I read them all. Don Steele I did take those brass flasks apart and cleaned them as I was thinking the same thing. Still leak. This is what I decided to do. First, I'm going to take a piece of antler and make myself a small priming flask that won't leak. Then I'm going to try priming with both 4F and 3F switching back and forth. I see from what everybody says 3F may well be reliable, but likely slower. Ill see how I feel about that when I try it. If I can live with the slower ignition I am leaning toward having to only carry and use one kind of powder. Ill post again when I have done some shooting with 3F.

 

[Rifleman1776]

This is an old, old, old discussion topic that is unlikely to ever be completely resolved. Yes, I have seen the articles and slo-mo vids that 'sorta' prove ignition is just as fast with 3Fg priming as 4Fg. But, I use 4Fg because I started out using it, like it, believe it is faster. That's my perception. Plus, I have several pounds on hand, three or four small primers with brass spring thingys and three horns with the same brass plunger thingys. That's how it goes in this game. Do yer own thang and wat works for ye. Carry on and enjoy.

 

[Samuel]

I also use 3F for Main charge and Prime no Problems and 2F in Bess for both