4 f pan ignition

[Irishmusket]

If your lock is sparking well and throwing good spark in the pan and your barrel is well vented not to small wich an awful lot of flintlocks have very small venting many are made that way and can cause the problem even if a gun with small venting fires it will not belong before it stops flintlocks are dirty fouling is a problem which you must deal with when shooting them .Some times the rifle or musket the vent is to high or to low to high a common problem dirty lock poor condtion frizzen or flint clogged vent very dirty priming pan and vent all or any oneof the problem can cause what you say is happening

 

[flntlokr]

I always tip the gun after priming, to tip some powder into the vent, then tip it the other way, give it a couple of smacks to get (most of the) powder back out and away from the vent opening. I think that the dust left in the flash channel helps the flash along, without creating a fuse. Works for me.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I always tip the gun after priming, to tip some powder into the vent, then tip it the other way, give it a couple of smacks to get (most of the) powder back out and away from the vent opening. I think that the dust left in the flash channel helps the flash along, without creating a fuse. Works for me.

Likewise.

wm

 

[hanshi]

3F in the pan works very well for me and that's what I'm currently using. I don't have any 4F, which I prefer, but am out of it.

 

[rkcohen]

..so, can you take 2f and crush it for pan use?

 

[excess650]

..so, can you take 2f and crush it for pan use?

Crush it at your own risk! If you do try this, make sure you do small quantities and with non-sparking materials. I'm thinking a wooden mortar and pestle might be OK.

I use those small, brass, push to operate pan chargers, and they won't pass fffg. I see that there is a similar "free flow" version, and I'm curious as to whether it will work with fffg.

 

[Grimord]

Crush it at your own risk! If you do try this, make sure you do small quantities and with non-sparking materials. I'm thinking a wooden mortar and pestle might be OK.

I use those small, brass, push to operate pan chargers, and they won't pass fffg. I see that there is a similar "free flow" version, and I'm curious as to whether it will work with fffg.

Yes, it will flow with 3f. Have used one for years with no issues.

 

[tenngun]

..so, can you take 2f and crush it for pan use?

No
Well you can but it’s not the best idea

 

[Brokennock]

..so, can you take 2f and crush it for pan use?

Why? 2f and 3f will work just fine in the pan as is.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Wooden power grinder. Don't use anything metal. It takes a while to grind up a half pound. And you can get down to Nul B powder.

 

[hanshi]

Three F works just fine in the pan; use that and save time.

 

[Stantheman86]

I've used 1f in the pan of my 1795 Springfield repro but fast ignition is less of a concern

 

[Tom Compton]

My trade gun either fails to ignite 4f or I get delayed hang fire. 4 f is not damp. So I switched to
2 f and get almost instant ignition? I’m at a loss . Need some help here! Any thoughts?

I’ve been shooting flinter almost 50 years. Good dry real black powder with a hot spark will ignite. sounds like the 4F is damp or contaminated in some way. Spread a real thin layer 4F (enough to prime the pan several times) on a pice of cardboard in the sun to dry. Either knap the flint or install a new one. After you’re sure it’s dry, test a couple of pans.
If you’re getting sparks and no or weak ignition borrow some 4F from another shooter to prove it’s your supply of 4F.

The main charge is ignited by the heat of the prime and 4F burns hotter than FFF just as FFF burns hotter than FFg.
TC

 

[Crow-Feather]

My trade gun either fails to ignite 4f or I get delayed hang fire. 4 f is not damp. So I switched to
2 f and get almost instant ignition? I’m at a loss . Need some help here! Any thoughts?

Well, if 2f works, what is the problem? Use 2f powder.

 

[Texas Gil]

Well, if 2f works, what is the problem? Use 2f powder.

That is my solution!

 

[bud in pa]

I load my cartridges for my 20 gauge with 3F. I prime right from the cartridge and do nothing special . The Gun fires 99.9 of the time.

 

[Historian]

Crush it at your own risk! If you do try this, make sure you do small quantities and with non-sparking materials. I'm thinking a wooden mortar and pestle might be OK.

I use those small, brass, push to operate pan chargers, and they won't pass fffg. I see that there is a similar "free flow" version, and I'm curious as to whether it will work with fffg.

Yes, the Free Flow one I have from TOW does work with 3Fg.

 

[billraby]

I use 2f for main charge and the pan all the time and it works just fine. Only time I use 4f in the pan is if I am using 1f for the main charge.

 

[ML48]

in my mortimer i use 3f, when i charge i close the frisson and smack the stock on the lock side before seating the ball.
8 out of 10 times i get enough through the vent to fire the charge. don't get simpler than that.

Wow, I do the exact same thing with my sidelock to ensure a positive ignition. Hasn't failed me yet.

 

[deerstalkert]

i always pour powder into the barrel with the lock down, then smack the side to fill the fire channel, but have never gotten powder out of the nipple!