Gator 4F or Goex?

[mark davidson]

I sent a buddy for some Goex 4F for pan primer and he got some Gator 4F cause the shop guy said it was hotter and better. What do you experienced guys here think? I highly trust the shop guy cause he is very experienced and knowlegable but Goex is kind of the norm it seems in this field and I am new so I just have to rely on others till I can get some years behind me. The Gator supposedly has been filtered only once and has more dust than Goex. Is that true and what difference does it make? Will the Gator be better in damp Mississippi conditions or should I return it and get the Goex?

 

[jtmattison]

Gator 4f

Never heard of it.

HD

 

[RetiredMedic]

I never heard of it either.

I did a web seach and found nothing on it..

Do you have a picture of the can??

 

[swquiro]

I bet that is the new stuff that the good folks at Gator-Aid have just started to produce :grin: .

 

[Rebel]

Don't think it is a Gator, must be a Crock. :grin:

 

[roundball]

I sent a buddy for some Goex 4F for pan primer and he got some Gator 4F cause the shop guy said it was hotter and better. What do you experienced guys here think? I highly trust the shop guy cause he is very experienced and knowlegable but Goex is kind of the norm it seems in this field and I am new so I just have to rely on others till I can get some years behind me. The Gator supposedly has been filtered only once and has more dust than Goex. Is that true and what difference does it make? Will the Gator be better in damp Mississippi conditions or should I return it and get the Goex?

Personally I'd return it because you don't know what it is...it might be laced with 50% Bullseye smokeless powder for all you know....and if not you probably can't get it regularly enough to have consistency anyway...IMO, stick with Goex.

The bad news is the seller probably won't take it back...and shouldn't take it back (ie: Bullseye)....and legally he may not be able to.

 

[Jumpshot]

Never heard of it. The only product I could find with a search is Gator black powder coating for truck light bars and such.

Possibly another brand put in a can labeled 'Gator powder', supposedly hotter and thus, more expensive? It's not difficult to print up your own label and stick it on a plain can.

Unless it's some small brand made by a guy in his backyard that no one outside your neck of the woods has ever heard of.

 

[roundball]

Never heard of it. The only product I could find with a search is Gator black powder coating for truck light bars and such.

Possibly another brand put in a can labeled 'Gator powder', supposedly hotter and thus, more expensive? It's not difficult to print up your own label and stick it on a plain can.

Unless it's some small brand made by a guy in his backyard that no one outside your neck of the woods has ever heard of.

And scroll 2/3rds way down for another reference to a Rod & Gun Club selling Gator Powder
[url] http://www.ambackforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=17830&sid=347f7f7118b5c84abf37a33a5048685[/url]

 

[OTHERN]

Gator Priming powder is safe and OK. It is Elephant powder. It is unscreened and has more fines in it than 4F which is supposed to make it better. I personally can not tell the difference. It is uncoated and will gum up faster in wet weather than Goex 4F. The powder vendor at western nationals is the person who puts it in cans and sells it.

Othern

 

[paulvallandigham]

I am told by persons far wiser than me about these things, that the " g " after the F's in Goex FFFg powder, for instance, indicates that the powder is coated in Graphite. If that is true, then FFFFg priming powder is also coated in Graphite. This protects the powder from igntion by static electricity, and also helps protect the power from moisture in the air. It is powder residue that is hygroscopic. Use that unknown powder to prime on sunny dry days. Don't ever put it down the barrel.

 

[Jumpshot]

So it's just low-grade Elephant powder sold in plain cans. Sounds like it doesn't perform too well, from those accounts. Probably better off just buying GOEX.

 

[Mike Brooks]

My experience e with super fine priming powders hasn't been good. Absorbs moisture quickly and turns into mud. I've seen and used 7fffffff and 12ffffffffffff (dust) . I actually find 3fff to be ideal for priming powder.

 

[Tom Gauldin]

I still use DuPont !!!!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Mike Brooks. Thank you for that comment. My experience is similar, altho I didn't have the 12F from a can- just the " dust " from the bottom of a can of 4Fg that took more than 10 years to use. If I was planning to continue to use 4Fg powder for priming anywhere but on the range, when I am doing accuracy testing, I would be buying a screen to screen the dust and " fines" out of the 4F powder, as I have done with 2Fg, and 3Fg powders.

I can tolerate the fines turning to mush if I don't get my shot off on the range; I found it a real pain in the field. :hatsoff:

 

[SimonKenton]

Jumpshot,

"low grade" and "Elephant powder" are two of the same thing. :barf:

-Ray

 

[torn moc]

Just stick with the Goex....you dont need any substitute related to an elephant or crock...
I would not use anything BUBBA poured onto a can..
:nono:

 

[mmahlock]

I am told by persons far wiser than me about these things, that the " g " after the F's in Goex FFFg powder, for instance, indicates that the powder is coated in Graphite. If that is true, then FFFFg priming powder is also coated in Graphite. This protects the powder from igntion by static electricity, and also helps protect the power from moisture in the air. It is powder residue that is hygroscopic. Use that unknown powder to prime on sunny dry days. Don't ever put it down the barrel.

The "g" after the screen size of the powder indicates that it has been "glazed" with as you say graphite. The introduction of glazing in the manufacture of black powder was a significant improvement. It also helps the powder granules to remain whole and not breakup producing a lot of fine powder during shipment. Some folks here have from time to time tried to use fireworks or pyrotechnic powder which is not glazed with interesting results. Mostly in the area of additional fowling. :hatsoff:

 

[worker11811]

Some folks here have from time to time tried to use fireworks or pyrotechnic powder which is not glazed with interesting results. Mostly in the area of additional fowling.

This brings up a question for me.
No, I'm not thinking of actually doing this. Nor am I suggesting anybody else do it either. I'm just wondering "What if..."

What if there was a little powdered magnesium mixed with the priming powder?
(Just the prime. NOT the main charge.)

I went to high school when they actually TAUGHT chemistry. Back in the day, we learned about gunpowder and how/why it worked.

We actually made black powder (in small amounts) and touched it off under the fume hood.

One of the experiments we did was to add different substances to the powder to see what happened.

IF the right amount of magnesium powder was added you would make flash powder.

So, what would happen if you used flash powder in your pan?

(Strictly gedanken. No intention on doing this for real.)

My guess is that the flash would be too fast.
All the prime powder would be burned up and gone before it had a chance to ignite the main charge.