Grinding Powder

[Walkabout]

This is probably a dumb question, but is it possible to grind 2F BP to a finer powder for flintlock ignition? Thanks

 

[Scota@4570]

I have put small amounts of powder between folded paper and used a rolling pin to crush it.

Consider trying the 2F as is in the pan. With a vent liner you should be igniting the main charge by infrared heat, not a fuse effect.

 

[deerstalkert]

if you sift your ffg through a fine kitchen strainer you will usually get fines sufficient for priming.
another way is to dump ffg into the strainer and "grind" it through the mesh with a plastic kitchen spoon. best to wait for the wife to be gone though.
i second the trying the ffg in the pan. works for me and many others.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use a wooden mortar and pedistal to grind priming powder. MY friend uses two wooden spoons. Just do a small amount at a time and don't be in a hurry. Most powder you buy has a thin graphite coating to prevent the powder from drawing moisture and clumping, when you grind it finer you will reduce the coating so don't grind large quanities or it will draw moisture before you use it all.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is possible to grind bp. But you will not get a finer granulation, you will get dust.

 

[ord sgt]

There is really no need to grind powder to a finer size. If used in the pan of flintlocks, FFg will ignite easily and flash through the vent into the main charge, as long as you get plenty of spark from your flint and frizzen.

 

[hanshi]

Once again, 2F will do the job as prime and you won't know the difference. But if you insist on it just sift it for the "fines" as has been suggested.

 

[Rudyard]

In general Ide agree with most opinions re need to be priming as it comes & even F works as priming & powder will generally pour out in varying sizes .But for matchlocks I grind it to snuff like state as the coal is more a' red' hot & not the scintilating' white' hot it should have from the steel sparks . Might just be my foible but if it makes me think ime getting best results its worth the indulgence . Rudyard

 

[PathfinderNC]

Yes. I do it for my priming powder. Wooden pestle in a ceramic bowl. Perfect results.

 

[oldwood]

Have used wooden mortar and pestle many times for priming powder. I use a 1/16 " touch hole and have better ignition with finer grind. Use 4f and only used to use ground powder in a pinch.

 

[Doc]

From a kitchen supply house you can purchase a marble mortar and pestle for about $20. Out west many of us grind 4f to 5 to get a surer and hopefully faster ignition. I know physically it may not be much, but if it gives you mentally an edge, you are ahead of the game.
Doc,

 

[FlinterNick]

You’ll end up with bp dust. Not a good thing

 

[ltdann]

I've successfully take one of those little rock polishing tumblers and dropped some 3F and maybe half a dozen lead balls into it and turned into a ball mill. Works like a champ....that said, I'd still do it outside on an extension cord....

 

[Doc]

You’ll end up with bp dust. Not a good thing

Apparently you have never tried doing it. I have repeatedly ground 4f into what I would call 5f using a marble mortar and pestle it takes a bit off work to get it to 5f. I would go on to say if one lives in a very humid environment 5f may not be a very good thing. However in a normal or dry environment 5f is a very good thing.
Doc,

 

[deerstalkert]

if grinding only produces dust, i have been shooting dust for 60+ years. sometimes i will grind 3 times to get the size i want. then dust it with graphite and tumble it alone to polish. this aids in moisture resistance.

 

[FlinterNick]

Apparently you have never tried doing it. I have repeatedly ground 4f into what I would call 5f using a marble mortar and pestle it takes a bit off work to get it to 5f. I would go on to say if one lives in a very humid environment 5f may not be a very good thing. However in a normal or dry environment 5f is a very good thing.
Doc,

I don’t need to try it …

 

[Brokennock]

Can someone please explain to me, without being a wise___, or otherwise getting emotional and defensive about it,,,,, what is this obsession people seem to have developed about grinding powder? It seems this topic comes up frequently, maybe with increasing frequency.
With a few hundred years of priming guns with whatever powder was used to charge the gun and a huge number of people replying in modern times that their 2f and 3f works just fine in the pan, I really and truly don't understand this question.

Thanks in advance for any reasonable answer.

 

[deerstalkert]

i think, and its only my thought, and i haven't had coffee yet, that most of the "obsession " stems from the misconception of shooters that their misfires, flash in the pans, and klatches are the fault of the powder size.
sharp flints, vent picking, cleaning the flint edge and frizzen, don't enter their minds ad possible problems. these are things you learn are part and parcel of the complete process of shooting flintlocks. and then there are some that just have to use two horns to validate their experience.

 

[jdw276]

i think, and its only my thought, and i haven't had coffee yet, that most of the "obsession " stems from the misconception of shooters that their misfires, flash in the pans, and klatches are the fault of the powder size.
sharp flints, vent picking, cleaning the flint edge and frizzen, don't enter their minds ad possible problems. these are things you learn are part and parcel of the complete process of shooting flintlocks. and then there are some that just have to use two horns to validate their experience.

I find that some of the items I build, a horn or pan primer sometimes do not like to feed the larger grains. Example is the brass spring 1 grain pan charger valve. I have tried 3f but it clogs up and gives me short pan charge. The 3gr pan charger feeds it all, no issues. Sometimes my home made horn pan charger clogs as well making me shake and pour as I prefer a smaller pour spout and plug to control flow for pan priming. The carry horns i make have a 3/8 or so and all flows well it seems if i pan charge from my carry horn.

 

[Doc]

Can someone please explain to me, without being a wise___, or otherwise getting emotional and defensive about it,,,,, what is this obsession people seem to have developed about grinding powder? It seems this topic comes up frequently, maybe with increasing frequency.
With a few hundred years of priming guns with whatever powder was used to charge the gun and a huge number of people replying in modern times that their 2f and 3f works just fine in the pan, I really and truly don't understand this question.

Thanks in advance for any reasonable answer.

Brokennock, under slow-mo it’s been shown and timed, there’s a tiny bit of difference between 2, 3 and 4f on the average shot. Using 5, or 6f everything stays very much cleaner. But the real thing is for a competitive target shooter especially off hand the mental aspect comes into play. A top shooter knows when the gun is going off pulls (jerks) the trigger when the sights align. As much as we wish, off hand unfortunately the barrel does keep moving. When the competitor KNOWS ?? the shot is going off faster, whether it does or not has no bearing. He is confident, therefore more likely to hit exactly where he want’s. I unfortunately have dropped out of the top category because of age. But I admit I still use 5f. It certainly can’t hurt.
Doc,