How you fill your pan makes no difference ...

[Flintlock Whiskey]

And who says I 'waist' it??
The doc always said I need a little more "iron" in my diet.

Well..........
when put that way...

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Haven't been on this forum in a long time.
This conversation is reminding me why.

Really?!

 

[shaman]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

 

[French Colonial]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

Yes, for me this is a relaxing pastime, others obsess and worry over small things and I wonder at what point does it quit being fun and become something else.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

It is known that the hottest part of the flame is right above the burning surface. Therefore, the theory went that by having the pan powder away from the touch hole the hottest part of the pan flash would be directed toward the touch hole. In practice and based on @Larry Pletcher's measurements, having the powder distributed from the touch hole to the far side of the pan provided more area for sparks to find and ignite powder and still kept that hottest part of pan ignition right at the touch hole. Or as @Rob M. has observed, how you fill your pan makes no difference.

The tilt or shake to the right may move some powder from the main charge closer to the touch hole. If the load is well seated on the charge, then moving powder from the charge to the touch hole isn't too likely.

 

[Rob M.]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

Each lock IS different and some have a peculiarity all their own but as I mentioned at the beginning , if you have to do some weird ritual for the gun to go off there is a problem and it needs to be addressed if you want reliable and fast ignition. Some folks are happy with their little ritual and thats ok , more power to them but .... you should just be able to dump powder in the pan , shut it , full cock and pull the trigger ....thats it . Thats the way its supposed to be but folks tend to associate slow or haphazard ignition with a flintlock so never really question why their ignition is like that , they just accept it , and its not necessary . That was the whole point of this thread but some people have taken it as can affront to their priming ritual .... Oh boy , but ...youll have that ...I guess . Yeah , you can have too much powder in the pan , it won't close completely ....I just knock out the excess with my finger and close the pan . Now dont get me wrong . ...some pans are very shallow and some and huge .... If you like just a wee bit of powder so there is less flinching to you , yeah , go for it , makes sense but that Flintlock should go off and go off fast each and every time whether that pan is barely full , half full , clear full , parted down the middle , shoved against the touch hole , shoved away from the touch hole , shot right side up or upside down ! If it doesnt ....something is wrong and your firearm needs attention to fix it .

 

[Mad L]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

Well, our muzzleloaders are in fact Ol'skool, so it would only stand to reason that they function best on ol'skool measurements.
Let's break it all down:

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I was wondering about this. I'm a relative newbie. Prior to March of last year, I'd fired flintlocks, but I'd never loaded one. I get my Brown Bess, and this was one of my big questions. The most succinct answer I got was to pour a bit in the pan, close it up and give it a tilt or shake to the right.

But how much was a bit? Can you have too much?

The matter was solved when I realized that I'd just touched off a round with nothing in the pan. I stopped worrying.

I read a bit of history about the trade guns the Indians had where they supposedly opened the vent a bit more to allow powder to "flow" into the (closed) flash pan. Thereby cutting reloading time down. I can provide the source link if desired.

 

[Rob M.]

Bobba Bouy .....

Let's try another one , shorter one . Ah , cool ....this one of upside down shooting is going to work , cool. Maybe someone can shorten the other one for me so I can post it , if not I'll just have to try and make a new , short VDO

 

[flconch53]

If you touch hole is placed properly you can prime with your eyes closed.
Firing upside down was required for several shots on our range. It's really no big deal.
In fact I have shot entire matches upside down just to xxxx all the caplock shooters off.

I shot a match once that Lizard was running . 1 shot was upside down from the top of your head. That was different but the gun went off just fine

 

[DixieTexian]

I fill it all the way up just to be safe. Then I think about boobs so I don't even notice the extra flash. Still working on trying to hit the target.

 

[maillemaker]

I hear so many times you have to fill the pan , half way , push the powder away , or sometimes , toward the pan , use 4 F , dont put too much in , part it down the middle , make a void near the T.H. etc. etc. this or that .... You should be able to just dump powder in the pan and close the frizzen thats it . If you over fill it too much and the frizzen wont close , sure , knock some out so it'll close completely but thats it . If you have to do some sortta voodoo for your flintlock to go off or if you aren't getting fast ignition ....something is wrong with your lock , your Touch hole , or both .

One of the last few issues of Muzzle Blasts they ran an article of a guy who did experiments with high speed photography looking down the bore where the pan was filled away from the touch hole vs. near it.

Near it made a noticeably brighter flash in the bore.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I call MALARKEY on you all!
Your just getting by on pure dumb luck!
Six pages on how to fill the prime pan and not one of you get it, not one of you understand to true art of muzzleloading.

I learned the right way from the masters before the Internet had web pages or pictures, we only had Bulletin Boards and were not confused or distracted by flashy objects on the screen (and we typed with our Fingers not our thumbs!).

First you need the right touch hole prick: an iron horse shoe nail, from the Front Right hood, and don't use one that had been 'thrown' as that is Bad Mojo.
Then forge it during the light of a full Harvest moon and quench it in som fine whiskey, but this must be done Before midnight, not a second past else the Witching Hour will curse the pick.
Now you need some some fine FFFFg powder (only because I bought too much years ago and need to use it up).
Fill the pan EXACTLY one half full, not a grain more, and use your nail pick to store it around as this breaks up any clumping that may ha occured then pour just a little bit more but never more then two thirds of a pan. Now once again take that Harvest Moon forged iron pick and make three tiny holes in the powder leading Away from the touch hole, NEVER toward it.
Now close the frizzen, raise the gun, put your left foot in and put your left foot out - DO NOT TURN AROUND OR THE RANGE OFFICER WILL SHOUT! And pull the trigger.

Works every time.

Now we all know the proper way to prune a muzzleloader so now let's discuss how to get that Stuck Ball out as we did not say to Charge The Bloody contraption first!!!!!

Wow, and I thought it was going to be difficult.

 

[Beaverman2]

I use a half of pyrodex pellet in my pan, works GREAT!

 

[UNCLERICKY]

I figure that my next purchase will be a flintlock this is good info for me!

 

[bud in pa]

I don't know how I prime my pan, I just do it>

 

[WALT53]

I don't know how I prime my pan, I just do it>

Well I’m real green about all this flintlock stuff but I got some good advice from a fellow when I built my first ever gun a little flint lock I named slim and lock and touch hole placement I must of got right .Prof is in the pudding gents is all I can say .

 

[springfield art]

Yeah, that is a test for a really fine flint lock; firing it upside down! I don't think any of mine would pass, but haven't tried it! We do see many street shooters in the criminal class firing upside down and sideways, but that's the unspeakable modern stuff!

 

[Rob M.]

Well I’m real green about all this flintlock stuff but I got some good advice from a fellow when I built my first ever gun a little flint lock I named slim and lock and touch hole placement I must of got right .Prof is in the pudding gents is all I can say .

The guy shootin the NW just really knows what he's doin .... He must be a Miller !!

 

[Rob M.]

I don't know how I prime my pan, I just do it>

Thats a good sign bud !!