New Flintlock Need FFFFg powder

[Versanaut]

Black Powder TV did a video on this. He shows them all in sequence at the end.

I use 3F in the bore and pan. (45cal)

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Swiss Null B (0B) has been referred to as 7F. I use it an love it. It is available. Contact the Maine Powder House.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Swiss Null B (0B) has been referred to as 7F. I use it an love it. It is available. Contact the Maine Powder House.

ADK Bigfoot

Thank you, that stuff is amazing.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I've used 1F in the pan of my King's Musket (Brown Bess).

To be certain, 4Fg pan powder is faster than 3f which is faster than 2f, but for all practical purposes it takes @Larry Pletcher's special timing equipment to actually prove it. You do need to have a well tuned lock for ignition to be that fast.

@MTFURY, what kind of sparks do you get from your CVA lock? Some CVA locks may need a bit of tinkering and tuning to work well even with 4F.

 

[UndeadPoet]

Swiss Null B (0B) has been referred to as 7F. I use it an love it. It is available. Contact the Maine Powder House.

ADK Bigfoot

Ahhh…now I get it. Thanks, ADK B!

 

[mingo]

Used 3f for years and years. No noticeable slow ignition.
Got a couple cans of 4f I have had for eons.
Waste of effort to have to use 2 different grades of powder.

 

[kyron4]

MTFURY, I'm still new to flintlock shooting also, and still working on my flintlock kit. I too believed I needed 4F for the pan until I joined this forum. I'll be using 2f in the pan of my 50 . At my age I couldn't imagine ever using a pound of 4f in my life time, would rather buy more 2 f if I'm spending money.

I've been told for hunting, 2f and 3f in the pan is more reliable in damp conditions. Haven't verified that personal, but it came from a long time flintlock hunter.

 

[Coinneach]

I wish you guys stopped using the F word so much on this forum.......

 

[Grenadier1758]

A word of note:

Those handy brass valved flint lock pan charges have such a small diameter spout that only 4F (or Null B) powder can pass through the valve and spout. Most powder horns have a spout that is a bit large for ease in applying powder to the pan and there is a learning curve in developing the technique to get the right amount of powder from the horn into the pan. I often pour too much powder into the pan.

Another nannified caution has been mentioned with respect to the brass pan chargers. You are holding a container with several hundred grains of black powder in your hands. If the dreaded ember left in the barrel ignites the pan powder as the pan is being filled, (of course it should have ignited the main charge that was poured earlier), you are holding a small brass hand grenade. I feel that with the proper cautions, the danger of igniting the charge in the pan primer is small, but I do believe that loading procedures should be followed to minimize any premature ignition of powder while loading.

 

[Greenjoytj]

mortar & pestle can crush a bit of any size powder granulation to a smaller size or reduce it to a fine dust.
I prefer a fine powder in the pan because when the pan powder ignites in a flash, smaller embers of burning powder are thrown out by the pan flash.
I’ve seen many photos of pan ignition and the chunkier the pan powder the further and longer burning get tossed too close to my face for my comfort. A small amount of fine powder in the pan make shooting less disconcerting when the pan flashes.

 

[SamTex1949]

here is George Sutton "Mr Flintlock" using a little priming powder !

 

[flconch53]

OK devils advocate here. The OP stated it is a CVA flintlock. They have a small frizzen and as a consequence a limited amount of spark. They are not going to get the shower of sparks that a brown bess or a good premium lock would get. Finer priming powder is a big help to lower end production locks

 

[Togo]

Yes sir, 3F down the barrel and 4F in the pan.

 

[Brokennock]

I'll jump in here as a "devil's advocate."
I am normally one of the 1st ones to step in with, "no, you don't "need" to get 4f to prime your pan." And you don't need to get it. And you don't need to prime with it.
But, if you already have it, even if you don't normally prime with it, I can see a value in using it now until powder and other shooting components become more available. I suppose one could argue that if you already have some 4f, dumping a fee grains of 3f or 2f in the pan, that could be part of the main charge, is wasteful.

I will most likely continue to prime with 3f, especially in the field. But, as I already have some 4f, I will probably use that on the range for load development shooting.
But if I were out of 4f, I wouldn't be making any effort to get more.

 

[Joemolf]

I'f your firearm works properly you don't need FFFFG, I've been using FFG for the last 25 years to prime.

Agree have good results with Swiss 1 1/2 I have 6 pounds of 4F I’m sorry I bought but I got caught up in buy it before you can’t get it frenzy. hope fully I’ll meet some BP folks this spring and will be able to unload a few.

 

[Buckskinquin]

A word of note:

Those handy brass valved flint lock pan charges have such a small diameter spout that only 4F (or Null B) powder can pass through the valve and spout. Most powder horns have a spout that is a bit large for ease in applying powder to the pan and there is a learning curve in developing the technique to get the right amount of powder from the horn into the pan. I often pour too much powder into the pan.

Another nannified caution has been mentioned with respect to the brass pan chargers. You are holding a container with several hundred grains of black powder in your hands. If the dreaded ember left in the barrel ignites the pan powder as the pan is being filled, (of course it should have ignited the main charge that was poured earlier), you are holding a small brass hand grenade. I feel that with the proper cautions, the danger of igniting the charge in the pan primer is small, but I do believe that loading procedures should be followed to minimize any premature ignition of powder while loading.

I agree the spout on the small brass valve pan primer clogs easily, a small amount of moisture does it in. However, TOTW offers a larger model that works very well in all conditions. Advocate buying one, it pours a perfect amount in pan, without clogging.

 

[unclelouie]

if your set on 4f, take some 3f or 2f and put a little at a time in a fine screen and grind it down to the size of 4f. if you screen out a can of 3f you'll find about 20% of your can is about 4f.

 

[FishDFly]

OP asked where to get powder, 2 folks told him where to get it and in post No. 14 he ordered it and now on post No. 38.

 

[Howard Pippin]

Anybody know of a place selling FFFFg blackpowder Just bought a flintlock (first one ever) and I need a lb of ffffg powder

I agree with Johnny Tremain, 4F works better in my flintlock then 3F and I highly suggest you try it and make your own decision. I also use 4 F for my friend when he dry balls, I take the nipple out, put some 4F in and he's able to shoot the ball out and keep on shooting. The one place I can't use 4F is deer hunting in the wind as 3F stays in the pan longer or easier and I can tolerate the slower fire. Perhaps it just my cheap muzzleloader, but the price of the powder is the same.
Squint

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Just be thankful you dont have to mess with caps.