Priming with main charge powder

[Old Timer 48]

Those of you who use 2F for the main charge, do any of you use the 2F for priming?

 

[BrownBear]

Sure. The guns I'm using with 2f don't seem to notice the difference in terms of reliability. And I'm not good enough to notice millisecond differences in ignition time. But I'm measuring success in venison on freezer shelves and not holes in paper.

Heck, I'm burning 1f in my Bess and it's perfectly happy with 1f prime. I figger that big old pan was put there for a reason. Whatever granulation the original troops were using in their Bess cartridges, they were using the same stuff for prime. So I figure my reasoning is absolutely sound.

 

[bender20]

Yup never noticed a difference. Might even argue that it seems to work better in the wet due to less surface area to absorb moisture but can't prove it just my observation.

 

[54ball]

Yes.
I still have a 7/8 can of 4ffffg from 1995, likely I will never use it all. I have not opened it in years as I prime and load from the same horn.

Now I get a lot of Ka-pows but that's just as likely due to drilled vents...and it's no problem.

 

[tenngun]

Yup, I prime with what is in the horn. Old timers did too.

 

[Mickc01]

FFg should do fine for charging and priming. That said though, I've always used fffg for everything, main and priming. I use the finer powder in my Brown Bess and fowling piece all the way down to my .45 cal rifle. I see no need to add steps and another piece of equipment when you don't have to. Don't forget the old KISS principle. Solicited or not, that's my 2 cents. Have fun...Mick C

 

[wulf]

You said it perfectly........
Wulf

 

[Darkgael]

Yep. FFFg for both in my fowler.

Pete

 

[Billnpatti]

I think I remember Larry Pletcher (Pletch) doing some high speed photography experiments that showed that there was a very small difference in the burning rate of the various granulations of black powder. Even so, I think that from a practical point, you will not be able to detect any difference in the ignition when using the various granulations of 1Fg to 4Fg in your pan. I don't know for sure but I would expect that if you were to try something very course such as cannon powder in your pan, you might detect it burning a bit slower. I have never tried it so it is just a guess on my part.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

HI Bill,
Both of these concepts are correct. First, human senses cannot detect the difference between grain sizes. Our eyes and ears are just not that good.

However that does not mean there is no difference. In tests where I ran 20 trials with 6 different powders, the slowest Swiss Null B time recorded was faster than the fastest Goex 3fg time recorded.

I do prime from a flat horn carried in my pocket. I like fast, but the main reason I do this is because the flat horn is handier for me than handling the main horn and stopper twice. Even if I carried 3fg in the priming horn, it would be easier than handling the main horn twice.

Regards,
Pletch

 

[hanshi]

I see no real problems in using the same horn for both main charge and prime. I've done this myself. However, I much prefer and normally use a small 4F priming horn for the prime charge.

 

[Vaino]

I use 3f in all my hunting MLers and also have used 3f for priming, although normally use 4f...only because I've got a can of 4f that doesn't empty....the level somehow doesn't seem to go down.....Fred

 

[Crewdawg445]

On my trade rifle, 2F in the pipe, 2F in the pan.

With your rifle set up correctly you shouldn't have any issues at all.

Is priming powder faster? Absolutely, just not enough for me to buy an extra powder or carry it.

 

[Kapow]

HEY!!! That's my word...!!

 

[MSW]

try it for yourself. then you will know what works (or doesn't work) for your situation, and you can say to those who would sit in their collective armchair and tell you what to do: "well, my way works for me, so thanks for the advice..."
good luck with your project , and

Make Good Smoke!

 

[jeremiah ingraham]

When I had a Tulle I used 2f for both main charge and priming with no issues. I have used 4f with other guns but did not notice enough of a difference to justify the need for an extra horn or flask.

 

[FPDoc]

I own a can of ffffg (it's required isn't it?) but it will last me at least a lifetime. I usually prime with whatever I use for the main charge. A millisecond or two ignition time is a long way down the list of my marksmanship problems.

 

[mike garner]

i was shooting my 62 jaeger yesterday, i tried the 2f in the pan. it seemed to be even faster than with 4f probably just my imagination as it is lightning fast anyway. but no more 4f for me....

 

[Gene L]

I can tell a difference between 3F in the pan and 4F. While 3F works, 4F for me is demonstrably quicker...at least for me. We carry all sorts of accouterments for BP shooting, and most carry a horn or a flask for priming. Filling the horn or flask with 4F takes no more time or equipment than filling it with 2F.

My priming flask is about the size of my little finger, so I don't begrudge the size.

As I said in another thread, I see no disadvantage to priming with 4F. If I'm missing something here as a newcomer to flintlocks, please show me where, as I seek to improve the experience.

 

[BrownBear]

As I said in another thread, I see no disadvantage to priming with 4F. If I'm missing something here as a newcomer to flintlocks, please show me where, as I seek to improve the experience.

Unless you live in really wet country, my big difference will be theoretical to you. But right here we average 90 inches of rain a year, and some years it tops well over 100. In this climate, 4f requires very frequent prime changes even if you never fire a shot. If you're getting frequent shots as we do in hunting snowshoe hare, you'll learn lessons in cleaning and drying frizzens and pans you don't even want to think about. If those two aren't perfect, a 4f prime will turn into black soup before you can get the frizzen closed.

Larger granulations aren't perfect prime either, but they're better. Enough better to make me appreciate how easy it was to drop my 4f charger in the tall grass and not even try to find it.