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Swiss Null B Powder

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Nutnfancy

40 Cal
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Location
Crossville, TN
I'm not a flintlock shooter but have watched a lot of videos on shooting muzzleloaders to try to pick up tips. A couple of flintlock shooters have mentioned using Swiss Null B in the primer pan, claim it ignites faster than 4F. I don't personally have any experience with it as I'm strictly a cap lock shooter, just curious.
 
Powder GradeMesh SizeAverage Size in mm.
Whaling4 mesh4.750 mm. (0.187 in.)
Cannon6 mesh3.35 mm. (0.132 in.)
Saluting (A-1)10 mesh2.0 mm. (0.079 in.)
Fg12 mesh1.7 mm. (0.0661 in.)
FFg16 mesh1.18 mm. (0.0469 in.)
FFFg20 mesh0.85 mm. (0.0331 in.)
FFFFg40 mesh0.47 mm.
FFFFFg75 mesh0.149 mm.
Note that the first 3 grades are intended for use with cannon. The A-1 grade is generally used for artillery blanks used for firing gun salutes. Fg is made for using in large bore rifles and shotguns (8-gauge and larger). FFg powder is used for historical small arms such as muskets, fusils, rifles and large pistols. FFFg powder is for smaller caliber rifles (below .45 caliber), pistols, cap-and-ball revolvers, derringers etc. FFFFg and FFFFFg are mostly used as priming powder for flintlocks. In the image above, the two grades of powder were intended to be used in a historical re-enactment and the FFg powder was meant for the main powder charge of a flintlock rifle, while the FFFFg powder was intended to be used in the pan of the flintlock as a priming powder.
 
Swiss Null B is very fine, almost like talcum powder. I use it in flintlock matches. I don't know if I can tell the difference between it and FFFFG, but I believe it is faster, so I use it.

ADK Bigfoot
 
PLetcher's testing results indicated that Null-B is faster than 4F, BUT the instrumental ignition time differences(milliseconds) are below a human's ability to detect the difference. I bought some Null-B out of curiousity so that is what I use. However, I can outflinch the fastest priming powder.
 
Whaling and saluting grades are new ones to me. So what size guns are they appropriate for? I can only imagine with bigger cannons, (like a 12 pounder) you would be going up in size from "regular old cannon grade". I can't imagine how big the grains for the really really big stuff, like coastal defense artillery must be. And, where would you go to shop for such a specialized grade? I'm sure the powder companies could make it on special order though.
 
off the bench I can't tell any difference in priming with 2f 3f or 4f, but when I shoot off hand I can definitely tell 4f is instant and it is faster. I have never used 5f,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
I have tried Null B in my flintlocks and cannot tell the difference between it a 4f in the pan. In humid conditions, the Null B turns to soup quickly.
 
I bought some Null B last year and I can without a doubt tell the difference between that and 4F in my flinter.

Fleener
 
I"ve been a cap lock shooter for over 50 years and though my new flint lock seems to be pretty fast for flint ignition I can tell it isn't even in the same ball park speed wise as is a cap gun and I don't believe any other flint lock is either. There is no way an indirect flash is as fast as a focused charge through a nipple into the main charge.
 
used i once with bad spanish repro locks, imho there is no need for this with good sparking locks.
Using Schweitzer N.r. 2 for all my muzzleloaders from Flintlockpistol to cap lock targetrifle.
 
I"ve been a cap lock shooter for over 50 years and though my new flint lock seems to be pretty fast for flint ignition I can tell it isn't even in the same ball park speed wise as is a cap gun and I don't believe any other flint lock is either. There is no way an indirect flash is as fast as a focused charge through a nipple into the main charge.
Got my popcorn, glasses and comfy pants.
 
I have used Null B for several years. It works very well. It was suggested when I was a Friendship, Ind. I was using a flint fowler on the trap range.
 
I believe the GOEX powders larger than 4F are graphite coated to be less hygroscopic. Their 4F is not. From the above statement that Null B "turns to soup in humid conditions" that would indicate that it is not. I don't know about their other powders either.

Swiss is about 20%-30% more expensive than GOEX in my area, and I didn't see a noticeable difference in my group sizes. To me the only reason to pay a premium for ammunition components is if it will make a noticeable difference in your score, or results. Analogy; I've lost game shot with regular swaged gilded-jacketed bullets before when the bullet blew up on a shoulder and didn't penetrate. I've never lost game hit well with a partitioned bullet, so to me, they're worth the $0.70 differential in price.
 
Haven't gotten to try Null B, yet, and haven't had proper 4F for quite a while,
3F works well in both bore & pan of my .50 SMR.
However, I mill 3F down - in very small batches, in a wooden mortar & pestle - to approximately the 3F-Null B fineness. With it, ignition is definitely faster.
I don't have calibrated sieves but did find an extremely fine, old, kitchen sieve. I use it to separate the fines from any uncrushed grains.

I have a hunch that this may be historically supportable- if not correct.
 
I believe the GOEX powders larger than 4F are graphite coated to be less hygroscopic. Their 4F is not. From the above statement that Null B "turns to soup in humid conditions" that would indicate that it is not. I don't know about their other powders either.

Swiss is about 20%-30% more expensive than GOEX in my area, and I didn't see a noticeable difference in my group sizes. To me the only reason to pay a premium for ammunition components is if it will make a noticeable difference in your score, or results. Analogy; I've lost game shot with regular swaged gilded-jacketed bullets before when the bullet blew up on a shoulder and didn't penetrate. I've never lost game hit well with a partitioned bullet, so to me, they're worth the $0.70 differential in price.

I posted a link above to Swiss powder, the following is from the page.

"The black powder is made entirely with alder buckthorn charcoal with a heavy graphite glazing. Our shooting powder is graded 1-5 under the European classification system, and 1Fg to 4Fg using the Anglo-American scale."
 
I've never found the need to use anything faster than Black Silver No.1 or Swiss No.1. in the pan or in the barrel. Roller on the Feather spring or the Hammer will speed a lock up as will a balanced hammer rotation to the feather spring. These together with linked main spring and relieved surfaces to the tumbler and main spring will all help. I have a lock I made years ago that I made the hammer face almost flat.The geometry of the lock work was to Jhn.Manton design. By accident this is the fastest lock I have ever made. It has a steel barrel from an old BSA single Sleeved into steel tube to give me a 36" tube. I suppose as it a n originally Nitro Proofed barrel it is suitable for Steel even with Black Powder with Bio wad cups?? OLD DOG..
 

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