Assistance with a Flint Firearm

[Henry Foxall]

Mother Batherick and I purchased a Brown Bess musket for use as a demonstrator. We sent it off to get the touch-hole drilled, and are in the market for 2 pounds of FFg, and a pound of FFFFg powder. Anyone here have a supplier we can get to within NC? Failing that - does anyone have experience with black powder substitutes in flint long-arms? I am familiar with Pyrodex from several years ago, and I seem to recall I needed a hotter cap to obtain reliable ignition. Any input would be greatly appreciated, friends!

[Mark Davis]

My limited experience is that black powder substitutes are very difficult to ignite with flintlock.
You might get better faster information from a blackpowder forum.
Surely North Carolina has reenactors, BPCR competitors, and muzzle loader groups.

I do know a source of proper size lead balls.

[2 clicks low]

Try Graff & Sons
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3501
Yes shipping and Hazmat add up, but will be included in anything local.

[Cadence]

I purchased a Brown Bess from the Appleseed buy a few years ago for firing demonstrations. These were reproductions supposedly made in India.

I have have had pretty good luck using Pyrodex FFg in the main charge and Goex FFFFg as a priming powder in the pan. I have found both products at local gun stores that also sell hunting and gun supplies.

You can also try Dixie Gun Works  https://www.dixiegunworks.com/  or   Track of the Wolf  https://www.trackofthewolf.com/

[TrapperPete]

I use Addicted to black powder http://www.addictedtoblackpowder.com/product/ as my primary source for real black , I only use real black in flint, cap and inline.

pyrodex is actually more corrosive than real black.

black stores for 3 life times and even if it got damp it can be dried it is actually made in a wet process in many cases.

the subs seem to have a short few year shelf life after the seal is broken if they are not stored in a very dry place before the seem to be degrade.

the guy to see about rocks aka flint is https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Category.aspx/125  it is a small but probably most stocked shop around for anything muzzle loader or black powder and he ships quick is good to talk with over the phone if you have questions he is a one man operation I think but has a great selection of the otherwise hard to find stuff.

I also recommend a flint hammer the small tool will get you back to showering sparks in a few taps once you learn how to use it , you can really extend the life of a flint.


if you can go together on a case with friends that is the best deal for buying black then you can get it under 20 a pound shipped.  you may think 2 pounds now will do you , but it stores virtually forever check local laws as to how much you may possess where I live 50# is legal in ILL 5# is max without a license. unless your a WI resident and driving your 50# back out of the state of ILL to take it home to WI.

I buy it for the youth muzzle loading program here in the county our last purchase was a 25 pound bag , it came as a cotton sack in a plastic bag I broke it down into cans we had saved. ( I also make the drive to go get it)

I have run FFFg in pan and as the charge you can use less of it as the main charge and especially just for target shooting , the big rock on a brown bess should shower plenty of sparks and it all lights at the same temp

remember your not trying to fuse the main charge your banking the pan charge so that it flashes through the empty flash channel to set off the main charge , I will put my flash channel pick in the flash hole during loading then remove it when charge the pan insuring I have a nice clear path.

I think historically many cut a feather to place in the flash channel and didn't charge the pan until nearly ready to fire a good plug in the flash channel kept the main charge dry even in weather when a tight fitting patch was used around the ball

if you fill the flash channel you fuse the charge and get hang fires.

properly timed a flint lock is as fast as a cap lock.

a pan charger is also very handy https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/83/1/FLASK-PP-4

[Henry Foxall]

Thanks to all for the assistance! I contacted Ethan at Track of the Wolf and he was a plethora of information. My Brown Bess was manufactured in Canada (could STILL have come from India ), helped to figure the proper ball for this barrel (0.715"), and recommended doing the paper cartridges, as they would be more historically accurate. I have a few pounds of FFg and FFFFg on the way from Virginia (reasonably priced) and am gathering the pan charger and other items that, while not being correct for 1775, will make for safety, at least around the house!

Again, thank you all for the great assistance! Looking forward to trying her out in January!   

[ncflintlock]

There are a few Black Powder clubs in NC.  I would suggest visiting one of them to help you lean about the Bess.

http://ncflintlock.wix.com/llr#!clubs

-kendall

[hogfamily]

This is a great BP forum. The smoothbore section has a lot of great Brown Bess  info including some lively discussions about Indian made BB.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/

[Yankee Doodle]

Thanks to all for the assistance! I contacted Ethan at Track of the Wolf and he was a plethora of information. My Brown Bess was manufactured in Canada (could STILL have come from India ), helped to figure the proper ball for this barrel (0.715"), and recommended doing the paper cartridges, as they would be more historically accurate. I have a few pounds of FFg and FFFFg on the way from Virginia (reasonably priced) and am gathering the pan charger and other items that, while not being correct for 1775, will make for safety, at least around the house!

Again, thank you all for the great assistance! Looking forward to trying her out in January!   

With my Bess (A Miroku made for the Bicentennial - owned by a guy in Mass who carried it at Lexington and Concord from 1975 through the 90s) and Charleville (a new Pedersoli I got for a steal), I use FFg for both priming and the main charge, and have never had an issue with a failure to fire on either.  If you want good deals on powder (as well as the experience of firing volleys and such), a local reenactment group is a good place to start.  Other than online, I know Bass Pro and Cabela's carries it (at a pretty good premium) - you will have to ask for it at the counter though.

A good source for a paper cartridge kit is Jefferson Arsenal (https://www.thejeffersonarsenal.com/) - they have kits available with mock Colonial newsprint that would have been used by American militia forces as well as the Continental Line troops.  The kits come with everything you need to roll your own save the powder, plus instructions on how to do it (YouTube is also a great resource here).  If you elect to use the paper cartridges instead of a powder horn (and you should, as there's nothing more fun than biting the top off a cartridge and getting black powder in your mouth  ), you will also want to get a cartridge box of some kind - they range from around $40 on up to well over $200.  I'm getting ready to get a new one - I have an old one that's not 100% period correct, but I'd be willing to give to you once the new one arrives.

Flinters are a whole lot of fun!!  (Especially at night!)