Synthetic Powder-????

[PINYONE]

Going to shoot tomorrow- this guy has a flintlock pistol- wanted to know if he can use synthetic powder in it verse Black Powder- anyone know for sure if you can? Pinyone

[Daryl]

Fine, as long as you put down about 5 to 10gr. of real BP first and use BP for prime.

[ottawa]

tryed the synthetic stuff with out the bp base had the ball go half way up the barrel all charge went out ventscared the breeches off me that was in a 45 cal long rifle with a tight patch couldn't pull the ball had to take the breech off to get the ball out .i couldn't find any real bp in California at the time there was no internet to help.

[Mad Monk]

All depends on which of the "synthetic" powders we are taliking about.

Pyrodex nd 777 will reguire a charge of real BP in the breech before loading the main charge.  And real BP MUST be used in the pan of the flintlock.

GOEX's Pinnacle Powder and American Pioneer Powder can be used in some flintlocks without resorting to a breech prime of real back powder.
When GOEX first introduced their Pinnacle Powder I was told to take some and crumble it up in the pan of the flintlock as a lock prime.  Testing it down around 35 degrees.  It worked.  I could shoot the flinter without black powder.  Ignition was a bit slow but it worked.  But this rifle has a fast vent.  Not one with a long hole between the pan opening and the main charge opening.

E. Ogre

[Daryl]

O' Monk who gets Mad - Does GOEX call the Pinnacle powder by FG designations, ie: 2F or 3F?

[Mad Monk]

GOEX Pinnacle comes in 2F and 3F.

It has been produced for GOEX by American Pioneer Powder which used to be Clean Shot until Hodgdon poked Clean Shot in court over the pellet business.

Now with Hodgdon buying GOEX the first of the year I don't see this GOEX and APP relationship lasting very long.

Understand that this thing about grain sizes in the "synthetic" powders has no real relationship to BP grain sizing standards.  The use of 2F and 3F in the "synthetic" powders is strictly an arbitrary thing.

I just looked into the plastic bottle of Pinnacle 3F that sits in my room here.  Sent to me in 2005.  I keep looking into it to see how it is holding up.  Seeing if it forms a solid clump and/or changes odor.  These ascorbic acid based powders have a sweet tangy odor when new.  If they undergo chemical change during storage the odor changes to that of rotting citrus fruits.  The powder then also fuses together to the point where you need to beat it with a big hammer.  So far I am seeing no apparent change in the powder.

I had looked at it for GOEX and for a buddy who is a well known local BP writer.  What would we PA flintlock shooters do if BP were to become almost no longer available.  Would one of the subs actually work in a flinter reliably enough to be used in a hunting weapon or would we all be running out looking for drum and nipple conversions.  Or a mule ear lock if necessary.

So if worst came to worst we might be able to get by with Pinnacle or APP.  But I don't see Pinnacle being around that long if Hodgdon is still gunning for the guy who heads up APP.

E. Ogre