Powder Measure for black powder

[bigted]

Sparks from a flintlock are actually hot chunks of metal shaved off the frizzen.
Yes anybody that loads a muzzle loader directly from a powder horn is asking for trouble, unless they are using water to extinquish the embers left in the barrel of a muzzle loader.
Loose black powder just goes phisst,, compressed/confined black will explode.

Dang Hogdons and the Pyrodex confusion...... Blackpowder charges are always expressed in grains, or drams weight. Even in the 1800's shooters were admonished to weigh and measure their charges. Pyrodex and other subs are designed to be used on a Volume basis when thrown from a typical blackpowder measure set to throw a given charge in grains or drams.

thanks Don for this bit. was about to post something along the same lines. what happens with a flintlock is nothing like what is suppose to happen with STATIC ELECTRICITY. without the amperage to drive the voltage in static electricity ... almost no useful happening will result from the static. now the shards of burning metal from the frizen is another story. these are ON FIRE and not just sparks but burning chunks of metal as Don suggested ... it is the why of having to replace the frizen from time to time on rifles/pistols that have been shot a few thousand times ... every strike removes some metal from it and after awhile these needs to be a replacement piece installed.

[M-Tecs]

I am not worried in the least about normal grades of black powder being set off by static electricity. I do have a concern about black powder dust and static electricity. Grains like wheat are not normally considered explosive. However wheat dust has leveled many of granaries. I wonder how super fine black powder and static electricity react together?

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i am far from an expert in the area however i have read of others that have more savvy than myself and the experiments of such and find no place where STATIC electricity has ever been a problem ... now by STATIC ... i mean like that that develops on the outside of a balloon or the rubbing of something like a PVC pipe or that kinda material. this kind of static electricity has no poop ... in other words it has no power without some amperage to go with it. i have seen nice blue flame from telephone wires and i believe they carry like 10,000 volts or some such but with just a milliamp of amperage. the voltage is to carry sound but do no harm to anything it contacts.

those grain elevators and such that blow up have a real ignition source that belts the fine dust in the air to set it off. im bettin that if investigated ... the dust was set off with flame instead of a lil static spark ... someone will prolly tell me why im all wet and im all for it as i like to learn stuff as well.

i have set off wood dust when welding in an old sawmill high up in the air. it was a huge flash of light that nearly made this pilgrim lose his grip and take a 35 foot tumble down on the machinery ... however my knees refused to give up on their grip on the narrow beam upon which i sat ... er gripped ... didn't smell too good for awhile tho after and me drawers had a peculiar stain in the posterior section ... this was an open flame tho with plenty of amperage to make the voltage actually do something so i guess it were a bit different than that of which we speak of here.