FG conversion to FA

[tmacmi]

I have a dealer of Swiss Black Powder near me. Unfortunately they only sell Fa powder.

I usually use 1 1/2 Fg. I was at the shop and didn't have much information to work with and ended up buying 4Fa. I compared the two and the 1 1/2 Fg is much smaller and more shiny.

The question is: can you use Fa powder at all in in a gun and, if so, how do you convert one to the other.

[MUSTANG]

And I thought you were going to give a post on converting an FG-42 selective-fire 7.92×57mm Mauser automatic rifle to "Rock and Roll".
selective-fire 7.92×57mm Mauser automatic rifle

[jdfoxinc]

Fa is fireworks grade. Fg is polished and coated with graphite. In short yes you can use Fa in muzzle loaders. Warning there may be more fines in a bottle. Ask the dealer.

[MUSTANG]

Thanks. A bit of knowledge I had never run across before.

[indian joe]

Thanks. A bit of knowledge I had never run across before.

the Swiss must have decided to be different - 4FA from most powder works you would have made the right choice - if you screened 4FA out you get some Fg, Mostly FFg and a little bit of FFFg ...so it would be expected that 1,&1/2 Fg would be right there in the middle of 4FA.
FA grades are usually graphited unless specified not, in which case its branded 4FA ug (for ungraphited) - ungraphited burns a tad quicker and a tad cleaner but it doesnt run as nice through measures - more likely to bridge up and clog spouts etc -- if you buy ungraphited 4FA or 5FA, re screen it to proper grades and get used to the way it runs (or doesnt), you will have better powder for less $'s from most powder mills

[tmacmi]

The label says 4FA X polished granular powder (0.85 - 1.7 mm)

t if you buy ungraphited 4FA or 5FA, re screen it to proper grades and get used to the way it runs (or doesnt), you will have better powder for less $'s from most powder mills

Where do you get screens with the proper sizing and what is the proper size for FFg

I do want to be extra careful with this. I'm shooting an original 1853 slant breach Sharps and I have found that too heavy a load causes back pressure to seep past the platinum seal.

[indian joe]

The label says 4FA X polished granular powder (0.85 - 1.7 mm)



Where do you get screens with the proper sizing and what is the proper size for FFg

I do want to be extra careful with this. I'm shooting an original 1853 slant breach Sharps and I have found that too heavy a load causes back pressure to seep past the platinum seal.

In your first post you said the 1&1/2 Fg is smaller and more shiny ? ....So the 4FA being larger grains will be (should be) a little less pressure - should be quite ok like it is - if you want to add some more safety margin - get a kitchen splatter screen (thats about 22-24 mesh) and anything that goes through that screen you could put aside as FFFg if you have a use for the finer grade (like 44/40 or a 45 cal muzzleloader) - shouldnt be necessary to do that though.

[FLINTNFIRE]

https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/fir...des-sizes-mesh

sizes and comparison chart

[indian joe]

https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/fir...des-sizes-mesh

sizes and comparison chart

keep in mind this is an industrial process - subject to the vagaries of human intervention, cost, speed etc

the only real comparison I have been able to do was between Goex FFFg and Goex 5FA - the 5FA was finer average grain size and we loaded about 5% less for same chronograph speed - but that was over 25 years ago and who knows? the next can of FFFg or the next bag of 5FA might have been different.
Later we used Chinese 4FA and rescreened it, we got some Fg (12 to 16 mesh), about half of it FFg (16 to 22mesh), and a goodly amount of FFFg (22 to 40 mesh)

[elmacgyver0]

And I thought you were going to give a post on converting an FG-42 selective-fire 7.92×57mm Mauser automatic rifle to "Rock and Roll".
selective-fire 7.92×57mm Mauser automatic rifle

That was my first thought also.

As they say, like minds...

[FLINTNFIRE]

keep in mind this is an industrial process - subject to the vagaries of human intervention, cost, speed etc

the only real comparison I have been able to do was between Goex FFFg and Goex 5FA - the 5FA was finer average grain size and we loaded about 5% less for same chronograph speed - but that was over 25 years ago and who knows? the next can of FFFg or the next bag of 5FA might have been different.
Later we used Chinese 4FA and rescreened it, we got some Fg (12 to 16 mesh), about half of it FFg (16 to 22mesh), and a goodly amount of FFFg (22 to 40 mesh)

And that is what the chart shows , as to chinese black powder I would have no idea what they do as it is unavailable and likely to be whatever they wish to sell , Also last time I inquired FA is unavailable to our market as you need a license to buy it , so make your own black as all the ingredients are readily available , or purchase , as to graphited our FG is graphited .

[indian joe]

And that is what the chart shows , as to chinese black powder I would have no idea what they do as it is unavailable and likely to be whatever they wish to sell , Also last time I inquired FA is unavailable to our market as you need a license to buy it , so make your own black as all the ingredients are readily available , or purchase , as to graphited our FG is graphited .

The first chinese powder we saw in the mid 90's was good stuff - slow (about like Curtiss and Harveys) but burnt really clean and shot consistent - later was a different maker came packed in 25pound spherical cardboard balls - dirty stuff - we learnt a lot about fouling control using that powder but was all we could get at the time - burn rate was about same as wano. Only choice was graphited, near all the powder in the market is - the re screening was worth the effort I thought.