Curtis and Harvey granulation sizes ??

[delta1]

I have a few pounds of Curtis and Harvey F granulation. Can anyone give me an idea of the granulation compared to other black powder. The reason I am asking is it says F on the bottles which I assume is 1F, but in comparing it to Goex FFG the CH powder is a finer granulation. I have checked all 6 bottles that I have and they are all the same granulation. Any information on this powder would be appreciated.

[waksupi]

It is closer to modern 2FF.

[delta1]

Is that in burn rate only since it is smaller in size than Goex 2FF

[Don McDowell]

Use it like you would Goex 2f. There won't be a lot of difference in load performance.

[delta1]

Well that sounds great. Gives me another reloading road to go down and have fun with.

[Lead pot]

Man it's been a long time since I have seen Curtis and Harvey powder.
I never seen it labeled in "F" only as C&H#6 or No #5
It was a very clean burning powder and I would save it for special purpose powder.

[Red River Rick]

Kurt:

Here's a can that I have.........still full. C & H FFFG.

The can is like brand new, and same with the powder inside. The lot numbers are clearly visable on top of the can "2033268".

FWIW

RRR

[Lead pot]

RRR

My containers were 5 pound and 1# and made in Scotland

[delta1]

This one of my CH containers it is in 500G weight and says
Manufactured in Germany for
Nobel Explosives Company Limited
Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland
A subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Company
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee210/wuzly/CH002.jpg

[swheeler]

Hodgdon used to market it under their name in the 70 and 80's. I still have a can I bought in Kalispell marked FFG.

[delta1]

Any idea as to what years this container was used for CH packaging?

[cajun shooter]

You will find that any BP made in countries outside the USA will have a smaller grain size than the Goex made here.
That is why I've always said that it is not a legitimate test when comparing the two as far as velocity and fouling.
I have compared many different brands and F sizes and have found this to be true across the board. My testing was done under a microscope and not the naked eye.
Swiss powder shows the best results in the grain size being very uniform in shape and size. The larger grains show more irregular shapes and sizes.
This is why a can of Swiss 2F will always come out on top when compared to Goex 2F. The Swiss 2F is closer in size to our 3 F and each grain is very uniform. The Goex grains are larger and much more irregular in shape.
As you all know all BP is made from the same basic ingredients with the European brands using a better wood for the charcoal which is one reason they outperform our Goex brand.
The second reason is the fact that BP burns from the outer surface area to the inner area. The more uniform each grain is, the better this burn.
We only have the standard Goex to compare with today and it is very irregular in size, this gives it the reason for failure when compared to the better produced powders.
One way to boost your Goex is to sock it before using it to load cartridges or muzzleloaders. This will remove the fines and help with the final results. Later David

[delta1]

cajun shooter,
Thank you for that, gives a little more insight into the workings of B, and why the difference.

[Don McDowell]

Delta, is there any code dates stamped on those bottles that might indicate when it was made? I'm wondering if maybe Wano is producing powder for "Curtis and Harvey" and just maybe there'll be another brand in the market place?

[delta1]

Delta, is there any code dates stamped on those bottles that might indicate when it was made? I'm wondering if maybe Wano is producing powder for "Curtis and Harvey" and just maybe there'll be another brand in the market place?

Don:
lot # is BPL15A It would be nice to see a stickie on the difference in powders, granulations, and powder cans [ect]. Or maybe I just haven't read through everything as of yet.
Wife says I have one track mind syndrome when getting on a subject. After 4 decades I am just starting to think she may be right.:-D

[Don McDowell]

I don't have a clue when it was made, altho I would take a guess that it had to be 1990's or later , as nobody put bp in a plastic bottle until Swiss started showing up that way....

[Don McDowell]

Found this thru google...http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/10552

[wild thing]

A while back a friend of mine gave me 5 # s of curtis and harvey black powder. John Boy on the ASSRA Fourm ran some tests on it and listed it on the fourm. You can find the results of the sive testing by checking those fourms. john

[delta1]

That was quite an intersting article, looks as though curtis and harvey at least in the seive testing rated very high. first time I had ever heard of the Diamond powder though.

[bonza]

I seem to recall selling the C&H powder in those translucent white containers, with the basketweave pattern on the sides, when I worked in a gunshop in Australia, & that was in the early 1980s. When I went back in the late '80s there was pretty much only GoEx available there, now it seems like Wano & Swiss are what is being imported.