flintlock firing image sequence

[rfd]

did some ignition tests and used goex 3f exclusively, with 10 grains down the tube for a "blank" load, and about 2 grains of the same 3f in the pan. worked very well, and I did 4 more ignition test runs before I had to rig up a fan to push out all that stinky smoke from my basement shop.

amazing amount of flames produced from just 10 small grains of black powder. the actual pan ignition took less than 1/10th of a second, the tube ignition took about 1/10th of a second, while this sequence of seven frames is 7/10's of a second. this lock has some fast timing. seeing the frame sequence is lots more dramatic than seeing the video. notice the sparks literally shooting far off the pan as the tube lights up - don't want any loose or opened black powder containers nearby!

http://i.imgur.com/aKT2ytg.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkMKeU_281g

[waarp8nt]

The still pictures are definitely awesome in the way they show all the details that are easily missed in the video.

You stated your shop is in the basement...if this is fact then it leaves me with two questions. 1) are you married? 2) are you still married?

My wife is pretty understanding, but she got all sorts of bent out of shape when I cleaned my muzzleloader in the house for the 1st time.

[rfd]

wife? what wife??? :bigsmyl2:

[floridaheat]

I enjoy taking high speed video of my flintlocks, at 1200 frames per second the ignition is agonizingly slow, but nearly instantaneous at "normal" speed.

Also, I have been forever banned by the wife from blackpowder cleaned remotely close to the house.

[leeggen]

I just can't get the idea of doing that in the basement. You must really love the smell of black powder. That arroma would be there all day and night. I have shot off the porch when the windows were open, the other half ask if I would PLEASE move to the drive on the next shot.LOL
Neat frame work in catching the flame of ignition and fireing.
CD

[Mk42gunner]

So to paraphrase the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, "Ya think you have a big enough priming horn there?"

Impressive string of fire coming from the muzzle, I wonder what it would look like with a ball in front of it? I would suggest not doing that in the house though.

A bit lax on muzzle discipline, even with a blank charge down the bore. My only down turn on this endeavor.

Robert

[washbuster]

Really nice pics ,thanks

[DW475]

Great Pics!

[rfd]

i have no priming horn since 4f is never needed, all priming done from the powder charge horn which is almost always 3f goex or swiss, but sometimes 2f for both the tube and pan. no ball starter, either. 18th century powder was 1f or 2f at best and there are no records of any priming horns or ball starters from that era. makes ya think a bit about those fellers pounding a prb down the tube with a big ol' mallet. if 3f or 2f won't yield reliable pan ignition, there's something wrong with the firearm or your shot process.

i would never load and fire a ball in the house, that would be bordering on insane for too many reasons. neither would i seat a naked patch over the powder for a "house load" - that would increase the shot noise and create a fireball flame that would travel lots farther.

the comment about muzzle safety - really? due to the low light and inability to differentiate 'tween pan metal and powder, i did hafta angle the muzzle off the to left to best view the pan's charge or lack thereof, but this was a rare circumstance and within a fairly confined concrete wall space with me as the only occupant. other than that the muzzle was either upright and angled forward during the fill or pointed out and away. ymmv.

10 grains of 3f didn't make a lot of smoke or stink. honestly. there wasn't even a haze hanging in the air. it took doing it 5 or 6 consecutive times for a slight haze to become noticeable and even then the stink was truly minimal. it took no more than 5 minutes of an old fan in the basement window to clear it all out. not at all a big deal. remember, this wasn't 70 grains, just 10 grains.

y'all heard the muzzle report? right, there wasn't any. just a kinda "whumpf" sound and no ear protection required. it'd be a different story if the powder charge was compressed with a patch and far different if the patch was hugging a ball.

also, to the right side of the frame of all of the images, and video, the muzzle was pointed at a bare concrete wall that was about 4 feet away. nope, the flame never reached it, not even close. i've been checking and working on flintlock tuning and ignition at home this way for decades. this really helps get all the bugs worked out to maximize yer range or field time. this is nothing new, and i'm not the only one doing so. give 'er a try - if yer significant other will allow it. or just do it whilst she's out shopping - she'll never know what happened - that's how i git 'er done! hah! :shock: [smilie=s:

[Willyp]

Picture #3 really shows why they tell you to wear safety glasses and why no one should stand near your flash pan!!!
Very nice photos.

[rfd]

now for sale, for cheap at our classifieds ...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?289546-Traditions-Frontier-Flintlock-50-250-shipped!&p=3400540#post3400540

[toot]

in MAINE we call a wife an appliance!!