cap compound

[lead chucker]

With making your own cap compound which is better with antimony trisulfide powder 200 mesh or 320 mesh?

[lead chucker]

what mesh size should the powder aluminum be? Trying to learn this stuff so i can make my own caps. I live in a remote part of Alaska and you cant buy powder or primers where i live.

[Cris T]

what mesh size should the powder aluminum be? Trying to learn this stuff so i can make my own caps. I live in a remote part of Alaska and you cant buy powder or primers where i live.

I used 70 mesh in reloading 22lr...however that is pretty big chunks. It well could foul the nipple of a percussion cap rifle. The guys who are experimenting with this stuff are now saying around 100 mesh or a little finer is very good. I don't know if you are aware of this website but Mark (the owner) represents the community of people who are doing the most experimentation with priming compound. Mark is a close friend of Marshall Thompson who is the PHD chemist who has been developing and publishing the "EP" priming formulas. Here is a link to Mark's website:
https://aardvarkreloading.com/

[pworley1]

Thanks for the link.

[MUSTANG]

I am using:

250 Mesh Antimony Trisulfide
100 Mesh Potassium Perchlorate
325 Mesh Aluminum Flake - Bright

in my efforts for both Primers and Muzzloader Caps. H-48 works in both Primers and Caps. Potassium Chlorate based Primers/Caps can be slightly Corrosive (Hygroscopic) so good cleaning required after firing.

Sky Lighter is one source for these products.

[ofitg]

With making your own cap compound which is better with antimony trisulfide powder 200 mesh or 320 mesh?

The U.S. Army transitioned from H48 to FH42 prior to World War One. There was some concern that the ground glass grit might cause bore erosion (never proven) so they omitted ground glass from the FH42 mixture -

30-40 Krag primer (H-48)

Potassium Chlorate 49.6
Antimony sulfide 25.1
sulfur 8.7
glass powder 16.6

Frankford Arsenal FH-42 (WW1)
Potassium Chlorate 47.2
Antimony Sulfide 30.83
Sulfur 21.97

Evidently the U.S. Army determined that Antimony Sulfide could also serve as “grit”, so long as the crystals were the right size. Here is an excerpt from Emile Chamot’s 1922 book, The Microscopy of Small Arms Primers -

In order to obtain uniformity in primers the Ordnance Department of the United States Army issued the following granulation specifications for antimony sulfide: - “The material shall be pulverized so that all may pass thru a standard Tyler 8-inch sieve of 100 mesh. From 30% to 50%, preferably 40%, must be retained on a 150 mesh sieve. From 30% to 50%, preferably 40%, must pass through a 200 mesh sieve.”

It sounds like something larger than 320 mesh would be desirable.

[LAGS]

I have found that FH42 seems to work better than H48.
But when I make both my compounds out of chemicals in Prime All.
I have not tried screening the compounds to specific sizes.
I may look into doing that to Further Improve my primers.

[MUSTANG]

Seems that we need a Category dedicated to discussions on Primers and Caps for Muzzle Loaders. Trying to find old or new posts on the Primer/Cap topic is hit and miss. Putting it all in one Category could e beneficial.

[lead chucker]

I got the Prime-All to day and after work made some up. What a game changer. Worked really good. I got some good advice from a member here and things to try so this weekend im looking forward to making more. I tried 6 of the caps in a 44 cap revolver and with no load in the cylinders and it seemed a little over kill the doubled up pop can caps didn't hold together very well so im going to cut back on the compound a bit and try to find the sweet spot. Im new to this so it will be a trial and error thing.

[LAGS]

I made two scoops for measuring my priming compound.
I used used center-fire primers soldered to a brass rod.
The Small primer cup scoop is correct for loading the cups.
One flat scoop works great.
A Rounded over small scoop kicks it up to magnum performance.
A Large primer scoop with a flat load is about the same as the rounded over small scoop of priming compound.

[lead chucker]

I made one with a small pistol primer like the one you made but need to make a better one. its pretty corroded up from my previous atempts from last year. Good info. I will make one tomorrow. This stuff is so much fun.

[armoredman]

This is fascinating stuff.

[lead chucker]

This is fascinating stuff.

It is. you should try it and its legal. They mail it right to you. Probably because it is such a small quantity.

[lead chucker]

Im in the infancy of trying this for my self and can see once i refine my caps and compound i will never have to buy caps again EVER. And it is allllot cheaper to make.

[HamGunner]

I found that .008 aluminum flashing or the same thickness of brass sheet works really well through my cap maker and is less likely to blow out on the nipple and hang up my revolver than even two layers of the soda can metal. I use an old paper cutter to slice the metal into strips.

I too have soldered an empty small rifle primer cup onto one end of a piece of solid copper wire and a large primer cup onto the other side. The level full small primer cup works great for the percussion caps and gives plenty enough spark to ignite the powder without blowing up the percussion cup. I use a tiny funnel to make sure that the percussion powder makes it into the little metal caps.

I use the large primer cup level full for reloading my large center fire primers with a non-corrosive compound. I have not attempted reloading any small center fire primers as of yet, but other than being a good bit smaller and more intricate to work with, they should be doable as well.

Certainly time consuming and a bit tedious to do, but I enjoy the challenge and comfort of just knowing that a lack of caps and primers will not prevent me from shooting.

[Flying Anvil]

a buddy of mine LOVES his black powder

in Texas (and probably elsewhere) there is a special muzzle loader season for deer (and I think youth)

He has a pegboard above his bench with probably 10 packages of Prime-All

does anyone know what is in that stuff?

is it the same thing that y'all are mixing yourself?

https://recoilstore.com/prime-all/

[LAGS]

As far as I know.
The Prime All is
Potassium Chloride
Antimony Sulfate
Sulfur
And it comes with ground Glass.
The same chemicals that are used in H48 and FH42 priming compounds.
I use it in my primers and for reloading Rimfire Casings

[HamGunner]

The Prime All ingredients are basically the H-48 formula. I, and others have found that measuring by weight rather than by volume gives more reliable results. I usually just mix up enough to easily do one or perhaps two hundred percussion caps at a time as this stuff is not something to fool around with in a large quantity. I weigh out for at least 100 caps just 50 gr. of the H-48: Potassium Chlorate 45 % or 22.5 gr., Antimony Trisulfide 30% or 15.0 gr., Sulfur 20% or 10 gr., Gelatin w/fine crushed glass 3% or 1.5 gr., Aluminum powder 1% or .05 gr., Black Powder super fines 1% or .05 gr. I am sure that the crushed glass could be dismissed since I am using some very fine aluminum powder that will act as both, a friction initiator as well as a flame enhancer. These ingredients I crush separately before mixing and I mix by shaking well, in a small medicine bottle. Be sure to label the bottle if you have any left overs, and you should. Include the word EXPLOSIVE, of course.

I place my empty little metal caps in holes that I have drilled into something to hold them in place while filling. I use paint stirring sticks and I have holes for 25 caps in each stirring stick. A length of flat metal would be even better, with the holes just deep enough for the tops of the caps to be about flush with the top of the hole. Of course a smaller hole needs to be drilled all the way through the center of the holes so that the caps can be pushed back out when finished loading.

A small flat punch is needed to tamp the percussion compound down in the caps. I found that the broken off flat end of a small chainsaw file fitted into a handle is a perfect fit. Then for a sealer, I add one drop of 5:1, Acetone/Duco cement on top of the tamped down powder. After a couple of minutes drying time, but just before the sealer has dried completely, I then use my flat punch and press in a thin circular piece of paper to help hold the percussion powder in the cap. I use toy cap gun caps that I have cut out with a paper punch. They squeeze into the percussion caps snugly. Likely about any thin easily burned paper could be used. Without the paper or toy caps, I had lots of misfires.

[Flying Anvil]

gotta admit, I am impressed with you guy's knowledge.

I am taking notes...thank you

Keep teaching, sensi

[ofitg]

As far as I know.
The Prime All is
Potassium Chloride
Antimony Sulfate
Sulfur
And it comes with ground Glass.
The same chemicals that are used in H48 and FH42 priming compounds.
I use it in my primers and for reloading Rimfire Casings

You might want to double-check your "ide" and "ate" above..... They appear to be transposed.

Also, I have my doubts about the "ground glass", the tan granules seem to be water-soluble. The best guess I've heard is that it's powdered gelatin, intended to be a binder (and not a very good binder at that).

[Flying Anvil]

"The best guess I've heard is that it's powdered gelatin, intended to be a binder (and not a very good binder at that)."

they have a new one that has a liquid binder they made for the primer making die https://recoilstore.com/prime-all-center-fire/

my muzzle loading buddy hasn't tried it yet...he is my only source of info...except y'all!!!

thanks again I am learning tons

[HamGunner]

Something I did not mention on my previous posts is that I always place a large piece of paper under my percussion cap loading area to catch any spillage of the percussion compound, for salvage of the compound, but more importantly, to prevent the sensitive stuff from possibly causing a fire or worse when I might be working with other chemicals or gun powder on the same bench. This stuff is to be taken seriously as it is Impact Sensitive

[armoredman]

It is. you should try it and its legal. They mail it right to you. Probably because it is such a small quantity.
I did today, with LAGS, much easier and also challenging than I thought.

[LAGS]

That was your first time seeing how the primers are made.
The making of them gets easier as you set up your operation in your space.
But too me.
It is well worth investing in the stuff to make your own primers.
That compound is the FH 42 mix.
Be sure to tell others how it works