graphite

[lead chucker]

i was thinking of coating my corned black powder with graphite. What is the mix rate graphite to black powder? I was thinking it would meter better with the powder measure.

[rancher1913]

dont do it.

[indian joe]

I vote with rancher
dont !

Yeah it will meter better - also burn slower - make more fouling

not a huge deal either way --5% velocity loss - all commercial stuff is gaphite coated - how big of a headaache is the metering?? - doesnt bug me at all but I been shooting ungraphited 30 years .......kinda got used to it

[LAGS]

I do not use graphite.
But to make the corned powder more easily measured.
I grind up the pucks.
Then sift it to all the different grain sizes.
Then I throw each grain size back into my tumbler and let it tumble without the balls for about 15 minutes.
It kind of knocks the sharp corners off the grains.
Then run it thru the sizing screens again to take out any super fine powder.
It helps , but you are not adding chemicals that effect the burning rate.
A caution.
This works best with Corned powder.
Wet screened powder is much softer and works , but not as well.

[waksupi]

I wouldn't use more than 1/4 teaspoon per pound if I were doing it. But I wouldn't do it.

[Ricochet]

All commercial BP isn't graphite coated/glazed. I have used for years, and expect to use for the rest of my days, blasting & fireworks powder that was made by Goex and sold by Jack's Powder Keg. Their Skirmish Powder is 5FA, same screens as 3Fg, unglazed. Works just like FFFg. Their 44 Small Cannon Powder is 4FA, same pass screen as Fg and same stop screen as FFg. So it's like blended Fg and FFg. Some companies call that 1 1/2 Fg. Works great in shotguns and muskets. The FA series of blasting powders use potassium nitrate and have granulation ranges that don't directly correlate with the sporting Powder designations except for 5FA =3Fg. They're generally coarser and broader granulation ranges. The FB blasting powders use sodium nitrate and don't interest us because they're hygroscopic. In the sporting powders, granulations smaller than FFFg aren't glazed.

[OverMax]

I'm pretty sure graphite being a non-flammable tumbled coating which some say it hampers ignition and slows its powders burn speed.
I have some published literature here on the making B powder thu history. I'll have to go look for the article reread and correct my write or maybe not.
My suggestion is not to use Graphite as I/ many others I'm sure. Don't know the exact amount added.

[Brimstone]

i was thinking of coating my corned black powder with graphite. What is the mix rate graphite to black powder? I was thinking it would meter better with the powder measure.

It's applied primarily to temper ignition. Yes it can have flow characteristic improvements but that is not the main reason.

If your powder is strong enough to slump or flatten the long noses of conical bullets then you have reason to temper the ignition.

Ask yourself if you're slumping your noses and then ask yourself if you cannot use a larger grade of powder to offset this effect and if not, then try graphite.
If you're glazing your powder to an effective surface polish, you won't notice much if any deviation in thrown charges.

[lead chucker]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I will take your advice and not use graphite. Saves me another step when making it. I shoot mostly flint locks so i should keep to making it as pure as i can. If its not broke don't fix it right. I thought i might be able to make it a little better. Thanks again. Always good help and advice on this forum.

[indian joe]

All commercial BP isn't graphite coated/glazed. I have used for years, and expect to use for the rest of my days, blasting & fireworks powder that was made by Goex and sold by Jack's Powder Keg. Their Skirmish Powder is 5FA, same screens as 3Fg, unglazed. Works just like FFFg. Their 44 Small Cannon Powder is 4FA, same pass screen as Fg and same stop screen as FFg. So it's like blended Fg and FFg. Some companies call that 1 1/2 Fg. Works great in shotguns and muskets. The FA series of blasting powders use potassium nitrate and have granulation ranges that don't directly correlate with the sporting Powder designations except for 5FA =3Fg. They're generally coarser and broader granulation ranges. The FB blasting powders use sodium nitrate and don't interest us because they're hygroscopic. In the sporting powders, granulations smaller than FFFg aren't glazed.

ok got me on a technicality hows about all commercial sporting grade powder?

like you I have shot a lot of Goex 5FA ug this was stuff made in the Moosic PA plant before the blowup and the ug tag denoted ungraphited - back those days if it did not have the ug tag it was graphited - it was about 5% better velocity than their FFFg at the time (chrono tested) - used to come in a 50 pound paper bag (kinda like a cement bag) with two 25 pound plastic bags inside. Still have 5 kilos of this stuff (its my rainy day stash)

[GregLaROCHE]

It seems to me that adding anything that won’t burn will create more fouling. If you don’t need it, don’t use it.

[indian joe]

It's applied primarily to temper ignition. Yes it can have flow characteristic improvements but that is not the main reason.

If your powder is strong enough to slump or flatten the long noses of conical bullets then you have reason to temper the ignition.

Ask yourself if you're slumping your noses and then ask yourself if you cannot use a larger grade of powder to offset this effect and if not, then try graphite.
If you're glazing your powder to an effective surface polish, you won't notice much if any deviation in thrown charges.

I can ask - but how do we get an answer ? how do we know if nose slumping is an issue?

[725]

How about boron nitride? Anybody add that to your black?

[Brimstone]

I can ask - but how do we get an answer ? how do we know if nose slumping is an issue?

Long elliptical nose high BC boolits like Snover and Paul Jones Money types can slump off to one side if the alloy is too soft for the "pop" of the powder you're using. An off center nose will send the boolit wild, at the very least will open the groups at 100 and if really bad, will keyhole like mad.

[indian joe]

Long elliptical nose high BC boolits like Snover and Paul Jones Money types can slump off to one side if the alloy is too soft for the "pop" of the powder you're using. An off center nose will send the boolit wild, at the very least will open the groups at 100 and if really bad, will keyhole like mad.

have had that with the LEE 5003R in a 20 twist barrel - all the Gurus here hate that boolit and for a long time I thought that was mostly because you could buy the mold for 25 bucks - for me the problem happens somewhere past 400 yards (get keyhole hits and about a 2 foot group on the 500 yard target) it seems to be very much wind sensitive ie good results on a dead calm day and crap if there is some breeze. I put it down to that boolit being borderline stable - would like to shoot it a) a couple hundred FPS faster b) out of a 16 twist tube. I got a better mold and the LEE is parked in the unsolved problems box but that annoys me just a little. I have shot some nice 100 yard groups with it so i kinda figure this is something fixable.