Mixing filler with the powder

[Pyro]

I shoot light loads out of my 1851 Navy (10-15 grains), usually I use 10 grains of farina on top to fill in the gap between the powder and ball/conical.

Anybody ever try just mixing the filler right into the powder?

Lit off a small pile of powder mixed with farina, lit up just fine..not sure how it'll perform under compression. Any thoughts?

 

[Bigdog57]

I personally would avoid this. BP can be cantankerous stuff. The filler on top simply adds to the 'projectile' weight. But blending the filler into the powder changes the burn characteristics.

 

[Pete D.]

Mix

There was a discussion of such a mix on the British Military Forums some time ago. It was focused on reloading the very large 577-450 Martini-Henry cartridge. The discussion, iirc, concerned using the mix as a filler only so as to ensure that all of the filler broke up upon firing....they were talking about a lot more corn meal than you are using.
Personally, I would not mix the two as a main charge. Despite the fact that the mix burned when lit unconfined, the presence of the corn meal would have to have an effect on the combustion of the charge. I do not expect that it would be dangerous, just undesirable.
Pete

 

[J-Bar]

It would be an interesting experiment to see how such a mix would burn in the open air.

Put a small amount of your intended mix on some aluminum foil in your back yard, and light it off with a match. If it whooshes like unmixed powder, it would probably work in a gun.

Having said that, I would not rely on it for competition shooting; maybe just for goofing around.

 

[SleazyRider]

I theorize that mixing the two would reduce the muzzle velocity significantly, but would not be a dangerous experiment.

As an aside, especially with the approach of Fourth of July festivities, I'd love to find a safe admixture or filler that would make more smoke than straight black powder. I like smoke.

 

[BHP FAN]

unmixed, cereal fillers kinda clean the barrel. mixed, it leaves nasty burnt fouling. your choice.

 

[Ryden]

Try coffee creamer, I make nice little smoke and fire mushroom clouds from a paper cup with a tablespoon of BP in the bottom and 3 or 4 of coffee creamer on top.

For a bit more oomph, you could use a 5 gallon bucket.
Or even bigger... http://www.pyroinnovations.com/Cremora_after_superstring.jpg