New to humidity with my flint guns

[Risky buisness]

Having lived in the hot arid South West all my life a move to a very humid area got me thinking about a product I had heard of some years ago but never needed or used.
This stuff was supposed to be added to priming powder to resist the effects of humidity.
Anyone use such a thing? Does it work?
If it's a good deal where can it be sourced?

 

[bear166]

Not exactly the reply you're looking for, as I'm not aware of this product and only shoot caplock myself, but I've lived in Nebraska where it is dreadfully humid for a third of the year my whole life and known many people that shot flintlock. To the best of my knowledge, none of them used any product like this, so if you're just shooting it at the range I don't think this would be necessary. Maybe if you were taking it out hunting though, this could be useful. My dad's taken a deer with his flintlock, but it's not humid during deer season here.

 

[Risky buisness]

Thanks bear 166. My question is for general use with my flinters. I can and have used tallow, beeswax or grease around the pan to deny water/ humidity from saturating a primer charge for years and still can, just wanted to know if the product I had heard about years ago was still around and if anyone had used it.

 

[Fyrstyk]

I still have 1/2 a bottle of the stuff you were referring to. Can't remember the name of it off the top of my bald head, but i think it was called "Rain Coat". I tried it a few times during some hot humid days here in CT, and it did seem to keep the powder dryer. In the end run, I find that during humid or wet weather I just use 3f in the pan. It doesn't goo up like 4f in the humidity. I know lots of rock lock guys that only use 3f in the pan with no ill affects and ignition time is just as fast as 4f. The only reason i use 4f is because i have 4+ pounds of the stuff, but once it is gone (I should be toes up by then) I would only use 3f. Makes for one less powder to be hauling around in the woods.

 

[Risky buisness]

Thanx Fyrstyk.
I generally prime with 3ff right out of the horn, and havnt noticed any real issues so far, but as said and done I would like to try some. Rain coat huh?
Thanx, now I have a starting point.

 

[Lyle]

Here is a link to that product.

https://www.jedediah-starr.com/closeup.asp?cid=77&pid=789

 

[Armored farmer]

I live in humid se Illinois. I dont use additives in my prime. Neither does anyone in my club.
I think our flinters are every bit as reliable as cap guns.

 

[eastbank]

i never used any, but i do check my pan charge from time to time in the woods and clean and replace when i think the pan charge gets damp. i do like my L&R(loose&rusty) lock tho.

 

[Risky buisness]

Here is a link to that product.

https://www.jedediah-starr.com/closeup.asp?cid=77&pid=789

Thank you.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Most of the time that the priming charge is affected by humidity, it is actually oil seeping up from between the lock plate and barrel. Some guys oil their locks well, and think it's humidity clumping up their powder. (don't ask me how I know that) Some even put their locks in the dishwasher, take them out, dry them, and hose them down with WD40. Again, that will really seep up into the pan.

I've experimented with leaving powder out in the rain, covered enough so that drops don't actually get/splash into it, left it for over night, then put it in my pan and it lit right up. Perhaps that "Rain Coat" is really more oil resistant than humidity resistant. ?

If you just use a minimum amount of grease on the moving parts of the lock, and keep the rest oil free, you may find just as much reliability on a wet humid day, as on a hot dry day.

 

[Risky buisness]

Good points.
I've never been in the slather oil/ grease all over anything camp but I certainly see where that could affect a prime charge. Actually I'm just curious if this stuff was still around and if it would offer some benefit. I'm a traditionalist in so far as how I run my black powder rifles, owning only flinters and for 30 odd years using them very successfully competing and hunting. Just as hand loaders find some new wizbang smokeless to try, I thought why not?
I know from firsthand accounts and experience that I can use beeswax around the pan to effectively seal from snow and rain. If I decide to buy some I would probably test your theory about an oil/ grease attraction to powder...thanks again for all the replys

 

[Thomasss]

Bunch of hunting buddies have used that stuff and didn't think much of it. We hunt in Wisconsin where humidity can go up and down like a yo-yo.
Everyone who has used it ends up using 3F and they dump it every few hours and re-prime.

 

[paul harm]

I too have a bottle of the stuff and can't remember the name on it. Used it once when going to a shoot that had rain that day. Not sure if that's what got me through the shoot, but have never used it again. Here in Michigan it can get pretty humid, but I never see anyone using it. One year my boy and I hunting in the rain, he with a cap lock, me with my flinter. He didn't protect the lock and his wouldn't fire at the end of the day. I protected mine with my hand and it did fire. I think you're worrying too much.

 

[Risky buisness]

Thanx for the commentary, I'm really not worried about what to do, seal the pan, and beeswax the joint, done it before in really snowy wet conditions and still managed to be able to take several animals over the years, just curious about the stuff.