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Posted: 11/7/2009 8:16:23 PM EDT
| Someone asked me today, what load for .223 produces the largest brightest muzzle flash? I was not sure as this is something I try and avoid, but this person wanted to make a training video to demonstrate the effects so I thought I would bring it up here. |
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Flash is a function of residual, non-nitrated components of the cellulose or other fuels added and the pressure at the muzzle. All powder is coated in graphite, the largest contributor to this non-nitrated fuel. The second component leading to flash is lignin, this is most common in foreign made powders as they typically use cellulose from wood pulp and some do not use intensive Kraft process to remove lignin. So, to make the largest flash? Use cheap, dark-colored foreign powders. Natural nitrocellulose has a yellow color, the dark color is from the graphite. Now some will say flash is from unburnt powder, this is not the case in a rifle where pressures are over 40,000 PSI. Complete burnout happens just inches from the chamber. Only in low pressure pistol rounds can individual granules exit the bore. |
| Standard M193 ball will produce huge fireballs at dusk from a plain muzzle Mini-14. What powder they use is anyones guess. H-335 probably comes close. I know they use ball powder and would suspect that any ball powder on the slower end of the .223 spectrum will produce a big one. WW-748, BL-C(2), H-335, AA-2520 would be my guess. |
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Quoted:
Flash is a function of residual, non-nitrated components of the cellulose or other fuels added and the pressure at the muzzle. All powder is coated in graphite, the largest contributor to this non-nitrated fuel. The second component leading to flash is lignin, this is most common in foreign made powders as they typically use cellulose from wood pulp and some do not use intensive Kraft process to remove lignin. So, to make the largest flash? Use cheap, dark-colored foreign powders. Natural nitrocellulose has a yellow color, the dark color is from the graphite. Now some will say flash is from unburnt powder, this is not the case in a rifle where pressures are over 40,000 PSI. Complete burnout happens just inches from the chamber. Only in low pressure pistol rounds can individual granules exit the bore. Good point Keith_J. That is something I find myself overlooking when comparing fast and slow powders; and pistols length vs. rifle length bbls. |
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