.32 Flinter test run

[River runner]

Well I took it out this morn, and it do shoot, however if mama depended on me to bring home some squirrel, I think we would have starved. I haven't found a load it likes yet.

The ignition was good, first shot, I just got the proverbial "flash in the pan", and then it ran 10 straight before the flint came out of adjustment. I'm using the Cabella's 5/8" or standard flints. The groups were pretty wide open at 25 Yards 2-3", nothing to brag about for sure.

It seemed to favor 17 grains of 3F. All I had for balls was Hornady .315, and patch was pillow ticking I got from WalMart, measured .015 or there about. It didn't take much effort to put the ball and patch down the bore, so I figure I may need either a bigger ball, or heavier patch? I had some other pre-cut patch, that I somehow lost, and forgot my hornets nesting at home, it's he!! getting old. I used 3F in the pan, but I carefully used my wifes, rolling pin and crushed it down finer. Seemed like fairly fast lock time though. I cleaned between shots, with Murphy's Soap Oil, with water, and alcohol equal parts, left out the peroxide this time, and this concoction seemed to work pretty well at cutting the crud.

I couldn't find any of my patches so I've got no idea what happened to them after leaving the muzzle. Then again I didn't look too hard. I did pull one ball and patch and saw no tears or cuts in the patch, so the bore must be ok.

Now if you guru flinters would give me some tips I'd be beholding, I know I've got some spearmenting to do for sure. I think that's about it, 'cept I really layed open my finger with my patch knife, guess that's why they don't let me play with sharp objects around here. RR :?

[fredj]

RR- I think you already figured it out, as far as a tighter PBR is likely needed, methinks .05 bigger ball might be just the ticket, I think I'd
also try some more powder work up from 10 gr. in 5 gr increments
see what kind of groups result. Also I believe this is your first flinter, right ? If that's the case you may be getting a bit of involuntary flinch
there is a reason they do call them flinchlocks, takes a while to get used
to that flash so near ones eyes, also are you blocking the vent ?  In
case you're unfamiliar, you find a paper clip or sm. nail anything that'll
fit in the vent, stick it in the vent then load then before you charge to pan pull the pin, the idea here is too make sure there's no BP in the vent
to preclude a fuse effect click shhhh bang, when you withdraw the pin you're leaving a small void in the charge, the sparks from the pan then give a more instantaneous ignition without the delay, the faster the ignition the tighter the groups. And for whatever the reasons it usually
takes a little shooting for a new barrel to settle in, and then that barrel may just not like that particular brand of BP all that much, I'd definately try the Swiss in the .32. I'm enough of a rifle crank that I'm a bit let down when everything works right right out of the box, I actually enjoy a bit of having to work out the bugs, half the fun for me. Once you've tried all this
and it's still not driving tacks take a look at the muzzle crown with a magnifying glass to make sure there isn't any little glitch in the crown
just a tiny burr there can play hell with accuracy, often anything like that can be fixed instantly with a case chamfering tool, don't do this until you've tried everything else and you can actually see a glitch.
Regards fredj

[KING]

 RR.    I would drop the ball size down to .310 diameter.  With that patch that you already have it should work well.  All the .32 that I have shot seem to like a little smaller ball.in the range of .310 to .311.  I also like to use a lighter patch with that ball,I think the pillow ticking might be a little heavy for it,but if it loads well go fer it.  Mine start to perk at about 20 grns of 3ff.  One of the guys I was shooting with the other day uses 40 of 3f in his,but even he thinks thats a litle heave.  I dont have the manual for that little critter in front of me,but I would not go over 30 grns with it.   Like fred was telling you,ya have to experiment a little to get the best out of them.  When I was shooting mine in the mzle shoot a couple of weeks ago,everyone would ask me if the rifle was shooting when the pan powder would go off.  No recoil at all with it.  You will get the flint position down after a few attempts.  It should be square in the flash pan when the hammer is all the way down,or just above it that middle a little.  I just got some new mzl stuff delivered by the brown suited santa,so I gotta go.   Keep safe....King  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

[River runner]

I've been using the quill end of a feather that fits in the flash hole; I read that in a Sam Fadala "how to book", and didn't pull the feather until I had her charged with powder and p&b.

Yup, this is my first flinter and it sure is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and I can tell I've got a lot of load development ahead, which enjoy anyway.

King, if the ball and patch go down the bore too easy wouldn't I want to increase the size of the ball and or patch, so it can follow the lands and grooves better? I know my .54 percussion has a nice snug fit, with a .530 ball and .015 patch and the accuracy is really great.

I see in the MidSouth catalogue, where Lee has a .319 mold for rb, I wonder if this might help. Are those Lee molds worth the 15 bucks they get for them. I don't see where anybody else carries rb molds for the .32.

Ah the trials and tribulations of a flinter, it just don't get no better. Couldn't shoot today as the wind was blowing and had to mount and bore sight a rifle for a friend, and cast some CAS bullets for my next shoot. RR

[KING]

:-D  :-D   YUP!!!! RR,if it is going in too easy,then go up in rb size or patch thickness.  Thats why these things are sooooooooooooo much fun.  I can only really tell ya what mine shoot,and what to do for something depending on how they load.  Thats why what fred told ya is so important ,to try differant loads and such.  My Pedersoli shoots the best with a .010 patch,and a .310 rb.  This combination makes up for the bullet/bore diameter differance.  2 Times the patch thickness and the rb should make up the bore diameter.  I also shot some Pillow Ticking out of the 32,but it is a bear to get down the bbl,and sometimes it will tear in loading..  I figure that if I can smoothly push it down,and not have to hammer it,it should be good.  Now,with a pt patch,its a lotta power to get that little critter down the bore.  I generally will shoot three times,before I will wipe down the bore when shooting in a match,and that load works real good fer me.  I had some Irish linnen patches,and they by far worked the best and they miked just about .012,ran out,gotta get some more.  Closest place to me is in Clare ,Mi,and they said that they have it.  Soooooooooooooooooooo gunna probably purchase several yards of it ,IF,it is the real thing.  I just got my Lyman molds back and im doomed to cast most of the weekend if im lucky(cant wait to see how they turned out).  I have some lee molds,and they work ok for a rb mold,but,I dont know much about the .319 that you are talking about,and will see if a couple of the guys have had any experiance with that size.   You will find that  that little .32 should start to foul up after about 3 to 5 rounds.  If it dont,I want it.   stay safe.   King

[peter nap]

Just because you didn't mention it, make sure the weave is going the same direction with each load and make sure the ticking is 100% cotton. I always wash it before using it.

Play with the powder level in the pan also. Most new shooters use too much pan powder. I like English flints although that generates as much discussion as the best deer rifle. :lol:

Try lots of loads and different amounts of compresion. To be honest, it takes me aboyt 6 weeks to come up with an acceptable load for a new rifle.