Author Topic: Flint Locks (Read 1201 times)

Tad Houston · « **on:** January 31, 2004, 08:10:55 AM »

Hi, i'm new to black powder, and am thinking about a flint lock for hunting. I don't want to spend too much just getting started, so i was looking at either the Lyman Deerstalker, or the Pennsylvania pellet in Bass Pro. Any feed back would be great. Thanks-Tad :grin:

lonewolf5347 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2004, 11:37:26 AM »

TAD: I think you made a good choice with the lyman deerstalker or even the trade rifle by lyman.I have a t/c flinter in 50 cal.and have replaced the frizzen with a lyman frizzen,they are reliable when it comes to firing a flinter.Check out midsouth shooting supplys they have the best prices .
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/

crow_feather · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2004, 05:43:13 AM »

O K, so I'm a stick ina mud. But - ifn you start out with percussion, then later move to flint - you might enjoy the sport a little more. Why haveta learn black powderin and flintin at the same time. Each one, while not differcult, does have their peculiarities.

Whatever you shoot - may you enjoy great success and happiness ina sport.

C F

Tad Houston · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2004, 08:49:02 AM »

I bought a new frontier inline to start out on, but the idea of a flinter just really seems cool to me. Kinda like a cannon you hold on to. I may be wrong. You think its too much to start on? There is so much great information here, I think i could figure it out, But maybe not as much fun as a persussion Huh? I'm still intrested in a flinter. Thanks for the input-Tad :wink:

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2004, 10:21:53 AM »

Tad,

Go with the flintlock. Noblade listed a T/C .45 Hawken in the classifieds and I have one of those. Depending upon what you want to hunt it should work just fine for deer size animals. If it has a 1:48 twist for that caliber it should handle round ball nicely.

Haven't had any problems with mine and the quality is substantially superior to the Lyman. I have shot Lymans and have friends who have had problems with their locks.

They are more fun than percussion and I have both. Would I hunt with one? Sure, but I have a lot of choices ranging from inline, percussion and flint, and they all have their advantages and drawbacks.

And if that don't make you decide to get one, you should get one just so you can have at least one. Simple as that and perfect reasoning.

Tad Houston · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2004, 10:41:13 AM »

I like to hunt hogs with a bow , so i'm use to getting close. I was thinking at least 50 cal for hogs. The traditions pennsylvania pellet advertises removable breach, 150 grs. loose powder max charge, bigger frizzle & deeper pan, 1 in 48 twist, 26" bbl., fiber optics, and crisp single hunting trigger. Sounds pretty good? Hows the quality on traditions? This gun goes for $239. Oh yea, does all that flash in the pan scare the hogs before the gun goes off? Just wondering-Tad :grin:

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2004, 12:39:08 PM »

If you want to shoot flint, you should also shoot roundball. That twist would be a comprimise for .50 cal. roundball, that would also shoot maxiballs or maxihunters. You would need something like .:60+ for round ball accuracy.

To fine tune it you really would want to use loose powder and try to stick with real black powder. With round ball you could use something like 70 to 80 grains of FFFg, and you can probably get by priming with the same powder. I do that with my .45 using Elephant brand FFFg.

Don't care much for fiber sights and single trigger. I prefer the double set triggers. On the quality of Traditions, I helped a fellow who bought a new one once. It was pretty crude and he got rid of it shortly, trading it off towards a Lyman Great Plains at a fraction of what he paid for the Traditions. It was money lost that he could have bought what he really wanted and saved the money.

Haven't a clue if the pan flash would scare the hogs, probably a whole lot less than the ball that hits them. There is a bit of hangtime and you have to hold tight on target to shoot accurately. Roundballs are good killers as they are soft lead and deform when they hit.

papellet · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2004, 05:20:35 PM »

I have the Traditions PA Pellet in a left-handed model. With the removable breech plug it is very east to clean. As far as quality, for the price I find it a decent rifle. A word of caution, it is advertised as pellet capable rifle but I find it is quite unreliable with pellets. I use loose powder now, and since switching it always has fired. I am very new to muzzle loaders as well, so I have got a lot of info from the guys here that really know their stuff. If its about the PA Pellet, I can answer with some experience.

flintlock · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2004, 03:19:18 AM »

Tad....if a flint is made right, the flash won't bother the hogs...
properly made, flints are almost as fast as a percussion...
I bought my first in '78...made by Bob Watts (deceased)
in Stone Mt, GA...it was a .45...I killed several deer, turkeys
and of course squirrels with it...I made a .54 about 1980...and
converted my .45 to .40...the trick to flints is a good lock
both of mine have silers...now sold by Jim Chambers...
and making sure the touch hole is counter-bored (lined)...
and set at the top of the pan...when you close the frizzen
the bottom of the frizzen should cover the touch hole...this
way powder from the pan does not plug the hole...creating
a fuse....which makes ignition slower...don't fill the pan with
powder...use about 1/2 to 1/3 in the pan...when the sparks
hit the powder the flame jumps from the pan to the touch hole...
since the touch hole is counter-bored the powder in the barrel
is only about 1/16 of an inch from the flame...ignition is almost
instantanious....two other things...buy the best English (black)
flints you can find...they should be thin and sharp...learn to
knap these after about 15 shots...you will need to experiment
with your lock and see whether the bevel on the flint should
be up or down...one of my guns likes it up and one likes it down...
some of the books I recommend...Foxfire 5...great article on
flintlock rifles....Walter Klines book...Muzzle-loading Rifles...
Then and Now...and you might want to join the National
Muzzloading Rifle Association......they have a great magazine...
several years ago they tested different flintlock using a high-speed
camera...if I remember right a good lock ignited powder in about
1/32 of a second...too fast to blame a miss on flinching.....
One last reminder...a flint lock can ignite the powder in the barrel
with NO POWDER IN THE PAN!!!so don't ever check the spark of
the lock with the barrel charged...
flintlock

Dutch/AL · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2004, 06:00:22 AM »

I've got a TC Firestorm in 50 cal that I really like. As long as I keep the flint touched up, it fires very consistently, and I can't sense hardly any delay between the firing of the primer and main charge. I really like the removeable breech plug feature for cleaning, and the fiber optic sights are nice.

crow_feather · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2004, 06:30:16 AM »

I guess because it's flint, it's traditional. - notatall.com

Dutch/AL · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2004, 12:40:57 PM »

crow-feather, could you please define the word "traditional?" :lol:

simonkenton · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2004, 01:34:41 AM »

flintlock--I have met Bob Watts. That was a great shop he used to have over in Stone Mountain.

Tad Houston · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2004, 08:39:32 AM »

Thanks for the information Flintlock, I still hav'nt bought my flinter yet, but i'm getting very close. now i'm thinking more traditional- lyman great plains with 1/60 twist for rounball. I would like to kill a hog or two with it, so my next question is 50 or 54 cal.? I've pretty much decided on 54 though. Also to save money i will probably be getting the kit, Midsouth has a great deal on them. How are the locks on the GPR? Can i upgrade to a better one later without too much hassle fitting it? Thanks for the very helpful information from everyone!

flintlock · « **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2004, 09:14:32 AM »

I love the .54...I guess I've killed 15 deer with it...I've
used 80-120 grains powder...I pretty much stick with
80 gr FF now...its really all you need inside 100 yds...
In over 20 years of reading Muzzleblast I've even read
of grizzles killed with .54 and 120 FF with a ball...If
I ever get rich I'd love to try an elk with this gun...
We don't have too many of them here in NC...but
we do have black bears...had one walk up on me about
25 years ago while hunting with my .45...that's when I
decided on a .54....I've heard good things on the Lyman
it should be a great gun...I'm sure you could either rework
the lock that comes on the Lyman or swap for a higher quality
lock....getting the face of the frizzen right is critical, as well
as the relationship of the frizzen spring and the cock spring....
I'd try it as is first...if you don't feel good about the sparks
thrown then worry about either fine-tuning what you have
or replacing the lock....I usually get in a dark room and
try the lock a few times in the dark...you should get a good
shower that are aimed at the center of the pan...Good Luck...
flintlock

Winter Hawk · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2004, 03:14:41 PM »

The GPR has a good lock, and I have heard of more than one person putting the Lyman frizzen on their T/C flinter to get better spark. If you want/need to upgrade the lock, L&R makes a replacement for it, I believe in the $125 range. My GPR shoots very nicely thank you, unless I forget to put powder behind the ball like I did on Monday... Oops!

-Winter Hawk-

KING · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2004, 04:00:26 PM »

I probably have more mzl rifles,shotguns,and smoothbores that I actually care to admit. Probably something in the " gotta have it" type sickness..............but.............if you get the ,54 you will be happy........never killed a hog with it,but sure have put that rb through plenty of whitetails. If a flinter is worked properly it will shoot just about as fast as a caplock. Most people if they are listening could not tell the differance. of the lock times. Stay safe.....King.......and most of all...............have fun................. :shock: