Percussion to Flint

[LAREDOBOB]

I have a T/C Renegade in .54 cal that I built from a kit many years ago. I was wondering what it would to take to convert it to flint. I know I would need a new lock but what about the barrel? How big of a deal is this going to be? Thanks for looking.

[flintlock]

Larado...Not too big a deal....remove the drum for the nipple...remove the breach plug (that may be a big deal...LOL)....get a piece of stainless steel rod to match the drum threads....screw into the barrel so it doesn't protrude into the bore of barrel....mark the thread that will be flush with the outside of barrel....then...counter bore the end of the rod that will be inside the bore (enough to allow powder to enter the touch hole liner)...I can't give an exact diameter...because I don't know what size diameter it will take for a Renegade...it will probably be between 1/8 - 1/4 inch...just make sure you leave as much material as the current drum that is in the rifle...Look at the drum that is currently in the rifle...that will give you a good idea about this diameter....you will need to drill deep enough so that when you cut the rod off that the powder inside the touch hole liner is about 1/16 - 1/32 from the touch hole side (outer side of barrel)....then cut off the barrel side of the rod...and file to fit flush with barrel...do not drill the touch hole itself, yet.

Now is the tricky and must important part...for quick ignition....take the flintlock that you are going to install on the gun and install....you want to position the touch hole behind the frizzen (the heel of the frizzen)...in other words, you do not want the touch hole located below the top of the pan...or pan powder will clog and act like a fuse....slowing ignition...when you shut the frizzen, the frizzen will block the powder from the pan from entering the touch hole....when you fire the gun...the powder on the top (in the pan) ignites first...jumps up to touch hole...since you counter bored the backside of the liner...powder is close to outside of liner...and ignition is faster.....thats where you want to position the touch hole...I can't remember what size, as I'm not at home...in my office...I THINK its 1/6 of an inch but could be 1/32...I can check when I get home as I have two flintlocks at home....now...drill the touch hole...if its off center of the liner...that's ok...as long as it gets into the area you counterbored...if you screw up...just make another....once you everything set...you can take a Dremel (sp?) tool...and bevel the inside of the liner...from the breach plug end...you will need to test fire with a heavy load...to make sure you left enough material between the counter bored area of the liner and the touch hole...just lay inside an old tire...and run a string to the trigger...get behind a tree or building...and pull the string....I've made several...and they work fine...if you are lucky enough that the new lock sets centered of the original drum threads...then touch hole liners are avaliable commercially.....Good Luck...flintlock

PS....in Foxfire V...Hershal House explains how to make a complete flintlock rifle...I believe most of this is in there..with better dimensions...

[filmokentucky]

Doesn't the rifle have a bolster type breech plug? If so, you may need to talk to Thompson-Center About this. Folks I know who convert their T/Cs back and forth have flint style barrels that they use because the breech area of the barrels are completely different.

[Roger_Dailey]

I have a T/C Renegade in .54 cal that I built from a kit many years ago. I was wondering what it would to take to convert it to flint. I know I would need a new lock but what about the barrel? How big of a deal is this going to be? Thanks for looking.

Its a little bit of a deal, but not a great big deal.  At first glance it seems the easy way is just to put in a flint lock (T/C or L&R) and swap breech plugs (flint  for percussion).  However things aren't quite that simple.  T/C uses breech plugs with somewhat odball thread sizes; I haven't found a source for them.  The following is what I did.  Post any questions you have.

I found myself backed into a corner with two options: 1) attempt
converting a Green Mtn. Thompson Center drop-in barrel to flint myself or 2) send it off and have it converted. I had a long weekend to ponder what to do and a false sense of urgency to get it done; so I started on the
conversion myself. I had tried the approach of installing a new breech
plug, but wasn't able to find a flint style plug or common bolt in the
correct thread size (11/16" x 20 tpi?).

The first tools used were a vise and hacksaw. I did a rough cut to
remove the percussion bolster and flash guard from the factory breech plug.
I made my cuts plenty short and then filed to final fit. This leaves a
shallow dip from the flash guard on the first barrel flat to the right
(towards the lock) from the top. Its visible, but not obtrusive. It also
left a hole from the original flash channel. The hole was not in correct
location for a flint flash hole (too high). An 8x32 tap was used to thread
the original flash hole and a high grade screw was installed to plug the
hole. A touch hole was drilled in the proper location and the cap to flint
conversion was ready to test. It worked! Ignition was somewhat slow (long,
thin flash hole). I made and installed a touch hole liner using a 1/4x28
set screw (cone on the inside). That cured the slow ignition. I have about
100 shots downrange so far and it is working quite well. Total time for the
cap to flint conversion was about 3 hours. That included a lot of "wait a
minute and think it through" time. I believe the second one could be done
in about 1 hour.

YMMV

[lostid]

Well, ya it's kinda a big deal. Here's why.

 All T/C side lock use a patent style breech. That means the breech plug has a hole in it to feed the primary charge to the back of the main charge and not from the side. aka: patent breech.

 The Renegade 1" barrel uses a common 3/4 x 16 thread for the breech plug. Trouble is the flint lock version plug is near 3/16" shorter than the cap lock version, externally. (follow so far?)  That means when you hook up the barrel to the tang in back,, the wedge pin lug won't fit!, it'll be short!
Also the rail up front (the part under the barrel) will be too long. These are easy to fix items for any good smith (easy) but ya gotta pay'm. The fix or change to your barrel would be: Breech a new plug,,move the underlug,,cut the rail,,and drill for flash hole. Two hrs labor=$100 + parts (parts maybe 40-45?) + shipping..

You could just buy a new GM I.B.S. flint barrel too,,and drop it right in there..$150 plus shipping?? I don't know all the current prices,,,

check Track of theWolf,,,I trust those guys, they have listings for all of the parts and smith service too,,good luck

  www.trackofthewolf.com