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Flint Leather, Side Fit

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A bit of a necro-thread here, but I’ve been away and I’m catching up.

Since I have a Lyman GPR lock with less than optimal geometry I use the leather wrap and bevel direction to optimize the strike as best I can. I will soak the leather in alcohol and repeatedly snug up the jaws over a day or so. As the leather dries the increasing jaw tension compresses it to a very snug custom fit. I have on occasion gone through this process on several new flints in succession to have multiple custom fit, ready to go spares.

If I opted to go expend the time and money to replace the lock with something better (L&R???) this process might be unnecessary.
 
I kept my keyboard silent when I saw the circus that resulted from someone talking about Fred gluing flint and leather.

My first flintlock is a GPR and it is as you say, not optimal. I thought about it and reasoned that there may have been (back in the day) either buckskin or wet leather used to shrink to the flint and improve grip. I have a little plum tree that "sweats" small sap balls. They hang on the trunk and "skin over" so you can handle them without gluing your eyebrows. Sticking a little ball of sap between flint and leather and between leather and lower jaw gives adhesion that allows adjustment and easy changing of flints but definitely improved reliability of ignition.

I would imagine our forefathers were smart enough to try this.
 
IMHO, a short "stick" can be placed behind a too short flint, to shim it out far enough to engage the frizzen. Said piece of wood must be equal too or smaller in diameter than the flint is thick, to insure a good grip on the flint.
 

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