100% or so....underlyig theme?

[ebiggs1]

What it seems I am hearing, from the last two topics I have posted and you guys have been so gracious to reply, is my TC will never be 100% reliable. Possibly not even 90%, although it is a brand new gun and not a cheap gun either. Nobody has come right out and said so but there is and underlying theme. And it seems to be that the only way to achieve reliable ignition is with a custom flintlock gun. My patience meter is almost pegged to the red line. I am not willing to spend any more money on flintlocks! Remember the other TC that I have, although is used, has a brand new replacement L&R lock with real flints. It doesn’t perform any better than the stock TC does.
I have drilled the touchhole one-drill size larger today (hard to hold that little bugger) and I will give it a try this weekend. I used a 5/64th bit. This may be it, however, unless it works to where I think I can start the process of making a hunting rifle out of it. Time is not on my side as deer season, in Kansas, opens soon; Sept.21st and that TC cap gun in the gun safe have never misfired for me. I can hear it calling now! Pick me, pick me.

 

[Zonie]

One of the biggest things folks need to understand when they get into muzzleloading is these old style guns are not 100 percent reliable.

That goes for both Percussion and Flintlocks.

I read daily on the MLF about the Flintlocks that never fail to fire and the flints that last for 50 shots without even wiping them.
I read posts about clover leaf patterns on targets at 100 yards shot in the middle of a hurricane.

Sometimes, folks who really love their sport tend to leave out the negative parts when they are writing on this web site.

That's OK as long as the readers understand this.

A totally Custom built Flintlock made with the finest custom parts available and built by the finest gunsmith is still going to mis-fire.
That's the nature of the thing, and has been for over 300 years.

That said, it is this very thing that draws people to muzzleloading and to muzzleloading flintlocks especially.

There is great satisfaction in getting a Flinter to fire 90 percent of the time and those few who do know that they have done everything right.
Few things in this life tell people that they did everything right. (especially if they are married. :rotf

Drilling out the vent to 5/64 will go a long way towards making your gun more reliable but please, don't expect it to fire each time the trigger is pulled.

(Hope I didn't step on anyones toes here but, I am wearing my soft soled shoes in case I did. )

 

[RC]

If you don't feel comfortable and trust yer flinter by huntin season, take the caplock! you can keep workin with the flinter till ya feel it's reliable enough for you to trust!

funny, I switched to huntin with a flinter when my caplock didn't go off in the woods,, I thought "hell, I can do that with a flinter!"

no regrets for switchin to flint either! but I was ready to accept whatever happened,,,you seem to be a lil edgy yet...remember, if ain't any fun,it ain't worth it... :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

I read about clover leaf patterns on targets at 100 yards shot in the middle of a hurricane

I have hard time believein that one Zonie. :wink:

I think 5/64 was a bit excessive but hey if it makes it go boom....

 

[ebiggs1]

RC you may be right. If it ain't fun better change something! But you have to be successful to make it fun. I am working under ideal conditions here at home and that will not be the case out in the woods!

Swampy
5/64th was the next drill bit that would not fit through the touch hole. Possibly I should have use my numbered drill index but I have several touch hole liners if this also proves not to work.

 

[Gemoke]

I made the switch to flints a few years back and have never looked back. If I do my part it goes bang every time and if I don`t then it won`t. you will never trust your flint if you keep using your caplock. put the cap gun away and only shoot your flint, it`s the best advice I can give you.

 

[ebiggs1]

You know I should have thought something was a foot when the fellow at the gun shop was reluctant to order the TC flintlock. He said, You know we can't help you with it. He said I want my guns to go boom when I pull the trigger!
Actually I have never talked to a live person that shoots flintlocks. Only you folks here on the forum.

 

[rdillion]

I agree with you R.C. Go ahead and hunt with that caplock but don't give up on the flinter. Got my first flintlock last year and haven't felt comfortable with it till this year. When I go plinking with my buddies many times I will take my flintlock and nothing else. It forces me to learn what to do to make that thing go boom.

 

[RJR]

ebiggs,

At this point I believe I would be one of the best to advise you on this as I am a relative beginner to flint guns. I started shooting flints late last year part time. This year I have been exclusively flint. As was advised to me by the folks here who are more knowledgeable than myself, preparation is everything. How you clean and care for your gun, how you prepare it before shooting, how your lock is set up and polished, the type and coning of your vent liner, ect., makes all the difference in it being reliable. I have not had a failure to fire any time on my first five shots ever. I have done a number of trail walks, range sessions and weekend plinking sessions in all kinds of weather this year and as long as I do my part, my guns have been reliable. All my guns have L&R locks in them; a .54 smoothie, a .45 late lancaster and my first flinter is a .50 Lyman Plains Rifle that I converted to flint. All use a 1/4 - 28 Ampco vent coned on the inside and drilled to 1/16 inch (I didn't have any luck with the RMC liner) and all my locks have been polished. My locks are disassembled, cleaned and lubed after shooting. Before shooting, my barrel and vent gets cleaned with 95% alcohol (EverClear) to remove any oil that would contaminate my powder. Some of the shoots I have attended are one fall of the cock, prior to these I change flints and dress it with a diamond file about every three shots. I also pick the vent every shot. So are flints 100% reliable, probably not (especially if you don't do your part), but neither are cap locks. If yours have been 100% reliable, you are lucky and among the very few. These are just my own experiences by following the advise I was given here and your experiences may differ. This will be my first year hunting with a flinter and I have 100% confidence in it.

Rick

 

[rafterob]

" the middle of a hurricane"...that would be the "eye" the calm part...the best time to be shooting at that 100 yard target, plus the extreme low pressure gives less air resistance so that ball will perform better out to 100 yards allowing for them perfect cloverleafs. I think 90% is doing good. My flinter is often 100% reliable but then when its not its 100% unreliable all depends on the sample size. Top that fer bs.

 

[rabjr]

Swampy
5/64th was the next drill bit that would not fit through the touch hole. Possibly I should have use my numbered drill index but I have several touch hole liners if this also proves not to work

Wow thats a good sized hole, but hey if it works.

I shoot custom guns all with 1/16 size hole, thats why I said something.

 

[RC]

You know I should have thought something was a foot when the fellow at the gun shop was reluctant to order the TC flintlock. He said, You know we can't help you with it. !
Actually I have never talked to a live person that shoots flintlocks. .

onliest problem dealer had with flinter is he couldn't help ya...they'll work..an work well,ya jus gotta work with them an understand them an learn to trust them, that's why I said take yer capper huntin...fer now, I don't want you to have somethin happen with a flinter that turns you against them fer good! it's ashame no one around ya shoots flinters it'd cut down the curve,,if you really want to shoot flinters you'll learn, an you won't regret it! jus be patient and learn..don't give up! that t/c should work fine,if ya work with it :thumbsup: good luck!!! :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

I made the switch to flints a few years back and have never looked back. If I do my part it goes bang every time and if I don`t then it won`t. you will never trust your flint if you keep using your caplock. put the cap gun away and only shoot your flint, it`s the best advice I can give you.

Amen on all points. To claim that Flintlocks are only 90% reliable is like saying a car is unreliable if the driver lets the gas tank run out empty.
If using a Flintlock only yields a 90% reliability factor, the user needs to pay more attention to the elements at hand...the problems are not the Flintlock failing. If they were, I sure wouldn't waste my time with a product that only worked 90% of the time in spite of me doing all the right things all the time.

I've never had a Flintlock failure that wasn't my fault...some examples are:

I've gotten lazy and went too many shots at the range without occasionally stopping to lightly knapp the flint BEFORE it goes ker-latch;

I had to learn to store the Flintlock muzzle down so bore lube would not run down into the breech and kill a future powder charge;

I only wipe off a flint about every 15 shots when I'm wiping off the entire lock with some alcohol on a rag...and then its only because I'm wiping off everything else...a film of fouling build up on the top and bottom surfaces of a flint might start looking yucky but has never kept the sharp front knife edge of the flint from cutting steel;

I've occasionally used too much cleaning solution in a cleaning patch that compressed a drop of liquid out which ran down into the breech and killed the next powder charge I dropped;

I've dry balled numerous times leaving me only with a flash in the pan;

I've had bad Elephant brand powder which failed to ignite properly;

But I've never...repeat never...had completely unexplainable, unaccounted for, out and out failures of a Flintlock...and all have been T/C Hawken Flintlocks, year round for the past 10 years.
And if anybody thinks a current production T/C Hawken won't bring home the game every time because of "equipment quality" / "equipment malfunctions", just make me an offer I can't refuse and I'll be glad to take them off your hands.

:thumbsup:

 

I have to agree with Zonie on this one. Whether its a used $300 flinter or a $5,000 custom one they will all have their good and bad days like some of our wives. Problem is (like the wife) you never know which day it is, is the wind out of the west or what did I do??? :rotf:

Kidding aside I have had a few of those $300 flinters that never failed and a few of the high dollar ones that where real touchy. I think the TC coil system on your lock is fast enough, usually on this gun its a frizzen problem that may need some heat work. Most modern gunsmith won't touch a spring or a frizzen. I would talk to one of our member that build guns for a business. As for the touch hole size I have shot some originals with larger (burned out) holes than mentioned without any problem.

Your getting close to the season now. If it where me and you know your area your hunting in I would use the flinter for a day or two and as the season is winding down then go to the percussion gun. Its not life or death, look at it as a learning experience just as our forefathers did on their first outing. :nono: :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Time is not on my side as deer season, in Kansas, opens soon; Sept.21st and that TC cap gun in the gun safe have never misfired for me. I can hear it calling now! Pick me, pick me.

You know I should have thought something was a foot when the fellow at the gun shop was reluctant to order the TC flintlock. He said, You know we can't help you with it. He said I want my guns to go boom when I pull the trigger!

Nice of the guy at the shop to plant that seed in your mind because he wanted your continued 209 primer & pelletized syntho-fuel powder and a scope or to to go along with $1.50 per sabotted heat-seeking conicals. They make no money on flintlocks after the sale. Flintlocks require skill and technique. Beyond his abilities, obviously.

Please, leave the flinter at home this season. Take the cap gun. You're going in unprepared, have doubts about the flintlock, and planning for failure almost assures it. You'll just hate the rifle if a huge buck walks by and it misfires.

When you were learning to drive did you stall the car? Especially a standard shift? Misfire. There is a learning curve for flintlocks. You have to keep the pan & frizzen dry and clean, adjust the flints and keep the edge sharp with knapping (or have a bankroll that can keep you in fresh flints). A custom rifle with a tuned and carefully adjusted lock certainly helps, but the T/C locks are plenty good enough. Look back through some of Roundball's threads and posts. He sure has good results with T/C flinters.

Worse thing to do is take a weapon you don't trust into the field. I know a bowhunter who went out for weeks every year for seven or eight years and never loosed an arrow. He wasn't confident in the killing power of an arrow and never saw "the perfect opportunity" present itself.

If you haven't yet got reliability at the range you won't do as well for sure in the woods, especially in snow or drizzle. Have your waxed cow's knee ready? The first shot is the one that matters, so at least you're starting from a clean vent & pan. Alcohol wipe in & out will clear oil or moisture. Fresh edge on a flint that has a few shots on it (they occasionally shatter on the first shot - rare, but I've had it happen). Well sealed frizzen & the prime the rifle likes (mine likes 3/4 full - more than some - but banking doesn't seem to matter). Keep a piece of cotton to wipe out the pan & frizzen in case your nose drips onto it. Change the prime when you have lunch. I leave mine closed up and don't constantly check & futz with it aw some do.

As Buck suggested - maybe take the flinter to fill a second tag.

I use my flinter (or percussion) for ALL my gun hunting - regular or m/l only season (and most small game, too). It adds a lot to my hunt. But I've been doing this for 29 years and don't have the same attitude I did as a "youngin". Though I have only had two years without venison and one of those was a few weeks after my dad died and I let the buck pass that was in my sights at 8 yards. No heart for it that year. The other year THE ADMIRAL (my wife) plugged a six-point. :wink:

Pick a spot and take the shot.

 

[DrLaw]

I'm a relative newbie to Flintlocks, but I will weigh in here.

The first time I shot, everything went well except for managing to dry-ball. Yep, that just throws off your concentration a tad.

However, the gun shot when loaded.

The second time it seemed that I could not do anything right and I had many flashes in the pan.

That night I found this forum. I got some pretty good ideas and help from people here.

My gun has gone bang now on a regular basis. :grin: Except for when I dry-balled again. :redface:

My advice would be to read these forums over for ideas and tips. Oh, and don't load it like a percussion gun for starters. Let the powder slide down the barrel, lean the gun with the vent side facing down. Don't tamp the powder. With a percussion, you are forcing the flame through the powder. With a flintlock, you are trying to coax the flame through that hole to the other powder. Leaving some air space between the granuales helps. There are also more tools that will be needed, like a vent prick, etc...

Your dealer probably did not have the information to help you, and that is understandable, as not everybody understands how to make these things go boom. However, it can be done, with practice. It's a whole new world of shooting fun that is awaiting you. Enjoy.

The Doc is out now. :v

 

[hanshi]

Given a good lock, paying attention to the details should make your rifle very reliable. Just put a good, new flint at the start of the season and install it properly. Thumb wipe the flint & frizzen each time you reload and poke the vent hole to clear it. Wile you may never get 100% reliability, you can certainly approach it. Nothing to worry over...really!

 

[bioprof]

I know this is a dumb question, but it has to be asked. What kind of powder are you using?

If you are using pyrodex or any other black powder substitute, that could be your problem. You probably already know this, but flintlocks will only work with real black powder such as Goex.

 

[J.D.]

Well folks, Their isn't anything that is 100%. I have had misfires with modern rifles firing factory ammunition. Even a few firing reloads.

Hell, life isn't even guaranteed, 100%. You may, or may not live through the week, for that matter.

Flint guns can be very reliable, but it takes allot of TLC, but there are always unplanned for variables and sudden storms one has to deal with.

IMHO, stop whining, man up and learn how to make that gun reliable. Then shoot the daylights out of it.

God bless

 

[jimmy82]

Suffered similar problems on my wife's Pedersoli PA. Darn thing was misfiring more then it fired. After drilling the touch hole out to 5/64ths it goes off say 8 or 9 times out of 10. (I don't have a numbered set or I would have gone more gradually) I think the next thing to work on that gun will be bending the cock. Her flints strike extremely high but still make sparks.

Need to get off my duff and finish her Jaeger....