Advice please - Thinking of taking the dive into Flint

[ebsails]

Looking at a Lymans Pedersoli great plains 50 cal.

I've seen so much "get a good lock".... how are these for a beginner to flint ?

Really don't want to invest in a starter and have too many issues during the learning curve.

Or, might someone have a reasonably priced good starter for me with a good track record they would part with ? caliber and style not as important as function.

Thanks for the future advice, Eric

 

[Flintlock]

Hit some local rendezvous, look around for some black powder clubs in your area or look at some used rifles on Track of the Wolfs sight. Many if not most often a decent used custom rifle will be better than most mass produced guns. I've found some great deals at rondies.

 

[deerstalkert]

EB, nothing wrong with the gun you mention but don't fixate on one to the exclusion of others that may be rough gems and less costly.
i have a TC Hawken .45 cal that i picked up for pocket change. it had never been fired. it wouldn't spark!
i bought some hardening compound from track of the wolf, polished the frizzen, heated it dull red, sprinkled on the compound and applied heat to the back of the frizzen while the compound bubbled and boiled. after it was mostly gone i quenched the frizzen, reinstalled it and it is now the most reliable of my flints.
long story to say don't be afraid of tinkering, you will learn more about your gun that way.

 

[ebsails]

EB, nothing wrong with the gun you mention but don't fixate on one to the exclusion of others that may be rough gems and less costly.
i have a TC Hawken .45 cal that i picked up for pocket change. it had never been fired. it wouldn't spark!
i bought some hardening compound from track of the wolf, polished the frizzen, heated it dull red, sprinkled on the compound and applied heat to the back of the frizzen while the compound bubbled and boiled. after it was mostly gone i quenched the frizzen, reinstalled it and it is now the most reliable of my flints.
long story to say don't be afraid of tinkering, you will learn more about your gun that way.

Great advice. I've read many of your posts, and respect your knowledge. I will keep looking, and don't have to find a flinter today......got plenty of toys in perc to enjoy while I look, thanks, eric

 

[Flintlock]

It might not make a bit of difference but for historical sake that by the time the Great Plains rifle became in style I don't think any were offered in flintlock. As a shooter-hunting rifle this won't make a difference but if historical accuracy is important then a earlier style rifle may be the ticket.

 

[ebsails]

Hit some local rendezvous, look around for some black powder clubs in your area or look at some used rifles on Track of the Wolfs sight. Many if not most often a decent used custom rifle will be better than most mass produced guns. I've found some great deals at rondies.

Don't have too many rendezvous in Northern Nevada,, haha. But a few good gun shows coming up. Although, from past experience in cartridge arms, gun shows are not the best place to get a good price....until the last day.

Thanks, Eric

 

[ebsails]

It might not make a bit of difference but for historical sake that by the time the Great Plains rifle became in style I don't think any were offered in flintlock. As a shooter-hunting rifle this won't make a difference but if historical accuracy is important then a earlier style rifle may be the ticket.

I'd rather be shooting historically correct. I will be looking at that closely. Thanks again, Eric

 

[deerstalkert]

Great advice. I've read many of your posts, and respect your knowledge. I will keep looking, and don't have to find a flinter today......got plenty of toys in perc to enjoy while I look, thanks, eric

i appreciate and thank you for your compliment, but there are many others here that make me feel ignorant!
it is good not to rush but be prepared to pull the trigger if and when you get a gut feeling about a gun. sometimes they just talk to you.

 

[Flintlock]

I'd rather be shooting historically correct. I will be looking at that closely. Thanks again, Eric

Might be too far but the Anasazi Free Trappers are having their rondy in southern Utah in May I think. Could look them up and see if they know of more in your area or members close by

 

[Omahkapi'si]

My first flintlock is coming next week. Pedersoli Frontier .50 cal. I like the Frontier percussion so much that I stayed with the same rifle model. Just went with maple in the flint version. Cannot wait to try it out.

 

[deerstalkert]

you will feel like you have committed an infidelity against your percussion! but it will be worth it!

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Think the percussion will see more action in the dry summer here; sparks & prairie grass won't mix well.

 

[brotherlloyd]

My greatest disappointment has been with production flintlocks. If you want one that will actually work do what Flintlock 45 said.

 

[DuncNZ]

Think the percussion will see more action in the dry summer here; sparks & prairie grass won't mix well.

It is the patches that are a fire hazard , not the ignition system .

 

[Flintlock]

Think the percussion will see more action in the dry summer here; sparks & prairie grass won't mix well.

Amazing how many times I find rifle patches smoldering on the range. Some lubes seem to burn more than others, we've stopped shooting a couple times due to high fire risks.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Good point.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Looking at a Lymans Pedersoli great plains 50 cal.

I've seen so much "get a good lock".... how are these for a beginner to flint ?

Really don't want to invest in a starter and have too many issues during the learning curve.

Or, might someone have a reasonably priced good starter for me with a good track record they would part with ? caliber and style not as important as function.

Thanks for the future advice, Eric

So the Lyman Great Plains Rifle is a half-stocked rifle, made for Lyman by Interarms in Italy (iirc)
The Pedersoli that I'd recommend is the full stocked Frontier.
Both come in flint.

They are both good, factory, "entry" flintlocks, having large locks, easily handled, and both have double "set" triggers.
BOTH will slay deer or punch paper targets
Some folks that use these see no reason to go any further. The cost won't break a budget, but if the cost is pushing to the top of what you'd like to pay, then look for a used rifle, or perhaps even a Thompson Center Hawken in flintlock... in good condition with a good bore.

BTW none of the above rifles are super correct for historic appearance, but they will all work quite well as mentioned slaying deer or punch paper AND you won't be turned away from an event for having a flintlock half-stocked plains rifle, nor for having the Pedersoli Frontier in flint. Some events have a "cutoff" date that might prohibit a plains rifle, but that sort of event would prohibit you using a genuine 200 year-old plains rifle..., so....

Amazing how many times I find rifle patches smoldering on the range. Some lubes seem to burn more than others, we've stopped shooting a couple times due to high fire risks.

I know that some of the folks I've spoken with from the Southwest will treat their patches with a Borax and water solution, allow that to air dry, and then treat their patches with lube. The Borax ******* smoldering. I don't know the concentration of the solution, sorry, and one really should try it with the shooter's chosen lube anyway, as some lubes might make the cloth into a sort of "candle" in the grass downrange. OH I do know that you don't do the dried Borax'd cloth patches if you do "spit patching" You can though douse the dry Borax'd patches with water instead of spit...

LD

 

[Flintlock]

So the Lyman Great Plains Rifle is a half-stocked rifle, made for Lyman by Interarms in Italy (iirc)
The Pedersoli that I'd recommend is the full stocked Frontier.
Both come in flint.

They are both good, factory, "entry" flintlocks, having large locks, easily handled, and both have double "set" triggers.
BOTH will slay deer or punch paper targets
Some folks that use these see no reason to go any further. The cost won't break a budget, but if the cost is pushing to the top of what you'd like to pay, then look for a used rifle, or perhaps even a Thompson Center Hawken in flintlock... in good condition with a good bore.

BTW none of the above rifles are super correct for historic appearance, but they will all work quite well as mentioned slaying deer or punch paper AND you won't be turned away from an event for having a flintlock half-stocked plains rifle, nor for having the Pedersoli Frontier in flint. Some events have a "cutoff" date that might prohibit a plains rifle, but that sort of event would prohibit you using a genuine 200 year-old plains rifle..., so....



I know that some of the folks I've spoken with from the Southwest will treat their patches with a Borax and water solution, allow that to air dry, and then treat their patches with lube. The Borax ******* smoldering. I don't know the concentration of the solution, sorry, and one really should try it with the shooter's chosen lube anyway, as some lubes might make the cloth into a sort of "candle" in the grass downrange. OH I do know that you don't do the dried Borax'd cloth patches if you do "spit patching" You can though douse the dry Borax'd patches with water instead of spit...

LD

I've heard the Borax idea before but forgot all about it and yuck. lol. I don't use spit patches anyway, my rifles often end up loaded for a month and I carry them year around so don't want my patches drying out. Seems patches lubed with bore butter or tallow-neatsfoot-beeswax combo tended to smolder than other patches. I switched to olive oil years ago and that seems to work great, no smoldering patches so far, hate to burn the woods down as dry as it was up here last summer-fall.

 

[ebsails]

Thanks for everyone's great advice and opinions. I will keep my eyes open for a good condition used rifle, and will be reading more in the flintlock section here so I can know more about what I'm looking at and for.

I will, like deerstalker said, be ready to pull the trigger on something I find, and if my enthusiasm and enjoyment are where I believe them to be by the end of the summer, I'll probably be looking at a Kibler kit for a winter project !

Thanks again to all !!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Thanks for everyone's great advice and opinions. I will keep my eyes open for a good condition used rifle, and will be reading more in the flintlock section here so I can know more about what I'm looking at and for.

I will, like deerstalker said, be ready to pull the trigger on something I find, and if my enthusiasm and enjoyment are where I believe them to be by the end of the summer, I'll probably be looking at a Kibler kit for a winter project !

Thanks again to all !!

Check pawn shops.
It's the last two weeks of Tax Season and sometimes folks dump used muzzleloaders that have sat in the back of the closet or the safe, to come up with the $$ needed to pay the tax bill. You can often find some good buys in the weeks following April 15th. Just be sure to check that bore, and be careful..., some of the shops don't know how to check, and it's not uncommon for them to have loaded muzzleloaders in the display case.

LD