I have been shooting my smoke stick for 37+ years. My major problem is spark! I don't know how many deer have stood there while I clicked away at them. At one time I found a white flint that worked great, more sparks than a sparkler,I was told it was ceramic . If anyowne has an idea on how to find these flints or an idea on getting more spark, I appreciative any help.
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I fund that the english flints are pretty much the standard that the rest get compared to.
Based on that, I found two pieces of rock no bigger than 2in in diameter last year in a trip to Argentina.I have no idea what they are but they are 10 times better than english flints. I had nothing to cut them so I pounded them into pieces and knaped what I could into gun flints.I wish now I invested the money in some kind of cutting devise to get more slices out of them.
They are dark brown and somewhat translucent.They remind me a bit of agatae but the coulor is too dark.Extremly hard and knap very good.
Sometimes is good to try whatever you find, you may get lucky.I tried some others that in a good day I got one shot per flint.
Based on that, I found two pieces of rock no bigger than 2in in diameter last year in a trip to Argentina.I have no idea what they are but they are 10 times better than english flints. I had nothing to cut them so I pounded them into pieces and knaped what I could into gun flints.I wish now I invested the money in some kind of cutting devise to get more slices out of them.
They are dark brown and somewhat translucent.They remind me a bit of agatae but the coulor is too dark.Extremly hard and knap very good.
Sometimes is good to try whatever you find, you may get lucky.I tried some others that in a good day I got one shot per flint.
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Have you tried Rich Pierce flints? You may wanna contact him and try a few. His flints are in my guns. :thumbsup:
His email,
[email protected]
His email,
[email protected]
Asking the "best" on anything will bring a snowstorm of opinions.
Flintlocks can/will make you crazy.
My answer is whatever works is best for your gun.
I use both black English flints and German cut agate.
Usually improper size and placement is the source of non-firing. Considering the cost of imported milled flints, do try black English and some of Pierce's white.
The white ceramic, as far as I know, are no longer on the market. I have one sent to me for review many years ago. I never tried it. The guy who was going to sell them went out of business almost before he got in business. Some say they are hard on frizzens.
It is possible yours ate through the hardening on the frizzen face and you might be looking at more than getting new flints. Besides, no matter what type of flint, you said 37 years of shooting. Methinks a face hardening is in order for yer muzzle gun.
Flintlocks can/will make you crazy.
My answer is whatever works is best for your gun.
I use both black English flints and German cut agate.
Usually improper size and placement is the source of non-firing. Considering the cost of imported milled flints, do try black English and some of Pierce's white.
The white ceramic, as far as I know, are no longer on the market. I have one sent to me for review many years ago. I never tried it. The guy who was going to sell them went out of business almost before he got in business. Some say they are hard on frizzens.
It is possible yours ate through the hardening on the frizzen face and you might be looking at more than getting new flints. Besides, no matter what type of flint, you said 37 years of shooting. Methinks a face hardening is in order for yer muzzle gun.
I use black English flints and, more importantly, a properly tempered frizzen. I don't recall the last time I had a failure to fire from lack of spark (hunting or target shooting). But I have had several "poof" with no bangs when hunting and occasionally when target shooting.
Probably my own fault for leaving the charge in for several days; and I carry a flintlock in all weather.
Also, I do not ever put oil on the frizzen face and wipe it with 91% alcohol when cleaning and before use.
Probably my own fault for leaving the charge in for several days; and I carry a flintlock in all weather.
Also, I do not ever put oil on the frizzen face and wipe it with 91% alcohol when cleaning and before use.
OPINION: The only flints worth using are knapped by someone who knows what he's doing. Contact Rich Pierce.Grullaguy said:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showuser.php?uid/1953/
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twobrick.......
Wow!....you have a lot more patience than I have! In 37 years of malfunctions I'd have whapped it across a fence post! I was very tenative about getting a flintlock as many years ago I had a pair of Hatfields that sounds like they worked about like your rifle.I did however go ahead and after much reading and many questions I love mine now. I tried the black English flints which look very nice and make good sparks. I then tried some Rich Pierce white flints. As soon as I installed it in the jaws I closed the frizzon and snapped it...Holy S*** I thought I was about to burn the house down! So far with his flints I have yet to have a missfire or pan flash,in fact it fires upside down just fine using them. So, I advise you to try his flints [chert] inlarge the touch hole [vent] to at least 1/16", make sure the touch hole is clear before loading each time and keep all grease/oil away from the frizzon.
Macon
Wow!....you have a lot more patience than I have! In 37 years of malfunctions I'd have whapped it across a fence post! I was very tenative about getting a flintlock as many years ago I had a pair of Hatfields that sounds like they worked about like your rifle.I did however go ahead and after much reading and many questions I love mine now. I tried the black English flints which look very nice and make good sparks. I then tried some Rich Pierce white flints. As soon as I installed it in the jaws I closed the frizzon and snapped it...Holy S*** I thought I was about to burn the house down! So far with his flints I have yet to have a missfire or pan flash,in fact it fires upside down just fine using them. So, I advise you to try his flints [chert] inlarge the touch hole [vent] to at least 1/16", make sure the touch hole is clear before loading each time and keep all grease/oil away from the frizzon.
Macon
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I'd find someone to do your frizzen first ...I've seen frizzens that are jus plain awful.an after treating are awesome...someone who knows what they're doin can make most flints spark..jus hard to believe you could find that many bad flints..jus an opinion..course good flints never hurt!
I had to do some work on my frizzen by soft soldering a piece of bandsaw blade to the face. She will spark for days even with that manmade stuff but I like the dark grey stuff from the Kansas Flint Hills then the english flints.
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well, I'm a loyal fan of Rich Pierce; he will send you flints and then send you an invoice.
how's that for self confidence?
his work backs it up- i wouldn't bother with anyone else, unless i bought French Amber, and that's just because they look cool, not because they spark better than Rich's - they don't.
just one guy's free opinion, and no doubt worth the price.
how's that for self confidence?
his work backs it up- i wouldn't bother with anyone else, unless i bought French Amber, and that's just because they look cool, not because they spark better than Rich's - they don't.
just one guy's free opinion, and no doubt worth the price.
paulvallandigham
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Lacl of sparks in a flint lock can be caused one of 3 sources, or a combination of two or more of them:
1. Bad " Flints".
2. Poor lock design so that the flint is not striking the frizzen at the proper angle( Angle of Impact, or AOI).
3. Soft or worn out frizzen.
I know some people like those cut agate "flints", but those I have tried are terrible. The Edges crush, and load up with steel cut from the frizzen, so that the next blow cannot cut steel- ie. no sparks.
The problem with Cutting rocks like flint, is that the cutters rarely understand, much less follow the natural fracture lines within the stone they are cutting. A knapped flint Has to follow those natural fault lines in the stone, so that when its then used for a knife, arrow, spear point, or gun flint, it fractures along its natural grain structure, breaking off a small bit of the cutting edge, to give stone an new edge.
Getting a new edge is what makes it possible for a flint to give you many consecutive shots without having to stop shooting, an re-knapp the edge.
If the Edge of your flint strikes the frizzen at a 60 degree angle, it will "self-knapp" with each blow, until is shortened to the point that the AOI is changed sufficiently that it can no longer knapp itself. Then, you move the flint forward in the jaws, brace the flint forward with a twig or other wedge, square the edge to the frizzen by knapping a new sharp edge, and go back to shooting.
If your lock is properly designed, to allow the Point of Impact on the frizzen to be 2/3 of the way up from the bottom of the face, the frizzen will open up when the flint has scraped down to 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the face. That gives the frizzen time to get out of the way so that your sparks are THROWN down into the flash pan to ignite your flash powder.
There are often design problems involving the frizzen, the frizzen spring, the pivot screw placement, as well as the amount of tension on the main spring that affect how your lock functions, controlling how fast it fires after you pull the trigger. Most factory built locks are being made by the " More is better crowd", so that the mainsprings are massively strong- too strong to do the best work with flints. In addition, its still common, particularly with locks imported to this country from abroad, to find burrs, bends, and all other manner of problems in how the lock is designed and put together that slow its performance.
If there is a measurable delay between when the sparks ignite your flash powder, and when the gun fires, there is either something wrong with the lock, a problem with the Touchhole(vent), or operator error in how the gun is being loaded and cleaned. On the other hand, a tuned lock is a true joy to own and shoot in the hands of a skilled flintlock shooter.
No flintlock shooter will deny that there is a bit of a learning curve that has to be mastered, but the end result is greater satisfaction. :grin: :shocked2: :hatsoff:
1. Bad " Flints".
2. Poor lock design so that the flint is not striking the frizzen at the proper angle( Angle of Impact, or AOI).
3. Soft or worn out frizzen.
I know some people like those cut agate "flints", but those I have tried are terrible. The Edges crush, and load up with steel cut from the frizzen, so that the next blow cannot cut steel- ie. no sparks.
The problem with Cutting rocks like flint, is that the cutters rarely understand, much less follow the natural fracture lines within the stone they are cutting. A knapped flint Has to follow those natural fault lines in the stone, so that when its then used for a knife, arrow, spear point, or gun flint, it fractures along its natural grain structure, breaking off a small bit of the cutting edge, to give stone an new edge.
Getting a new edge is what makes it possible for a flint to give you many consecutive shots without having to stop shooting, an re-knapp the edge.
If the Edge of your flint strikes the frizzen at a 60 degree angle, it will "self-knapp" with each blow, until is shortened to the point that the AOI is changed sufficiently that it can no longer knapp itself. Then, you move the flint forward in the jaws, brace the flint forward with a twig or other wedge, square the edge to the frizzen by knapping a new sharp edge, and go back to shooting.
If your lock is properly designed, to allow the Point of Impact on the frizzen to be 2/3 of the way up from the bottom of the face, the frizzen will open up when the flint has scraped down to 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the face. That gives the frizzen time to get out of the way so that your sparks are THROWN down into the flash pan to ignite your flash powder.
There are often design problems involving the frizzen, the frizzen spring, the pivot screw placement, as well as the amount of tension on the main spring that affect how your lock functions, controlling how fast it fires after you pull the trigger. Most factory built locks are being made by the " More is better crowd", so that the mainsprings are massively strong- too strong to do the best work with flints. In addition, its still common, particularly with locks imported to this country from abroad, to find burrs, bends, and all other manner of problems in how the lock is designed and put together that slow its performance.
If there is a measurable delay between when the sparks ignite your flash powder, and when the gun fires, there is either something wrong with the lock, a problem with the Touchhole(vent), or operator error in how the gun is being loaded and cleaned. On the other hand, a tuned lock is a true joy to own and shoot in the hands of a skilled flintlock shooter.
No flintlock shooter will deny that there is a bit of a learning curve that has to be mastered, but the end result is greater satisfaction. :grin: :shocked2: :hatsoff:
Never had any of those experiences you relate. Mine just kept going and going until the edge wore down.
I do use English blacks with varying results. They ain't like the old days.
I'll have to get some of Rich's white Missouri ones.
Joel/Calgary
50 Cal.
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How do you sharpen them? Wet diamond lap? Dremel? Grinder?Rifleman1776 said:
Regards,
Joel
So far, I can't.
See: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/261905/post/1053171/hl//fromsearch/1/
Wish I could. A friend has some lapidary diamond blades he is going to try. I'll post his results when I get some.
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