Carrying a flintlock?

[Ohio1]

Hi everyone, Got a question about the flinter....is there a special way to carry in the woods once the pan is primed? Will it clog the flash hole if you tilt it? Something I've never read about. I know it's not a problem for target shooting, but what about in the squirrel woods?

Thanks, Steve

 

[Orthod]

I hunted deer with my poorboy once. I used a frizzen stall. When I took the stall off I slightly tilted the rifle back and forth to make sure the powder was not all on one side. I did not check the pan. It was not an issue on that day.

 

[excess650]

I don't hunt squirrels, but never had an issue with a flintlock not firing because of how it was carried. I DO check the pan periodically out of paranoia, but a tight fitting pan doesn't lose powder.

 

[nchawkeye]

I carry mine in my left hand, or right hand or slung on my back..

The touch hole in mine can't get filled with prime because the touch hole is located above the line of the top of the pan...When a flintlock is properly made the touch hole is covered by the heel of the frizzen, no way for powder to get into it...

 

[majg1234]

not an expert by any stretch,I've hunted for about 4 yrs with flintlocks.At first I was concerned like you but now I know that with reasonable care the things will go BOOM most always with just attention to details.There are as many opinions on how to take care for one in the field as there are members here on the site. The bottem line is safety first and have fun.

 

[rr11]

I hunt deer every year with my flint, in damp weather I carry under my arm but no other issues.

 

[okawbow]

Be careful about how you carry your rifle when the ground is frozen. I was hunting in January, and carried my flintlock over my shoulder. As I crossed a ditch; my gloved hand slipped off the buttstock, and my rifle landed right across the ditch, and broke the stock in half across the lock area. Lucky for me, the break was clean, with no loss of wood, and went back together perfectly.
Picture is from a couple years ago, of that rifle and a southern Illinois buck.


2007flintdeer by okawbow, on Flickr

 

[Alden]

Hey, that's a cool picture!

Sounds like you were able to glue your stock back together...

 

[roundball]

Carry my Flintlocks hunting the same way I used to carry modern rifles / shotguns...down at my side, one hand gripping it at the balance point like carrying a suitcase

 

[okawbow]

Yes, it did glue back nicely. It helped that I was able to put the barrel back in, and the lock, and tighten the bolts down, to hold everything in place. I also wrapped it all with innertube strips.

Back to the original question: I fill my pan full when hunting, so it doesn't matter how I carry the rifle. The priming is not going to move when full, and it always goes off reliably. However, from now on, I'll carry the gun cradled in my arms.

 

[jamesthomas]

The first thing you have to do is look and see if you have any gaps between the top of the pan and the frizzen when closed. Everything should meet up and be nice and flat so that no prime will escape. Also the spring should be good and tight, no wobble to the frizzen at all. If everything is good to go, so is your flintlock when you carry it, I also carry mine like roundball if I'm in dense woods and use the free hand to move branches etc. out of the way.

 

[M. De Land]

That instance right there is why I believe in wrist and toe, dowel and bedding reinforcement, from the beginning when building a rifle. A bedded dowel pin of steel or even straight grain Hickory up through the wrist to under the bedded tang and lock mortice would have most likely endured that fall without breaking the stock.
Back on topic , I think if the pan is full the frizzen spring will keep the powder compressed under the frizzen preventing it from dribbling out and coupled with a bit of grease around the parting joint should make it pretty much weather resistant. I can't bring myself to use the term "water proof" as I don't think the condition exists with flint locks. MD

 

[Dphar]

Hi everyone, Got a question about the flinter....is there a special way to carry in the woods once the pan is primed? Will it clog the flash hole if you tilt it? Something I've never read about. I know it's not a problem for target shooting, but what about in the squirrel woods?

Thanks, Steve

It is impossible to "clog" a FL vent with powder unless one would intentionally pack it ti form a fuse.
I always fill the pan near full so the powder cannot be on one side or the other.
Go to Blackpowder Mag

This web magazine will tell you about everything you need to know about flintlock ignition.
There are many articles on flintlocks on the site.
I have hunted everything from squirrels to elk with a FL since the 1960s. I prime the pan and then I don't worry about it unless the weather is wet. Might check it now and then.

But I don't use FLs that don't function properly.
Or leak priming from the pan etc.
The flintlock has been in use for something like 400 years. Its actually a pretty good ignition system and will not fail to work because its tipped or tilted or even if fired upside down.
Yeah, they will shoot upside down.
Dan

 

[azmntman]

Nice truck...what year is it?

 

[George]

You really don't have to be concerned about carrying a flintlock in a special way, presuming you have a good lock well maintained, sharp flint, etc.. I carry mine, several different ones, every whichaway. In the crook of my elbow with the muzzle high, right or left, over my shoulder, down at my side on the balance point, muzzle or butt first, in the crook of one arm, muzzle down, etc., etc. I also don't worry about it on stand. I hunt on the ground and am always laying my guns on my outstretched legs or on the ground, lock up or down, no problem. I tend to prime with smaller amounts, so my prime can shift with gun position, that is no issue. I just never think about this question because I figured out a long time ago it's not a problem.

I think many people don't realize just how well a good flint lock works. In 1997-8 Peter Alexander did a survey of locks which involved some pretty demanding tests. All the locks were fired upside down and most passed. All locks were primed, the frizzen closed, a finger put over the opening on the barrel side of the lock, it was dipped under water for 1 full minute, excess water was blown off and the lock fired upside down. Again, almost all the locks passed.

I shoot a double-barrel flintlock shotgun, and if you think about it, many times when you do something 'good' for one lock it's 'bad' for the other. I ignore all such ideas, carry it however I want, snap it up and shoot in whatever position I have to, never a problem.

Spence

 

[Vaino]

When squirrel hunting, I've had my flinter in nearly every conceivable position.... horizontally on the ground, pan up or down,vertically against a tree trunk, over the shoulder and the more coomon carrying positions w/o a problem. Most of the time, the pan is full of prime so it can't shift.

If the flint is anywhere near sharp, this LR goes "bang".....as a flintlock should.....Fred

 

[Dphar]

Nice truck...what year is it?

74, had a 75 and 66 too but sold them.

Dan

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Mr. Pharris :thumbsup: nice buck but more curious as to the swivel breech, is it a DAY rifle or of another builder very nice rifle. I have a DAY built rifle it is a left hand flinter 50 cal. but also can be switched to percussion. It was a gift bought by my wife.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Gotta go with Spence on flintlocks. I've schlepped a couple different one over a lot of central and south Texas through the years. Have never really given it much thought outside of checking the lock once in a while to be sure I haven't caught anything on some bush and opened her up. Also prime about half-ish rather than full up or the oft recommended 3 grains...just my thing. No disrespect folks, but sometimes I think the whole thing is being over-thought. We seem to be losing the fun of shooting flintlocks! :idunno:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I check the priming from time to time, more often in damp, foggy weather, and dump it and re-prime, but I don't worry about its position in the pan as I fill the pan and then shut the frizzen.

LD