Do you prefer percussion?

[jerem0621]

Just curious about everyones preference here. I have a CVA flinter that I am confident is a great gun, I am just so pleased with the performance of my Thompson New Englander .50 cal capper that I'm kind of leery of trying the flinter.

I think I prefer the percussion, but who knows right.

Anyway, any of you have both a flinter and a capper in the gun cabinet? If so, do you find yourself grabbing the percussion when it's time to get down to business (hunting, land defending from varmints, etc...)?

Thanks!

Jeremiah

 

[graybeard]

Shot a Kentucky replica cap gun for years. Bought a supposedly Hawken replica in flint on a whim. Can't remember the last time I shot the caplock. Flintlocks are addicting. graybeard

 

[sleeperNY]

I have a percussion longrifle and a flint longrifle. There are both 50 cal. and I made the percussion for hunting on bad weather days. That was over 18 years ago. To this day the percussion sees almost no use at all . I started shooting flint back in 76 and is about all I use.

 

[54mountain]

I have 4 cap guns in the cabnit but my flinter is the one I seem to grab all the time. Besides them little percussion caps are just a fad they'll never catch on :haha: :haha:

 

[mooman76]

I have 3 flint and about 10 cap. I prefer the cap, at least for now. You have to put more into the flint as in more time to attain the knowledge to do it right. I just don't get out enough but some day I will give flint a more serious try. Cap is just easier for me right now.

 

[dcriner]

Persussion guns replaced flintlocks for a reason - they are more reliable and simpler. But if you're looking for reliability and simplicity, neither flint nor persussion is what you want. Go with modern cartridge firearms. :grin:

 

[F.G. Ford]

dcriner!
That is a very bad attitude here! :blah:
Fred

 

[nchawkeye]

I started shooting muzzleloaders back in the mid-70s...

Two things I've never owned...A percussion gun and a factory built gun...Never plan to either....

I've shot plenty of percussion guns, worked on several for my buddies and worked up loads for them...Frankly many are less reliable than a good custom made flintlock...

 

[Bo Jones]

I have a few of both types. But then my collection represents the various firearms throughout America's history, military and civilian. Have yet too get a matchlock but I have been thinking about it lately.

 

[nkbj]

Seems like I can be a tad more accurate with some caplocks shooting standing up but I really enjoy flinters a whole bunch more and like not having a copper coated fire cracker going off in front of my head. Especially plinking.
That said, I still want to finish working up minie and conical loads in the .58 flinter to see if it will be accurate enough to tie down how much vertical stringing might be attributable to flint versus cap.

 

[Don]

I've never owned a flintlock. Real black is a hassle to find in my area and buying a whole case mail order seems pricey. I used Goex once in one of my rifles and after the first shot I swabbed the bore and promptly got my ram rod stuck because of all the fouling. I use real black in a few derringers because they are hard to ignite with the synthetics. Why am I rambling on about real black? Because its traditional and traditional guns need to use traditional powders. Another reason I don't own a flinter is because I'm a cheap SOB and good flint guns are expensive. After saying all of this, my percussion guns are fun and reliable and I see no need to have a flinter. I'm not a diehard reenactor and I'm a bad enough hunter that I don't need more variables in my gun to keep me from making meat. I'm not anti-flint, its just not for me.

Don

 

[jerem0621]

Persussion guns replaced flintlocks for a reason - they are more reliable and simpler. But if you're looking for reliability and simplicity, neither flint nor persussion is what you want. Go with modern cartridge firearms. :grin:

I haven't owned a centerfire rifle in YEARS... I have tons of experience with my cap and ball rifle and LOVE it. I was just wanting to know if there are folks who PREFER percussion rifles over flint.

I would say that a lot of us prefer the front stuffer over modern guns, we sought out and found a traditional ML forum...

Thanks!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Really like my New Englander 12 ga, but since I got a 16 ga flint fowler it hasn't been out of the corner. The .50 rifle barrel shoots straight, but I deer hunt with a .54 flinter.

Just get more fun from my flinters. On the other hand, the two flinters each cost over 10X what the New Englander kit and spare barrel together did and they are well tuned fine performers and great lookers. ;-)

I don't find the flint any less reliable than the percussion.

 

[BullRunBear]

I have both kinds in the safe and enjoy them but usually reach for the flintlocks. Don't hunt these days so it's just paper punching and ringing steel targets. (Hopefully.) If I do my part the flinters are about as reliable as the percussion. There's more fiddlin' with the flinters, which I enjoy, they are at least as accurate, and the flintlock represents my favorite period of American history: colonial/F&I War and early American.

Figure I go through enough caps with the C&B revolvers and ML shotgun. :wink:

Jeff

 

[izzyjoe]

i could never get used to the flash, so cap guns for me.

 

[cynthialee]

I would say that a lot of us prefer the front stuffer over modern guns, we sought out and found a traditional ML forum...
Thanks!

Actually I only joined because out of all the related forums I kept coming across when I was goggleing questions the guys here seemed the best educated shooters and I needed some questions answered.

Then I started to become converted. To the point I have been geting rid of my supository guns and plan on only having muzzel loaders as soon as I have got rid of the modern ones, with the exception of a really old bolt action .22 LR. But that is my chicken slaughtering gun. Just seems shooting a chicken with a .44, .490, or a .530 round ball is over the top and over kill. :haha:

 

[William O.]

Right now I prefer percussion because my .54 has an L&R caplock that is quick to fire without any delay that I can perceive while my Lyman .50 flintlock takes a split second to ignite the pan after I pull the trigger. That is just typical for a factory gun to have as my buddy's custom 20 gauge smoothbore flinter is just as quick to fire as my custom .54 caplock.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Never had any problems with any of my TC cap guns. I like 'em.

 

[ebiggs1]

I prefer guns! I shoot everything. :thumbsup:
No real preference. I have a great time shooting whatever I have at the moment. Maybe that is why I can make honest descriptions about any of them. Some of the “reasons” given for either or any preference are almost laughable. :grin:

 

[rafterob]

I prefer percussion, but I sure like shooting flintlocks. I have discovered I cannot switch back and forth and expect consistant accuracy though. So I stick with my percussion for target shooting. I seem to remember a cadence from the army that applies here,"one is for shooting, one is for fun" :grin: