Dry Firing Your Flintlock?

[Cowboy]

Was wondering if dry firing your flintlock would wear on the life of your lock? Thinking about the mainspring and the spring on your frizzen?

I've read that when doing this you could use a piece of wood to replace and save your flint.

Was just wondering about the wear and tear of the other parts of your lock.

Would like to practice my follow through.

Respectfully, Cowboy :hatsoff:

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

You never want to dry fire a flintlock.

A piece of flint shaped wood is fine as long as it prevents the cock from striking the frizzen, and takes up the shock.

Probably around the same amount of wear as using it normally.

 

[wattlebuster]

A wood flint works fine an will not wear on anything. This really will help you on your follow thru.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Why go to the trouble messing with a piece of wood, just use a old flint.

 

[EC121]

Dry firing with a block of wood will work fine. The lock won't wear any faster than shooting live rounds. If you lube the internal parts of your lock after cleaning, they won't wear enough to matter. I use a toothpick and some type of grease to lube the tumbler notches and the tip of the mainspring and frizzen. I use lithium grease, but any grease will stick better than oil.

 

[amcmullen]

I dry fire quite a bit to check spark and practice trigger control. But I also have a Traditions and a T/C that I can get parts for. When practicing trigger control I use an old agate flint that's pretty worn out.

When I got a new bow I asked the guys at the shop abut lessons to get better. The guy told me the best thing I can buy to get better was a dozen arrows and wear them out.

Congrats on 1000 post!

 

[Pete G]

Dry firing a flintlock is fine. Since firing (dry or live) with a flint does put wear on the frizzen, most users replace the flint with a piece of wood if they are going to do very much, otherwise just use the regular flint for a few shots, but make doubly sure that you rifle is unloaded.

 

[SgtErv]

+ 1. Frizzens are of varying durability. A wooden flint would do you well. You also wouldn't have to worry about wearing down the flint that way. They are inexpensive but it all adds up.

When fitting a new flint do ensure that it is placed in such a manner that it doesn't scrape the barrel. I even start positioning it with the cock all the way down. Don't ask how I know about that :redface:

 

[Artificer]

Wood flints were commonly supplied to British Soldiers to dry fire while practicing their firing drill, at least as early as the FIW. This was both to save money/powder and to ensure the facing of the Steel/Hammer (period names for the frizzen) was not worn out prematurely.

Modern made American Civilian locks have all the parts made of steel and better metallurgy than many if not most original locks. Original locks often had casehardened Iron parts and they did wear out quicker than good quality modern parts. So dry firing is not nearly the concern for wear of modern lock parts, though I still advise using a wood flint for it.

However, lock parts made in Italy, Spain and especially India (depending on the quality of the manufacturers) may or are going to wear out quicker than say Chambers or other American made locks. Even so, I dry fired my Pedersoli Brown Bess Carbine a LOT with a wood flint back when I was competing with it and it did not wear out those lock parts.

Gus

 

[MSW]

I assume that your rifle has only a single trigger. if you have double triggers, leave the cock all the way down (at the "fired" position), take up a good stance, make a good sight picture, pull the rear trigger to set, and when the sight picture is where you want to be, release the front trigger. you'll hear the trigger trip, so hold for a mental five count after that. (note - do not set or release the front trigger if the lock is at half- cock ... you can damage the works if you do this)

do this a zillion times a day.

if you only have a single trigger, you can go with a bit of wood. I don't think you'll damage anything, and the practice will certainly make you a better shot.

good luck with your project and

Make Good Smoke! :hatsoff:

 

[timothy prouty]

YES you can use set triggers uncock so you don't break the sear but you can put a peice of wood in place of Flint because you will still get the movement of the hammer wich could throw your shot off

 

[timothy prouty]

HEY cowboy what makes is your rifle and what cal

 

[Cowboy]

HEY cowboy what makes is your rifle and what cal

First off, I'm the last person who can describe what kind of Flintlock he has! :haha:

With that being said, this is my inexperienced description of what I have.

To me it's sort of a cross between a British Baker and a Jaeger? I only say this because I like these short barreled longrifle's. Of course mine is a much smaller caliber then those. Mine is a .50 Caliber.

Tom knight acquired this rifle. A gentleman was building it for his wife and suddenly passed away during the build. Tom ended up finishing the rifle.

Tom replied to a topic that I started about wanting a short barreled longrifle.

I was looking for a short barreled flintlock that would be either a .45 or .50 caliber. Was also looking for a lefty!

Tom responded with this rifle that was well within by budget. He was very generous and kind!

It has a L&R Lock and Green Mountain Barrel. Stock is Curly Maple and custom built.

Haven't shot it yet. Jethro and I are getting together real soon and he's going to show me the ropes about everything I'm gonna need to know about flinters. I've been strictly a percussion shooter up until now.

I appreciate everyone's advice about Dry Firing my Flintlock. I'm like a kid in a candystore with it in my hands! :grin:

Respectfully, Cowboy :hatsoff:

 

[timothy prouty]

HEY cowboy nice rifle I'm to new to the flintlock seen have shot for about3?yr orso one thing I have notice that the flash in the pan sometimes through my eyes over to the pan so if you have a place where you can just do the flash in the pan without a loaded round do it that way and only quarter to a half of the pan and you're a lock should Digest 3f or 2f you really don't need 4f I clean my rifles with Murphy Oil Soap dish detergent in hot water then I lube the barrel with Thompson Center bore butter good luck with everything and hopefully you don't pull your hair out

 

[frogwalking]

Use a wood flint and snap ahead, as long as you close the frizzen to slow down the hammer before it hits the lockplate. Otherwise you can damage the lock very badly.

 

[Pete G]

Wood flints were commonly supplied to British Soldiers to dry fire while practicing their firing drill, at least as early as the FIW. This was both to save money/powder and to ensure the facing of the Steel/Hammer (period names for the frizzen) was not worn out prematurely.

Gus

It was also a bit of insurance to keep someone from zinging a musket ball down through the camp. :shocked2:

 

[Artificer]

:rotf: Got a kick out of that.

However, both the British and later American Army made and issued hammer slats/thumb stalls/frizzen covers to stop that from happening in the 18th century.

Gus

 

[Onojutta]

This is the difference between dry firing a flintlock and a modern centerfire gun...

With modern center fire, the firing pin strikes the primer of a loaded cartridge. When this happens, energy that is imparted from the spring to the firing pin is transfered to the primer. In this the primer absorbs the impact, or cushions the firing pin, like a shock absorber. When you dry fire a center fire gun, there is no primer to absorb the energy in the firing pin. This unused energy can damage the firing pin or other parts of the action.

This is similar to a bow and arrow. When you shoot an arrow, the energy from the bow (which is a spring) is transfered to the arrow. But when dry fired, the energy has nowhere to go but back into the bow which can cause damage.

With a flintlock, there is no difference in the energy transfer of the action when dry fired, so you are not damaging the lock anymore so than when fired with a charge. The only thing you risk is putting more wear on the frizzen and flint, thereby shortening their lives. As others have said, use a wood flint or cover the frizzen with leather.

 

[Cowboy]

Nice explanation.

Thankyou!

Respectfully, Cowboy :hatsoff:

 

[Don Steele]

I'm a huge believer in dry firing practice.
I tried a "wood flint"....
It smacked the frizzen and stopped, leaving the frizzen just partially opened.
Is that what one should expect..???
:idunno:
Thanks.