Dumb question flintlock squirrles

[Huntschool]

I have discovered that while 4fg powder is just fine in the pan of my flinter, and has been for 20 yrs, Swiss Null B will sift out the back of the pan under the frizzen. Still hunting in the timber becomes problematic. Back to courser powder except when at the range.

That sounds to me like a bit of a miss fit frizzen. Just sayin...….

 

[Brent]

That sounds to me like a bit of a miss fit frizzen. Just sayin...….

Perhaps. Not much to fit however. The lock fits the barrel perfectly. The pan and frizzen can't be adjusted much, or reshaped.

The issue was just an unexpected tradeoff for the supposedly faster ignition time. 4F is more than good enough for a hunting gun.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I use 3f for prime.

 

[Brent]

Yup, 3f works. I've even used 1.5f but it wasn't the greatest. I'll go back to 4 f for hunting. That seemed the best for me. Save the Null B for matches shooting.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I started using 3f as 4f turns to soup rapidly in humid weather, especially in hunting situations where there is some time between shots.

 

[tenngun]

I prime with what’s in the Horn, 2f or 3, I can’t see a difference in flash time.

 

[Brent]

I have primed with powder from my main charge because I forgot my flash powder horn, but the result was considerably slower and less reliable. It was pretty noticeable.

 

[Eterry]

NO

View attachment 2848

Lobo, is that a lefty or did the camera reverse image? Good looking gun, what is it ?

 

[Darkhorse]

Perhaps. Not much to fit however. The lock fits the barrel perfectly. The pan and frizzen can't be adjusted much, or reshaped.

The issue was just an unexpected tradeoff for the supposedly faster ignition time. 4F is more than good enough for a hunting gun.

The pan to frizzen fit can be adjusted and should be on a hunting gun. You take the lock off the rifle and with the frizz closed hold it to a light and you will see daylight between the two, this is where your prime is being lost. The frizzen is to too hard to do much with but the pan is not. I use a transfer agent and coat the bottom of the frizzen then close and reopen, the dark spots left on the pan are the high spots. I use a small file, a set of swiss files and a old diamond sharpener. File level across the top of the pan until the dark spots are gone then close the frizzen again to re mark it. Now do the same thing again. It might take an hour or two of patient work but you will end up with a fit so good no light will shine through. And no powder will sift through either.
I use only 4 f to prime. I live in the deep south where the real humidity hangs tepid in the air and I've never had my prime turn to soup from humidity. And I've been flintlocking for several decades.
The times I have had prime turn to soup was not because of the humidity but because oil had migrated from the lock, or lube had gotten too hot and migrated from the touch hole and contaminated the prime.
So keep lube and oil from getting too much in the wrong place and you won't have any problems.