First day with first flintlock. Didnt go well...

[Birddog1911]

Took my Pedersoli Frontier Deluxe out today, but only had a short time. I had already made sure that the touch hole was 1/16". I thought I'd sanded the pick enough to get to the powder charge.

Carefully loaded up, rammed the ball home, and primed the pan. Fizzle. Over and over again. Sometimes the flint didn't spark, and I tried adjusting it. I pulled the touch hole plug, and checked the pick. It is not going beyond the end of the plug. In the end, I pulled the ball, and tried to fire the charge...which worked. Damn.

So, I need to thin the pick more, it seems. Maybe that will help get air and spark to the charge.. Not sure if the flint is an issue, since I tried two, but I'm getting something wrong here, with very slow ignition of the primer. And I mean, almost a second.

Any thoughts, tips?

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Birddog1911,
First day with your first flintlock. Pedersoli has a reputation for using some very difficult to remove packing grease. In your preparation for your first shoot, did you make sure that all that greasy goop was removed? Your rifle has a chambered breech which will hold a lot of that grease. The fizzle sound is a symptom of something obstructing the touch hole. You need some rubbing alcohol to soak up that grease and squirt out the touch hole. Use several paper towels in the lock mortise to catch that alcohol as that can be harmful to the finish. Make your pick out of #22 piano wire (0.049" diameter). Its small enough to easily fit the touch hole and big enough to make a proper hole through the powder at the breech.

If you are generating sparks when the flint strikes the frizzen, there is no problem with the flint. The problem lies between the pan and the powder charge.

 

[William Lincoln]

What level are you putting in the pan? Do not load over the touch hole.
Load to bottom of hole. And, being the gun is new,do not rule out a
manufacturing imperfection in the chamber-hole corridor. As Grenadier 1758 reminds
us the packing grease needs to be totally removed.

 

[Birddog1911]

I did give the barrel a good cleaning prior to the range, but it could be possible that I'm missing some grease. I'll scrape the breach, and then use some alcohol.

Is my thinking right that I need the pick to be able to pierce the powder charge? The one I got is a brass one that is part of one of those 4 piece flintlock tool set.

 

[BigAl52]

Get a 35 caliber brush or smaller and wrap a patch around it and get into that patent breech area. There could be some grease in there.

 

[Woody Morgan]

The previous statements are assuming that you aren't using Pyrodex. Are you?
Most here will tell you it doesn't work in flinters without some tricks.

wm

 

[Birddog1911]

No, I am using Goex FFFg.

I couldn't say just how much powder I put in the pan, but not a great deal. I've been keeping it just slightly away from the hole, and I believe lower than the hole.

 

[Griz44Mag]

"screw" a q-tip into the threaded end of your ramrod.
Soak the tip in cleaner - one that will dissolve the grease and gunk.
The bottom of your barrel has a small channel that runs through the breech plug into the hole that intersects with the hole the liner resides in.
It's full of crap that never got cleaned out.
You can't reach it with a jag and patch. Period.
Gently work the q-tip into that channel and clean it out. When the channel is clean - dry it with compressed air.
When you do get it clean - your issues will go away.
I had the exact same issues when mine was new.
See pictures. I have been cleaning mine this way ever since. It runs like a top and never misfires.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Paper clip for a prick.
Boiling water for the grease and oil, go shoot.

 

[tom_in_vt]

What level are you putting in the pan? Do not load over the touch hole.
Load to bottom of hole. And, being the gun is new,do not rule out a
manufacturing imperfection in the chamber-hole corridor. As Grenadier 1758 reminds
us the packing grease needs to be totally removed.

This is good advise. My first day with my first flintlock, I assumed more powder in the pan is better. Not the case.

 

[Daveboone]

Any residue /water/grease or oil from cleaning in the touchhole will damper the primer powder ignition too. Before loading and after thoroughly swabbing/drying the bore, take a pipe cleaner and insert into the hole...trim the end with a side cutter to clip it back to clean and dry, keep doing so until clean and dry. you will invariably be picking up some oil/moisture from the corners of the breech too. Also, google flintlock flint tuning...there will be plenty on here too...as to being sure your flints are properly positioned and have a good edge.

 

[excess650]

Flash in the pan and fizzle is an indication of a contaminated powder charge. That rifle has a patent breech, so a smaller diameter column of powder under the bore, and a right angle to the pan that MUST be clean and dry. Pan powder "flashes" and the radiant heat is what iginites the powder charge in the barrel. If the powder poured into the barrel is able to get through the antechamber to the touch hole, ignition with a 1/16" touch hole should be very quick.

 

[jdw276]

"screw" a q-tip into the threaded end of your ramrod.
Soak the tip in cleaner - one that will dissolve the grease and gunk.
The bottom of your barrel has a small channel that runs through the breech plug into the hole that intersects with the hole the liner resides in.
It's full of crap that never got cleaned out.
You can't reach it with a jag and patch. Period.
Gently work the q-tip into that channel and clean it out. When the channel is clean - dry it with compressed air.
When you do get it clean - your issues will go away.
I had the exact same issues when mine was new.
See pictures. I have been cleaning mine this way ever since. It runs like a top and never misfires.
View attachment 100897
View attachment 100898

I do the same after puller the touch hole liner or nipple, clean out screw. Amazing the gunk that comes out when you think you got it clean.

 

[Birddog1911]

I thoroughly cleaned and dried the touch hole plug, as well as the breach. I did come out with a small amount of grime, but not much, and cleaned till dry and clean.

I'd say a good part of my issue is the flint placement. I'm not always getting spark, and it isn't always what I'd think of good spark. I did get one good test firing, but it took a lot to get there. I also need to figure out just how much priming powder to use. I took a representative pic, but when I did get a good firing, I used about twice that. And it was a slow burn. I keep making sure that the pan and frizzen are clean and dry.

 

[jdw276]

I'd say a good part of my issue is the flint placement. I'm not always getting spark, and it isn't always what I'd think of good spark. I did get one good test firing, but it took a lot to get there. I also need to figure out just how much priming powder to use. I took a representative pic, but when I did get a good firing, I used about twice that. And it was a slow burn. I keep making sure that the pan and frizzen are clean and dry.
[/QUOTE]
What grain is that? I use about that much of 4f, between 1 and 3 grain. 3 grain pretty much fills the pan to level for me. Because of how i worked my touchhole over most of my flinters can pop with one grain. I use a brass primer flask with the 1 gran nozzle. That appears to be 2f?

 

[Birddog1911]

The can says Goex FFFg. It did seem a little coarse, but my only experience is with Cartridge.

Decided to take a pic of the FFFg, compared to an old can of Cartridge. The "shine" is a bit different.

 

[Walkaheap]

Birddog, hard to see exactly from the pics included, but your flint may be off by 90 degrees. The bevel goes towards the frizzen (hammer is what some called it in the old days.) Either bevel down or up and that depends on where your lock like it.
Seems also that the flint is catching over half-way down the frizzen. These locks can be finicky things until you learn what it likes. This I think is what makes shooting 'em so much fun.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I thoroughly cleaned and dried the touch hole plug, as well as the breach. I did come out with a small amount of grime, but not much, and cleaned till dry and clean.

I'd say a good part of my issue is the flint placement. I'm not always getting spark, and it isn't always what I'd think of good spark. I did get one good test firing, but it took a lot to get there. I also need to figure out just how much priming powder to use. I took a representative pic, but when I did get a good firing, I used about twice that. And it was a slow burn. I keep making sure that the pan and frizzen are clean and dry.

What is that in the pan? Looks like gravel. Sure isn't what you want for priming powder.

 

[Birddog1911]

Birddog, hard to see exactly from the pics included, but your flint may be off by 90 degrees. The bevel goes towards the frizzen (hammer is what some called it in the old days.) Either bevel down or up and that depends on where your lock like it.
Seems also that the flint is catching over half-way down the frizzen. These locks can be finicky things until you learn what it likes. This I think is what makes shooting 'em so much fun.

I did try flipping the flint. When I can, I'll take some pics of the flint, angle and placement.

What is that in the pan? Looks like gravel. Sure isn't what you want for priming powder.

The can says FFFg. Honestly, though, I'm half wondering if I got hosed. I got several cans from a kitchen table dealer. I also noticed that the Styrofoam lids weren't exactly secured in place. I hare to pay the price, but I may have to go to a local shop and pay more than twice as much.

 

[Walkaheap]

Pics will help. When you post up pics try and show us a side-on view of the lock at half and full ****.