I recently purchased a .45 cal. flintlock muzzleloading rifle built in Spain and imported by Kassnar. I bought the gun for hunting in PA, where blackpowder hunting is flintlock only. The rifle is a "Kentucky " style with a 30" Bbl. There is nothing on the gun to ID the maker except what I previously posted above. Does anyone out there know anything about this rifle? I've been around firearms my whole life and I am a certified instructor for my local PD which is also my employer. I've fired muzzleloaders before, but that was some 20 years ago out at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. What kind of powder should I use and how many grains. I bought balls and Sabot projectiles as well. What is the basic loading technique for such a weapon. I know that the powder gets put in first, followed by a patch with a ball fitted in the center. The patch needs to be lubed, what do I use? As you can see, I am a newbie and in need of some guidance. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you!
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- Thread starter sgtgeorge
- Start date
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CrackStock
69 Cal.
- Joined
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Sgt,
I do not shoot a .45 and am not familiar with your gun so the best help that I can give you is to send to to see the General
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/
He will get you far down the road.
Good luck scouter.
CS
I do not shoot a .45 and am not familiar with your gun so the best help that I can give you is to send to to see the General
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/
He will get you far down the road.
Good luck scouter.
CS
Patched roundballs will work...
Projectile: .445 roubdball with a .015 pillowtick patch
-or-
Projectile: .440 roundball with a .020 pillowtick patch
Lube: Crisco (shortning, not oil)
Real Black Powder: GOEX FFg or FFFg (you can prime with the same powder as the main charge, however, don't use FFFFg as the main charge)
FFg charges:
50 grains: 1438 fps
60 grains: 1585 fps
70 grains: 1670 fps
80 grains: 1755 fps
FFFg charges:
50 grains: 1651 fps
60 grains: 1932 fps
70 grains: 1994 fps
80 grains: 2054 fps
Not knowing the max load of you rifle, I stopped at 80 grains...
Also, I listed real black powder because flintlocks have a hard time igniting 777 and Pyrodex...
Unless your barrel has a fast twist (1:24ish), those sabot bullets won't stablize well and you will be all over the target...
Mad Irish Jack
40 Cal.
Kassner Imported the Hawken I won in 1978. They were EXACTLY the same as the ones sold in the Cabela's catalogs now. The patchbox has a wood circle inset in it. If my memory serves correct, an Italian gun making ocmpany bought out the spanish company. I had the Hawken and a 36 inch full stock Kentucky style in .50 caliber. :m2c:
Most of the recently manufactured guns from Spain are made by Ardesa SA.
They make many of the sidelock guns CVA used to import and Traditions still does.
As you mention your new to Flintlocks I will mention a few things I've learned.
If you don't have a short starter, you might want to buy one or make one. This is basically a ball with a short dowel or metal rod sticking about 1/4 inch out of it. This is used to drive the patched ball into the barrel. (It will be a very tight fit).
The short starter has another dowel about 3 inches long. This is used to drive the ball down further so the ramrod will line up easily with the bore.
When using the ramrod to push the ball down onto the powder, use multiple 6 to 8 inch strokes. Do not try to grab the ramrod up high and push the ball down the barrel. If you do, you will possibly break the ramrod and it can do serious damage to your hand/arm if it breaks.
Make sure the ball is all the way down the barrel and firmly seated on the powder.
After loading the ball/powder, it is a good idea to run a paper clip thru the flash hole to assure it is unpluged. This is especailly important after a few shots have been fired and you have wiped the barrel before the next load was started.
Yu should have a cleaning jag (button) on your ramrod to hold the wipeing patch and keep it from getting lost down in there.
Depending on the powder you use, you may have to wipe the bore after 3 or 4 shots to make loading the next ball easy.
Do not wipe the barrel between shots with a dry patch.
You should use a moderatly wet patch, about the same size as your ball patch. Follow this wet patch with a dry patch but use just one stroke down the bore and back out. Don't use giant shotgun sized patches to wipe the bore. If you do, you may get your patch and ramrod stuck.
Prime the pan only after the ball and powder are loaded.
When you prime the pan, cover only the bottom of the pan. You do Not want to fill the pan so that the powder covers the touch hole. If you do, you will get the slow fuse effect often seen in the movies.
If you only partially load the pan, preferably towards the outside away from the barrel, the gun will fire before you even see the flash in the pan.
Beware of the flint. They are razor sharp and will cut you badly if you just brush the sharp edge.
The flint should be as wide as the frizzen. If yours is wider, set it to the outside so it doesn't hit the barrel.
Wear shooting glasses. Flintlocks throw off sparks, powder flashes and small pieces of flint when they fire.
Don't shoot with someone standing on your right side. The flash out of the touch hole will reach over 3 feet and can cause burns.
Concentrate on the sights and target, mentally tell yourself to ignore the pan flash and follow thru with each shot. Sometimes a Flinter will take a second or more to fire. Its the nature of the beast.
Start out at about 25 yards. Yes it's close but until you get used to your new gun at that range longer shots may be disappointing to you.
Have fun! That's what this sport is all about.
They make many of the sidelock guns CVA used to import and Traditions still does.
As you mention your new to Flintlocks I will mention a few things I've learned.
If you don't have a short starter, you might want to buy one or make one. This is basically a ball with a short dowel or metal rod sticking about 1/4 inch out of it. This is used to drive the patched ball into the barrel. (It will be a very tight fit).
The short starter has another dowel about 3 inches long. This is used to drive the ball down further so the ramrod will line up easily with the bore.
When using the ramrod to push the ball down onto the powder, use multiple 6 to 8 inch strokes. Do not try to grab the ramrod up high and push the ball down the barrel. If you do, you will possibly break the ramrod and it can do serious damage to your hand/arm if it breaks.
Make sure the ball is all the way down the barrel and firmly seated on the powder.
After loading the ball/powder, it is a good idea to run a paper clip thru the flash hole to assure it is unpluged. This is especailly important after a few shots have been fired and you have wiped the barrel before the next load was started.
Yu should have a cleaning jag (button) on your ramrod to hold the wipeing patch and keep it from getting lost down in there.
Depending on the powder you use, you may have to wipe the bore after 3 or 4 shots to make loading the next ball easy.
Do not wipe the barrel between shots with a dry patch.
You should use a moderatly wet patch, about the same size as your ball patch. Follow this wet patch with a dry patch but use just one stroke down the bore and back out. Don't use giant shotgun sized patches to wipe the bore. If you do, you may get your patch and ramrod stuck.
Prime the pan only after the ball and powder are loaded.
When you prime the pan, cover only the bottom of the pan. You do Not want to fill the pan so that the powder covers the touch hole. If you do, you will get the slow fuse effect often seen in the movies.
If you only partially load the pan, preferably towards the outside away from the barrel, the gun will fire before you even see the flash in the pan.
Beware of the flint. They are razor sharp and will cut you badly if you just brush the sharp edge.
The flint should be as wide as the frizzen. If yours is wider, set it to the outside so it doesn't hit the barrel.
Wear shooting glasses. Flintlocks throw off sparks, powder flashes and small pieces of flint when they fire.
Don't shoot with someone standing on your right side. The flash out of the touch hole will reach over 3 feet and can cause burns.
Concentrate on the sights and target, mentally tell yourself to ignore the pan flash and follow thru with each shot. Sometimes a Flinter will take a second or more to fire. Its the nature of the beast.
Start out at about 25 yards. Yes it's close but until you get used to your new gun at that range longer shots may be disappointing to you.
Have fun! That's what this sport is all about.
