Flame cutting the flint?

[MacPelto]

I have just recently begun shooting a flintlock after several years with a capgun. Today, after firing about 15 shots or so, I noticed that the corner of the flint nearest the touch hole was eroded. I think it is being caused by gases coming out of the touch hole. Is this normal? If not, what should I do about it?

Thanks for your help!

Mac

 

[roundball]

I have just recently begun shooting a flintlock after several years with a capgun. Today, after firing about 15 shots or so, I noticed that the corner of the flint nearest the touch hole was eroded. I think it is being caused by gases coming out of the touch hole. Is this normal? If not, what should I do about it?
Thanks for your help!
Mac

Well, I'm probably wrong, but I'm not sure I've ever noticed vent gas wearing one of my flints, and after only 15 shots I'd be shocked if that were the case.

What I have had happen from time to time is that a corner of a flint might chip off and vent exhaust will sort of smoke it with reside so it might not look like a fresh fracture.

Maybe others can chime in here but as tough a 'flint' rock is, I'd be very surprised if 15 shots had eroded away the corner.

My .02 cents...

 

[tg]

I have not noticed damage to my flints, but have heard folks talk about a situation where the vent blast was aimed directly at the full edge of the flint due to the position of the vent and the geometry of the lock supposedly shortening the flint life, I don't know if there is anything to this,as I said it has never been an issue on my guns.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The melting point of glass- even nature's glass, like flint, is much higher than steel. I do not see how gas coming out the vent is going to break or blast away any flint edge. The amount of time the gas is present is measured in fractions of a second, and there is not time enough to heat the flint up sufficiently to weaken it.
Now, if a flint edge is already cracked, and ready to fall away, those gases will nudge it along, for sure. But that hardly makes the gas responsible for the wearing of the edge. I think this is another case where someone observed two things, occurring at the same time- gas coming out the vent, and the flint sticking down where the blast of gas goes across it- and decides there is a cause and effect relationship when there is only two separate things occurring at the same time- a coincidence, and nothing more.

 

[arquebus]

I have to agree with the other posters: I think all you are getting is the flint chipping out at it's natural flaws. Real flint is a product of nature & no two are exactly alike & some will last longer & wear differently than others.

 

[Leonredbeard]

Macpelto
Check to see if you got a scratch or gouge in the edge of your barrel. I have positioned the flint over against the barrel without seeing that I did it. Result: damage to the barrel and the edge of the flint gone.
volatpluvia

 

[MacPelto]

I don't know what is causing it, which is why I'm asking. It's not hitting the barrel, it's a good ways away. (The other side of the flint chipped off because it hit the edge of the pan, though.)

The area is very rounded and cut out in almost a perfect quarter-circle, not a corner/flake like I would expect if it had hit something. It's very round and smooth vertically as well, almost as if it had been sandblasted.

I'll see if I can get a picture.

Cheers

Mac

 

[powder jack]

I had a wobbly frizzen on my AH flinter that caused the corner of the flint to kinda round off. On the advice of one of the members on this site I put some shims on either side of the frizzen and it cured my problem.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Chekc that cockscrew to see if it needs to be tightened. I think Powder Jack has a good idea about what the problem may be with your lock.

 

[musketman]

I too would have to agree that the flint is hitting either the bottom of the pan or the side of the barrel to enstill this damage, or it may not be hitting the frizzen squarely, how tight is the flint being held in the jaws?

If it is loose enough to move in the jaws, then it can shift from the previous shot and hit the frizzen "edge first", thus taking off the whole side section of the flint from the impact...

 

[Leonredbeard]

Macpelto,
It could be as simple as: some flints just break funny, and sooner than expected. Is this just one flint or are you experiencing this regularly?
God bless.
volatpluvia

 

[Mike Brooks]

It may be vent gases dulling your flints. Several locks are famous for this. The L&R Durrs Egg and the Davis Jeager lock are the ones I've had first hand experience with. The edge of the flint is in line with the touch hole when the cock is at rest. You need to build up the shoulder of the cock where it rests on the plate so it doesn't fall so far down.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Volat,
I think you may be on to something. A friend of mine put a brand new flint in his rifle before a match. On his very first shot, that flint exploded. The only thing left was a few slivers of flint in the pan. He immediately replaced the flint and completed the match with no further problems. Just one of those things with flints.

 

The melting point of glass- even nature's glass, like flint, is much higher than steel. I do not see how gas coming out the vent is going to break or blast away any flint edge. The amount of time the gas is present is measured in fractions of a second, and there is not time enough to heat the flint up sufficiently to weaken it.
Now, if a flint edge is already cracked, and ready to fall away, those gases will nudge it along, for sure. But that hardly makes the gas responsible for the wearing of the edge. I think this is another case where someone observed two things, occurring at the same time- gas coming out the vent, and the flint sticking down where the blast of gas goes across it- and decides there is a cause and effect relationship when there is only two separate things occurring at the same time- a coincidence, and nothing more.

Just to clarify: Flint is not "nature's glass". There are natural glasses--obsidian is one, but flint is not. Glass is non-crystalline, minerals are crystalline by definition--and flint is a quartz family mineral called chert--technically microcrystalline. Crystalline substances have a regular framework of bound atoms. Glass does not--and in fact is a supercooled very viscous "liquid", in effect, which actually flows very slowly over time. Old window panes in old castles/houses are thicker at the base than the top, illustrating this flow.