Flint comes loose in hammer

[RonRC]

What would you all think about drilling a hole horizontally through the top ball of the screw and use a rod through the hole to add leverage for tightening? Of course this would be dependent on whether the top of the screw was large enough to accept a hole.
Ron

 

[Artificer]

Ron,

Just a few examples:

The British Army began doing this on the Brown Bess Muskets in 1777. Some Sea Service Muskets had them before that as did some Irish Board of Ordnance Muskets. Some Dutch muskets had them as well. French Muskets had them. Spanish miquelet muskets had large rings on the top of the screw for the same reason.

Though technically not correct, Pedersoli Brown Bess Muskets have them as well. I can tell you from experience it works well on these.

Gus

 

[Rifleman1776]

I seldom have flints come loose but it does happen sometimes. Hump back flints are often difficult to make stay in the jaws. If your flints are not more or less flat topped, grind the hump down with a dremel. Use decently thick leather.

Them 'humppies' :cursing: are near impossible to keep in the jaws. I'm not fussy about the leather I use but do lean towards heavier, supple stuff.
For the humppies I grind off the top with a diamond drum chucked into my drill press. Work that should not be necessary but is.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I order my flints in various sizes to fit a variety of flintlock rifles and muskets from Track of the Wolf. The Tom Fuller English flints fit great. I do, however, specify in my order instructions to send only flatter flints without humps. So far the flints they send me have always been to my expectations. I have an order with them now for some flints and am confident that they will be all what I want.

I quit using leather long ago, since leather always seems to loosen up after a few firings. Instead. I use THIN lead sheet to secure my flints. Each weigh no more than about 2 grams. It is thin enough to not add any perceptible weight, and none of my flints have moved or repositioned with lead wrap. I am aware of a well known and respected lock manufacturer who says using lead wrap will void his locks' warranty, but we're not talking about using thick sheet lead or roof flashing. I have fired countless flintlocks over the past 4+ decades. Many used lead wrap, and all have mechanically withstood the test of time.

 

[azmntman]

If trying the dremel, missy wheel (whats that?) or a grinder WEAR goggles. Hasn't happened to me yet but neck hair raising just thinking about a sliver of flint in the eyeball :nono:

 

[Zonie]

A Mizzy wheel is usually a small, silicone carbide grinding wheel.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

The regular grinders on a dremel do NOT work for this. You need the blue "diamond dust" grinder. Otherwise you just wear your grinder out without removing the hump from the flint

Ask me how I know...

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[54ball]

I have a Jim Kibler long rifle. It has a Late Ketland lock from Sisters Company. The flint sets in the hammer with a piece of leather. When I tighten the top screw down, it will work it's way loose after about 7-8 shots. Is it common that the top screw comes loose? The gun only has around 100 shots though it. Would the leather already need to be changed? Once the flint seats in, it shoots well with no miss fires. When that flint gets loose, the flint moves and it will begin to miss fire. Is there a trick to keeping the flint tight in the hammer.

Kirk

Kirk,
The lock on your rifle,is a Jim Chambers Ketland. It's one of the best if not the best lock in it"s price range.

As of late...these locks now come with a leather flint pad. This piece of leather is really just for test and tuning purposes during a build. In my opinion it"s way too thin for shooting/hunting.

You need a piece of leather that's thick enough to grab the flint and get a good clamp yet thin enough to fit. Too thick and it will just spurt the flint out when you tighten the jaw. Suede gun case leather....old shooting bag leather is about the right thickness. It is soft works well. As mentioned notching the pad for the cock screw works well and is needed for proper flint placement.

A Lead pad will void any warranty or guarantee on a Chambers lock.

There is no need to grind flints, drill holes on the cock screw and tighten the cock screw any tighter than is possible with a well fitting screw driver.

Try different leather thickness, get a good squeeze, re check tightness from time to time and I think the problem will be a non issue.

 

[RonRC]

Ron,

Just a few examples:

The British Army began doing this on the Brown Bess Muskets in 1777. Some Sea Service Muskets had them before that as did some Irish Board of Ordnance Muskets. Some Dutch muskets had them as well. French Muskets had them. Spanish miquelet muskets had large rings on the top of the screw for the same reason.

Though technically not correct, Pedersoli Brown Bess Muskets have them as well. I can tell you from experience it works well on these.

Gus

Thank you, Gus!
Ron

 

[Artificer]

Ron,

You are most welcome.

Gus

 

[Dr5x]

Somew clench the flint in a leather fold, some beat a lead ball flat and wrap it around the flint AND GET A TIGHTER GRIP..
SUPPOSED TO GET A BETTEER SPARK WITH THE LEAD WRAP THAN THE LEATHERN.,
I HAVE NE EVIDENCECE TO SUPPORT.

DUTCH

 

[hanshi]

The regular grinders on a dremel do NOT work for this. You need the blue "diamond dust" grinder. Otherwise you just wear your grinder out without removing the hump from the flint

Ask me how I know...

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

This is something I've heard before but I only have a few small diamond files, that's it. I haven't so far found a diamond grinding wheel around here; where do you get yours? Also, I do have a double wheel bench grinder; will this work on flint humps, assuming I find a good way to hold on to them?

 

[Gene L]

Somew clench the flint in a leather fold, some beat a lead ball flat and wrap it around the flint AND GET A TIGHTER GRIP..
SUPPOSED TO GET A BETTEER SPARK WITH THE LEAD WRAP THAN THE LEATHERN.,
I HAVE NE EVIDENCECE TO SUPPORT.

DUTCH

Fly tying shops and web sites have lead tape for weighting certain flies. It's about an inch or so wide, thin, and has adhesive on the inside which should help a bit with holding a flint. I think this would work, although I have some but never tried it.

 

[19 16 6]

I haven't so far found a diamond grinding wheel around here; where do you get yours?

You can use a normal old 4" or 100mm angle grinder with a grinding wheel for stone mounted on it.
Grinding wheels for metal are no good for this & they have a red label with "metal" written on it.
The stone grinding wheels have a green label with "stone" written on it.
If your hardware shop is any good at all then the stone grinding wheels will be right with all the other grinding wheels on display.
Please note that this may need a Mummy look.
O.

 

[ZUG]

What would you all think about drilling a hole horizontally through the top ball of the screw and use a rod through the hole to add leverage for tightening? Of course this would be dependent on whether the top of the screw was large enough to accept a hole.
Ron

I do this to 80% of my Siler locks that I put on guns and NEVER had a flint get loose. I drill a 1/8" hole and use a 3" length of drill rod to tighten the cock screw. The flint is held with leather never used lead also Chambers does not recommend the use of lead and will void his warranty if used on his locks - ask him.

 

[rdstrain49]

Pig skin, never a problem.

 

[Rick Boylan]

Unless you're the pig. :rotf: :haha:

 

[rdstrain49]

I stand corrected, one problem.