Flint Leather, Side Fit

[hockeyref]

A bit of a necro-thread here, but I’ve been away and I’m catching up.

Since I have a Lyman GPR lock with less than optimal geometry I use the leather wrap and bevel direction to optimize the strike as best I can. I will soak the leather in alcohol and repeatedly snug up the jaws over a day or so. As the leather dries the increasing jaw tension compresses it to a very snug custom fit. I have on occasion gone through this process on several new flints in succession to have multiple custom fit, ready to go spares.

If I opted to go expend the time and money to replace the lock with something better (L&R???) this process might be unnecessary.

 

[AwwNaww]

I kept my keyboard silent when I saw the circus that resulted from someone talking about Fred gluing flint and leather.

My first flintlock is a GPR and it is as you say, not optimal. I thought about it and reasoned that there may have been (back in the day) either buckskin or wet leather used to shrink to the flint and improve grip. I have a little plum tree that "sweats" small sap balls. They hang on the trunk and "skin over" so you can handle them without gluing your eyebrows. Sticking a little ball of sap between flint and leather and between leather and lower jaw gives adhesion that allows adjustment and easy changing of flints but definitely improved reliability of ignition.

I would imagine our forefathers were smart enough to try this.