Flint Life in TC's redesigned locks

[roundball]

Out of a couple hundred 3/4" black English flints I had bought a few years ago, I sorted out/separated about a third of them as they were "hump-back" flints...and I used them at the range with various methoids to improve the hump backs such as adding extra leather, to the best remedy being just grinding down the hump a little to get a flat spot on it...and on average I'd get 40-60 shots per flint withoiut really doing much to them, toss them in a jar after the session was over, etc.

This year I'm starting to use the naturally flat topped flints and am finding I'm getting even longer flint life...seems the thinner the flint the longer life they give. I've got 60's & 70's out of a couple of the 'flat-tops', and this morning finished my second 50 shot range session on the same 3/4" flint...knapped it once during the first 50 shots, and knapped it twice today...100 shots with three 10 second knapps...I'd say that speaks pretty well for BEF's and TC's current lock design on a mass produced Flintlock...

 

[Slowpoke]

That's about what I normally get when I use BEF. The TC and GPR do a good job in their lock designs. It's funny we have a couple of old guys in our club that only shoot flintlocks. They're retired from the Armed Services and love to shoot. Anyway, I have literally seen these guys start with a 7/8 flint in a large Siler (flints oversize) and shoot a session, then the next time pull out the same flint and repeat this over the course of 3-4 days. They just keep knapping them down. One guy claims to have 350 shots on one flint. :rotf:

Cheap old farts

 

[lonewolf5347]

I was out today and did some shooting with my t/c 50 cal. flinter,I think I but threw 25 shots with an 3/4x7/8 black english flint and still it look good as new,no complaints here and there new hammer angle is a great improvement over the older ones. :thumbsup:

 

[Halftail]

Roundball,
Last weekend when Soggy and I were to the range I changed flints and picked one out of my flint bag that was real thin...Maybe under an 1/8 of and inch or less where it was supposed to be the biggest.Never got a shot out of that bugger either.The first try it shattered over half and when I tried it again it shattered completely.Mind you,this was an extreamly thin flint,I've never seen one as thin before.I changed to a different and continued on with 20 or so shots with no troubles.I'd love to be able to go to the source of BEF and hand pick mine :hmm:

 

[roundball]

Roundball,
Last weekend when Soggy and I were to the range I changed flints and picked one out of my flint bag that was real thin...Maybe under an 1/8 of and inch or less where it was supposed to be the biggest.Never got a shot out of that bugger either.The first try it shattered over half and when I tried it again it shattered completely.Mind you,this was an extreamly thin flint,I've never seen one as thin before.I changed to a different and continued on with 20 or so shots with no troubles.I'd love to be able to go to the source of BEF and hand pick mine :hmm:

Yeah, I guess the word "thin" is a relative term...what I meant was a typical "flat" BEF which is normally 1/8" to 3/16" thick.....quite thin compared to some of the hump backs which can get pretty tall, making for a very thick flint.

The "relatively thin" flints let me flip them over in the jaws every dozen shots without significantly changing the flint to frizzen impact area...they seem to self knapp themselves this way and contribute to longer flint life for me.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Hafltail: Have you considered reducing the spring tension on that mainspring, to stop destroying your flints? the tension on the frizzen spring should be no more than 3 lbs., and the mainspring should be about 10 lbs. Then you can shoot those thin flints without fear of shattering them.

 

[Halftail]

Hafltail: Have you considered reducing the spring tension on that mainspring, to stop destroying your flints? the tension on the frizzen spring should be no more than 3 lbs., and the mainspring should be about 10 lbs. Then you can shoot those thin flints without fear of shattering them.

Paul,
Actually I haven't thought that.It works so good with 99% of the flints I get that it's not worth foolin with.I have no I idea how to go about these things anyhow.

 

[MSW]

Wow, three hundred odd shots to a flint? can i be a C.O.F. (cheap old fart) too?

How does one knap a flint, anyway?

Thanks

MSW