Flint Life

[Birddog6]

I think he's posted claims to have been shooting muzzleloaders well over 30 years and has shot 10s upon 10's of thousands of shots...so it is a puzzler until you consider that the limited number of shots he gets on a flint may have a lot to do with the fact that he shoots caplocks :hmm:

Hmmmmmmmm.............. :hmm: :wink:

The worst lock I ever had would get about 9 shots per flint. I had it reworked & it is still the worst lock I have ever owned & it now gets around 25 shots per flint. But the good part is I can take the flints that quit sparking in that L&R lock & put them in the Chambers Deluxe & get a good 40+ more shots from it. :grin:

Now from my experience, the mass produced locks on the GPR's, CVA's etc. you are not going to get the flint life as you would from a lock on a hand built rifle. I mean how much can they have invested in the lock on a $300 rifle ? (Cannot say for the T/C locks as I have not shot enough of them togive an opinion on them)
But on a lock from Chambers, L&R, Davis, etc. that cost $120 +, if you don't get over 40 shots a flint I would be sending that sucker back ! Most of these lock designs have been around for YEARS, there is no excuse for them not working properly right off the bat. And buying a built lock & completely overhauling it right off the back is total B.S. too. If you buy that lock built it is supposed to be built correctly & that is what you are paying for.

For me, under 40 shots a flint is Definately NOT acceptable........ :shake:

After I shoot I wet the end of a rag with spit & wipe the frizzen face, then the pan, then the top & bottom of the flint, reload & repeat proceedure. I lightly knap somewhere between 5-10 shots determined by how the flint looks. I seldom turn a flint over, but do at times if the flint is gettin short from use & knapping.

:thumbsup:

 

[MikeChapin]

It depends on the lock. I generally get 40 to 60 shots off a flint in most my locks. I very rarely have to knapp a flint during its lifetime on most of my rifles.

One lock, and L&R Manton, will go up to about 90 shots and keep sparking until the flint is worn to a nubbin. Another, a Cochran, will get about 40 shots but that involves knapping and adjusting the flint every 10 shots or so. I have a cheap Dixie Ashmore lock that would not get more than 30 shots when I put it in the rifle. A little stoning of the internals and loosening of the frizzen spring tension brought it around to the 40 to 60 range.

 

[rfcjr]

I have certainly learned quite a bit and do appreciate all the discussion. I am thinking about purchasing the Cabelas Blue Ridge in .36. Does anyone have experience with this specific rifle and flint life? Thank you.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Most production rifles are made overseas, with cheap labor.

If you want quality, build it yourself.

With the highest quality parts money can buy.

 

[Mossyrock]

Gentlemen,

I am going to drag this one back to the top of the pile. I have a TVM Early Virginia, built to my specs, that I have dubbed "Rock Crusher". Why? This thing is absolutely DEATH on flints. If I get ten shots out of a flint, I consider myself lucky. Hell, even if it sparks, it doesn't consistently go off. It is probably my own fault. Matt specs these rifles with either an L&R Round-faced lock, or a Chambers Early Virginia. No, I had to be different and specify a Davis 1750. Great LOOKING lock, but I have had the devil's own time just getting it to go off! If I put the flint in bevel up, it will spark pretty well, but ignition is S-L-O-W. (bevel down, it breaks flints.) I have tried replacing the vent liner, opening up the touch hole (up to 3/32"), lightening the frizzen spring (it was like a Chevy truck leaf spring!) and, on the advice of a local flintlock builder, widening the pan a bit. Thus far, I have had no success in getting this lock up to an acceptable standard. This really annoys me because I have had Silers that were as fast as a caplock. Needless to say, this is NOT helping my shooting! So, any suggestions? I am tempted to hand it to the flint-doctor mentioned above and telling him that I am at the end of my rope and that it is his turn.

 

[ronrryan]

Why not send it to Davis with the story you just told? Most guys try to do the right thing and followup with good customer service. Hell, you cant be any worse off---good smoke, Ron

 

[tg]

"
I've never owned a gun that would get more than 15 shots per flint. I usually have to knapp twice during those 15 shots."

You do realize Mark that the sharp end of the flint goes toward the frizzen?

 

[rabjr]

:shocked2: :rotf:

 

[Mossyrock]

"

You do realize Mark that the sharp end of the flint goes toward the frizzen?

OH, CRAP!!!!! Is THAT what I have been doing wrong?!?! :hmm: :shocked2: :blah:

 

[feyx0006]

Shooting a .54 cal Lyman GPR with 5/8" Tom Fuller English flints and a lead wrap, the fewest shots I have gotten from a flint was 35. The greatest was >100 shots (two full range sessions). Between these bookends, I have found significant variability.

 

[redwing]

I have the Davis 1750 lock on a Yeager Rifle. The 1750 gives very long flint life. I use both BEFs and Richs Burlington Chert. I never knap a rock but use a Diamond file.
The 1750 will run 50-80 shots on the average, some times more. Have you tried using a penetrating oil in the frizzen hinge?
The hinge can become very stiff from rust. This can happen from cleaning or sweating. The heavy 7/8" flint hammer can smash the flints if the frizzen is slow to open. :hmm:

 

[Mossyrock]

Everything is clean and lubed. Weakening the Chevy-truck frizzen spring helped a great deal. Last night I heated the goose-neck of the **** and bent the hammer angle down a bit from 75 degrees to very close to 60 degrees. I am going to the range in a few minutes to see if this helped. Wish me luck...

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Oatsayo,
Seriously, You should get more shots than that from a flint. Perhaps its the flints you are using? use a good English flint. You do get what you pay for.
Set your flint so that there is barely a gap between the edge of the flint and the face of the steel when on Half ****.

If all else fails, Contact the manufacturer. They are all very good about customer service. It is a possability that you just got a component that is malformed and they will replace it.

 

[redwing]

The close contact of the flint to the Frizzen applies to the large Siler. The same is not true with the Davis Locks. :hmm:

 

[Mossyrock]

The close contact of the flint to the Frizzen applies to the large Siler. The same is not true with the Davis Locks. :hmm:

Really? Interesting... :hmm: Please elaborate....

 

[Musketeer]

"
I've never owned a gun that would get more than 15 shots per flint. I usually have to knapp twice during those 15 shots."

You do realize Mark that the sharp end of the flint goes toward the frizzen?

15 per flint! :shocked2: Sheesh. Even my Indian made pistol from MVTC gets at least 20-30, then I knap and get 20 more, then I flip the flint and get another 15-20. And all this on a gun with a frizzen spring darn near as strong as the mainspring. :haha: :hmm:

This is with Tom Fullers from TOTW, the only ones I've tried in it.

 

[tg]

"The close contact of the flint to the Frizzen applies to the large Siler"

This is a good point the gap between the flint and the frizzen when evreything is readay to go does vary between the many lock makes and styles.Some are so close it takes a thin sheet of brass to make a hammer stall, where others have enough room to use leather.

 

[rich pierce]

That rule of flint placement was specific for the old Siler. If you think about it that just tells you where the half **** notch is on the tumbler and nothing more. What you want is a long clean swipe at a slashing (not bashing) angle onto the frizzen. Thickness of the flint, flint wrapping, bevel up vs down, and forward/rearward placement all affect the angle of attack and height of the flint striking the frizzen. Depending on the flint thickness (if bevel down) thicker flints strike higher so I'll give more of a gap between flint edge and frizzen with a thicker flint. Every lock design is different and that "rule" sure does not work universally.

 

[FishDFly]

Rich.

Thanks for explaining things.

As I was reading through each post I started wondering about what causes a flint to make a good spark and what causes a particular flint to last a short or long time.

When I was talking with one flintlock pistol shooter he said that there are some flints that just are not going to spark and to throw them away, do not put them back into the box.

Your explanation is worth printing and keeping which I will do.

What do the below contribute or take away from flint life:

1. Quality of the flint, everyone has their own favorite
2. Force/speed of the stiker
3. Hardness of the frizzen
4. Spring tension of the frizzen
5. Quality of the lock

Thanks

RDE

 

[musketman]

Another over-looked area by new flint shooters is having the flint too far out in the jaws and the flint hits the bottom of the pan when its fired. This drastically reduces the flint's life and can be hard to spot at first.

Once the flint is in the jaws and aligned with the frizzen, slowly lower the flint all the way down to the fired position and check for pan clearance. If it touches, back it in until there is a small gap.