Flintlock gasket?

[Shelby Skinner]

Was wondering if any of you use a "gasket" between the bolster of your flintlock and your barrel. When I was very new to the sport an old timer showed me how to take a piece of oiled leather and shave it paper thin. Cut it out so its the same shap as the inside of your lock bolster and when you screw the lock down tight against your barrel the little bit of leather will prevent primer fouling from working its way between the barrel and lock. Very effective solution and keeps you from having to take off your lock every time you clean your gun. The trick is the leather has to be VERY thin--use a single edge razor to shave the thickness to paper thin. Also the leather needs a little gun oil to keep it pliable and to form a good seal.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I've never heard of it myself. If there is a good fit between the two you shouldn't need to. A couple of things to look out for if you do it. Even if you oil it, if moisture gets in there the leather will trap some and rust will get started. Also the pan will probably be held away from the barrel even if just a tiny bit. Fire from the flash will eat its way through what little leather is adjacent to the pan. That'll cause a gap for moisture and for fire from the flash to come in contact with the wood in the mortise. Very much of a gap could allow priming powder to get in the mortise and flash could also set it off. As the leather deteriorates your lock could also get loose. I know you're talking about a super thin gasket, but you'd have to slice it perfectly even its entire length and I wonder if anybody could slice it that thin. I'd rather take the lock off once in a while and clean and inspect it. That's just my 2 shillings worth.
:thumbsup:

 

[TVG.75]

Shelby Skinner,
I have done this on my Pedersoli Bess and it has worked quite well. The gap I had was not large enough for 4FG to get through but fouling was blown down. I removed the lock every so often to clean and oil it, and I still do. Now I can go much longer between internal lock cleaning and if need be make a new leather seal or gasket when I remove the lock and it's worn. It dose get beaten up bad by fire from the flash. I would not consider it a "fix all" or reason to stop removing, checking, and cleaning a lock. I like to check all of my firelocks regularly anyway.
It's not great, I don't like knowing it's there, but it works.
Travis.

 

[Shelby Skinner]

I've never heard of it myself. If there is a good fit between the two you shouldn't need to. A couple of things to look out for if you do it. Even if you oil it, if moisture gets in there the leather will trap some and rust will get started. Also the pan will probably be held away from the barrel even if just a tiny bit. Fire from the flash will eat its way through what little leather is adjacent to the pan. That'll cause a gap for moisture and for fire from the flash to come in contact with the wood in the mortise. Very much of a gap could allow priming powder to get in the mortise and flash could also set it off. As the leather deteriorates your lock could also get loose. I know you're talking about a super thin gasket, but you'd have to slice it perfectly even its entire length and I wonder if anybody could slice it that thin. I'd rather take the lock off once in a while and clean and inspect it. That's just my 2 shillings worth.
:thumbsup:

The gasket is so thin you won't have that problem. Its almost impossible to see since it gets compressed when the lock snugs up against the barrel.

 

[Vaino]

Have never even thought of using a gasket when "doing it right" by inletting or re-inletting the lock is so easy to do vs "futzing" around w/ the making and continual maintenance of a thin leather gasket......Fred

 

[roundball]

Agree...a tight metal-to-metal seal is the way to go.

And, I ALWAYS remove my locks as part of the rifle cleaning/lubing process after every use.
I even remove the frizzen & frizzen pivot screw so I can thoroughly clean & lube those parts plus the frizzen bridle & spring...I make them showroom ready every time I put them back in the rack.

 

[Shelby Skinner]

Have never even thought of using a gasket when "doing it right" by inletting or re-inletting the lock is so easy to do vs "futzing" around w/ the making and continual maintenance of a thin leather gasket......Fred

What do you do when the wood shrinks with age on your perfect inletting job after the rifle gets some age on it?

Something to think about...

 

[roundball]

Have never even thought of using a gasket when "doing it right" by inletting or re-inletting the lock is so easy to do vs "futzing" around w/ the making and continual maintenance of a thin leather gasket......Fred

What do you do when the wood shrinks with age on your perfect inletting job after the rifle gets some age on it?

Something to think about...

He mentioned:
"...by inletting or re-inletting the lock..."

I had a rifle several years ago with a gap...and went through a period of time where I kept a little stack of thin leather pieces cut from upholstery scrap...put a new one in after every cleaning session...finally decided to inlet the lock a little deeper and no longer had to do that.

 

[Stophel]

Putting a gasket between the barrel and lock is a pretty half fast way of doing something, in my unabashed opinion. :winking:

As far as wood shrinkage, it will never be a concern. Even on 200+ year old guns, shrinkage doesn't make the lock move away from the barrel. The rest of the lock mortise could get loose, but it will always cinch up against the barrel.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

As others have said, proper inletting should get a good metal-to-metal fit, but many of us also put a bit of beeswax along the mating surface of the lock plate/bolster to seal it and prevent water potentially wicking along there in wet weather to dampen the priming. The excess wax squeezes out when you snug up the lock bolts and is scraped off.

On the other hand, on my Frontier, the screwdriver slot in the touch hole bushing goes below the edge of the barrel flat and conducts priming and/or flash down into the lock recess. After verifying that beeswax in the slot does not withstand the flash, I took some thin sheet lead (soundproofing IIRC) and made a gasket for the full contact surface, with a raised/folded portion that fills the slot. I still use a thin smear of beeswax on both sides of the lead to waterproof it and to hold it in place while I put the lock on.

Joel

 

[renovato]

Just off the top of my head, it sounds as if the leather would act as a sponge for the salts of firing and hold them against the metal. This might cause corrosion issues down the road. I would think that a metal shim of some sort would be a better solution if there's enough gap to worry about.

 

[Stophel]

Inlet the lock down to touch the barrel! Shimming or gasketing will keep the frizzen pan cover from covering the touch hole.

For the liner with the slot that runs below the pan trough, simply replace it with another liner that either has no slot, or a slot that stops crossways.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I do exactly the same thing. Especially after a prolonged shooting match. That is, remove the lock and clean and oil it.
:thumbsup:

 

[Leonredbeard]

Shelby,
In building the last lock for my wheellock gonne, I didn't get the pan and bolster, as you call it, at the right angles to the lock plate and have gap between lock and barrel. Since it is an experimental gonne anyway I just did the quick fix with a thin piece of leather and it works very well. Do what you want, it's your gun.

However, I have been playing with flintlocks and other ignition muzzleloaders since 1978. I thought too that one needed to meticulously take every thing apart and clean it to within an inch of its life. After a while I found out that a little wd40 really does prevent rust. So I do a reasonable cleaning job and spray the lock down with that and I don't have rust problems. (Read the Bevel Brothers' article in this month's issue of MUZZLEBLASTS magazine.) Now don't neglect your gun, but don't let the threat of rust make you quake in your boots. I have not seen leather cause rust. If it did, every cock on every flintlock in existance would be a blob of rust.
volatpluvia

 

[roundball]

"...I have not seen leather cause rust. If it did, every cock on every flintlock in existance would be a blob of rust..."

Funny the different things we do...when I clean my locks after shooting, that includes removing the top jaw, jaw screw, flint, and leather...they all get a cleaning in hot soapy water, the wet leather is set aside to dry til the next weekend, and a clean dry piece goes back in the hammer.

I never put a Flintlock back up with so much as a hint of fouling on any part of it anywhere...that's just how I treat my guns

 

[Wayne Wynn]

Was wondering if any of you use a "gasket" between the bolster of your flintlock and your barrel. When I was very new to the sport an old timer showed me how to take a piece of oiled leather and shave it paper thin. Cut it out so its the same shap as the inside of your lock bolster and when you screw the lock down tight against your barrel the little bit of leather will prevent primer fouling from working its way between the barrel and lock. Very :thumbsup: effective solution and keeps you from having to take off your lock every time you clean your gun. The trick is the leather has to be VERY thin--use a single edge razor to shave the thickness to paper thin. Also the leather needs a little gun oil to keep it pliable and to form a good seal.