Flintlock Gizmo

[sundog]

This AM on fleabay I saw a Flintlock gizmo which basicly looked like part of a cigerette lighter adapted to fit in the cock jaws and use a lighter "flint". The thing rolls the lighter wheel againjst a leather pad placed on the frizzen.
Although I am fine with flints and real black powder I know many of us have difficulty obtaining the real thing.
I am wondering if this thing could be used to ignight a pan charge of fake powder- Pyrodex, 777 and the like. Perhaps the sparks are hotter, hot enough to allow the use of fake powder by those who cannot get the real thing.
Has anyone experimented with the lighter device or know anyone who has used it with fake powder.
Yeah its not a real Flintlock once the thing is used but if it can reliably ignight the fake powders in the pan it would allow some of our brethern to shoot their Flintlocks which otherwise sit idle for lack of BP.

 

[F.G. Ford]

If you duct tape a Bic lighter to your hammer ( cock) it will work also :rotf: :rotf:
All kidding aside, for those who do not know how a "FLINTLOCK" works, will try any means to get reliable ignition.
Once you understand, it's no problem.
As far as subistute powders go.....they just don't work.....yet!
Maybe tomorrow!
Old Ford

 

[Trot]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, and I am sorry but this reminds me of a story I have to relate. Back in our teens by brother bought the first flintlock we had ever seen. It was a two pieced stock long rifle imported by Kassnar. Nothing on earth would make this thing spark, bad frizzen, poor geometry, both who knows. We started using wooden kitchen matches, at first he would hold and aim, and I would touch off the prime with a match. Later we started breaking off the heads of a few matches and clamping them in the jaws, it actually usually worked. I guess you could call it a "matchlock" conversion!

 

[longfowler]

I actually bought one of those gizmos a several years back, but never got it to work right. like many other attempts to re-invent the wheel, it was far too complex to be as reliable as the proven 400 yr old flint-on-steel idea.

 

I don't mean to hijack your thread, and I am sorry but...

Don't you love posts that start like this?

"I don't mean to", in this case means - "I'm going to hijack this thread and I wanted to tell you I don't care." :rotf:

 

[spaethjm]

I havw one not real safe you cannot put your hammer on half cock as the device is to long.

 

[roundball]

Maybe if it was held in place with a sheet of lead it would work...

 

[Stumpkiller]

I am wondering if this thing could be used to ignight a pan charge of fake powder- Pyrodex, 777 and the like. Perhaps the sparks are hotter, hot enough to allow the use of fake powder by those who cannot get the real thing.

I would have to believe the sparks are not as hot. How hard is it to ignite butane? The flint is taking white hot pieces of hardened steel off the frizzen. Probably the thumb wheel is striking a Ronstan "flint" cylinder made up of magnesium and some binder metal.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Maybe it would turn a flint lock rifle into a great big cigarette lighter. Great conversation piece and ice breaker at parties! Finally a gun that Ted Kennedy and Sarah Brady could love. :barf:

 

[brubincam]

-----fill the barrel with tobacco-----that would be a long smoke-----

 

[tg]

"
Maybe if it was held in place with a sheet of lead it would work..."

and then only if accompanied by a writ of Habius Sparkus

 

[paulvallandigham]

More than 40 years ago, my father decided he wanted to make a " cheap " flint. At the time, the cigarette lighter " flints"( actually iron Pyrite)were less than a dime a package. So, he took a piece of thick plexiglas, drilled holes in one edge, and glues the cylinder shaped "flints" into the edge. Then he put the gizmo into his Flintlock pistol's jaws, as you would a normal flint. He tried it and after a few strikes to get the edges knocked off, it began producing sparks.

He then sparked to keep count and see just how many strikes he could get from this " flint". He did okay, but he noticed that he was digging 4-5 grooves into the face of his frizzen! He didn't like the time it took him using a file to back his emery cloth to smooth the face of the frizzen down again, so the " Gizmo" went on the shelf- a curiosity he kept because the idea seems to come up every 20 years or so.

He died in 1996. My brother and I decided to throw the gizmo out! when we were going through his things. It did bring back memories of Dad doing the test while we watched, and listening to him mutter and curse quietly as he sanded that frizzen smooth again. Pete remembered that at the time, he even declined our offer to do the labor to smooth that frizzen! Its one of those life lessons I have kept all these years.

I suppose if someone were to produce square or rectangular shaped iron pyrite lighter stones, someone would simply cut a groove in a piece of wood, or plastic, and epoxy the stone(s) into the groove to accomplish the same thing, but have a full edge to scrape steel from the frizzen. :hmm: :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

A sort of self lighting cigar! We may be on to something here! :thumbsup:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Sounds like a perfect solution for a non existing problem.

 

[Walks with fire]

I often wondered if a carbide insert used in the machining trades would work if it had the proper edge angle. Seems to me it would work but might break. I like a good ol black english flint and will use them as long as I can get em.

 

[Zonie]

There are several grades of Tungsten Carbide that are very shock resistant and sharpened to a razor sharpness they might work rather well.

On the negative side the material is quite expensive and it can only be ground with diamond wheels.
Knapping would be out of the question.

Then there is the issue of weight. Tungsten Carbide is very heavy so the acceleration of the cock would be somewhat slowed. Also, when the cock came to its abrupt stop against the lockplate the added weight of the Carbide would produce a higher stress in the neck of the cock.
It probably wouldn't break it but it wouldn't do it any good.

From a traditional standpoint I think using a good grade of flint is the best answer even if it does have its faults. (Faults...Knapping...Get It? Har har har. :rotf: )

 

[Leonredbeard]

WWF,
I would think that carbide would really rip up your steel.
volatpluvia

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Is there something wrong with using Gun flints???

 

Is there something wrong with using Gun flints???

There are always those who want to alter traditional firearms and "make them better". It's just what they do.

 

[mr.fudd]

I think the real solution is to improve the ignition of the fake powders. After all, who wants to have a traditional flintlock with some goofy modern lighter type thing attached to it? Why not throw on a quad rail and a forward pistol grip as well?

My understanding of black powder is that it functions just fine without the sulfur, except the ignition temperature goes up by a few hundred degrees making it unreliable when ignited by a flint. If I wanted to shoot flintlocks with substitute powders, I would look into additives that might make them ignite more easily.