Flintlock or percussion for a first purchase?

[smoothshooter]

Hi guys, I'm finally getting round to buying my first muzzle loader after toying with the idea for a couple of years. (Going with a reproduction from Pedersoli).

I've decided on a smoothbore for the versatility but not sure if I want to go flint or percussion.

What are the pros and cons of each and is one more beginner friendly than the other?

I'll be taking the gun hunting for birds and deer and will also be using it for target shooting if you'd like to know.

From Pedersoli's catalogue I'll likely decide on one of these (Still open to suggestions though):

- Indian Trade Gun

- Brown Bess

- Carabinieri 1814

-1816 Harpers Ferry (Colt Conversion)

If anyone has some advice that might help my decision that would be great.

Cheers.

I wojld go with a flint gun, primarily because of the cap shortage s
That doesn’t Show any signs of getting better.

Just got back from a two day woods walk match. I own a couple flinters. One custom, one a Lyman. One guy on my 'team' of five was new and had borrowed a T/C flint that was well maintained, his average was one ignition out of 3 tries, he was getting spark just not ignition. He showed marvelous fortitude as most people I know probably would have wrapped the rifle around a tree at about halfway through the sixteen stations. Another guy, an 'old hand' had a new to him trade smoothbore flint, he hit one out of sixteen. The third guy also had a multitude of issues with his. The weather was cool and dry. The second day a different group similar deal. Did not have a guy shooting a rock crusher did not have problems. I have been with guys who do have rifles that perform flawlessly and have kicked my butt accuracy wise. One fellow took top gun with a flinter the second day. If you have a huge capacity for aggravation choose flint by all means. I shot a Dixie poor boy capgun with a Japanese barrel, came in third out 25 shooters and did not have a shot not go off. Finding/paying for caps may be an issue, but I heard an ugly rumor at Friendship that Goex may start manufacturing number 11's. My two cents worth as unpopular as it will be.

I’ll bet the guys with the ignition problems were shooting guns with patent breeches.
If someone is going to use one of those things, they must understand what a patent breech actually looks like, and how to properly clean it. Most don’t.

Yes, I’m a patent breech hater, and am very familiar with their history and why they came into being in the first place.

 

[waksupi]

Did the young Daniel Boone start with a percussion gun before learning to shoot a flintlock?

Not trying to be a smart aleck, just throwing out a question.

Nope, didn't exist at that time.

 

[Grenadier1758]

When I compare the two types of ignition systems, I always refer to the flint lock as being the art of traditional muzzleloading. The percussion lock is the triumph of technology to make an easier to manufacture and more reliable ignition system.

A percussion lock can be reliable as it comes from the factory. I have not come across any flint lock that doesn't benefit from tuning the lock for smooth functioning. This is as simple as smoothing all the burrs off the rubbing parts or as complex as smoothing the mating parts and balancing the springs to flattening the pan cover of the frizzen to the pan and adjusting the cock for a better scraping strike angle on the frizzen face. Getting one's flint lock properly tuned is one of the reasons that a percussion lock system is often better for beginning the traditional muzzleloading experience.

 

[waksupi]

When I compare the two types of ignition systems, I always refer to the flint lock as being the art of traditional muzzleloading. The percussion lock is the triumph of technology to make an easier to manufacture and more reliable ignition system.

A percussion lock can be reliable as it comes from the factory. I have not come across any flint lock that doesn't benefit from tuning the lock for smooth functioning. This is as simple as smoothing all the burrs off the rubbing parts or as complex as smoothing the mating parts and balancing the springs to flattening the pan cover of the frizzen to the pan and adjusting the cock for a better scraping strike angle on the frizzen face. Getting one's flint lock properly tuned is one of the reasons that a percussion lock system is often better for beginning the traditional muzzleloading experience.

There are poor quality percussion locks, too. I recall a Bedford county rifle I had about 50 years ago with a Russ Hamm lock that was not dependable, and at that time I didn't know how to fix it.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

What are you using it for? If hunting, what is lawful? My first purchase and mostly all I buy are flintlocks but because of our flintlock only season here in PA. There was no other muzzy season then, so I went straight into the flintlock because of getting the extra season to hunt. I would guess, if it was an option, I would have opted to go percussion with it's presumed shorter learning curve.