Flintlock question

[peter hawbaker]

I started out my muzzleloading 20 some years ago with a TC flinter, I am still fond of them though I hunt with and shoot mostly more correct longrifles now.

That being said, TCs (S&W) customer service is NOT what it used to be. Those days are over, sadly.

 

[tdperry]

I started out my muzzleloading 20 some years ago with a TC flinter, I am still fond of them though I hunt with and shoot mostly more correct longrifles now.

That being said, TCs (S&W) customer service is NOT what it used to be. Those days are over, sadly.

I agree the much talked about wonderful customer service is not what it used to be. The customer service reputation was one of the reasons I purchased the T/C. I took it out and shot it with the factory flints that were sawed into shape, and even they have bad chips coming off of them after about 15 rounds. Not a happy camper at all. About to call T/C instead of emailing them and see what they say about it.

 

[ebiggs1]

Although in jeopardy of hijacking this thread from the original poster, could you post some clear photos of your rig?
I have an original untouched TC gun that I intentionally leave as is, to help keep the haters here honest. So far that rifle has worked flawlessly.
Let me also say that every L&R lock I have bought had to go back for service. After L&R gets the second try, they work as well as any lock. So just be forewarned there.
One problem I have seen with TC's is everybody modifies them! Yon never know what lock or barrel you will find on them and the rifle may not be as factory. Even locks can be “abused” and not be readily apparent.
There are other sources for the new style cock. Ebay has them all the time.
PHOTOS would be nice.

 

[tdperry]

Although in jeopardy of hijacking this thread from the original poster, could you post some clear photos of your rig?
I have an original untouched TC gun that I intentionally leave as is, to help keep the haters here honest. So far that rifle has worked flawlessly.
Let me also say that every L&R lock I have bought had to go back for service. After L&R gets the second try, they work as well as any lock. So just be forewarned there.
One problem I have seen with TC's is everybody modifies them! Yon never know what lock or barrel you will find on them and the rifle may not be as factory. Even locks can be “abused” and not be readily apparent.
There are other sources for the new style cock. Ebay has them all the time.
PHOTOS would be nice.

Ernie French confirmed it was a T/C lock (he works on them for T/C) when I sent it in. I just got off the phone with him and he is going to send me a new hammer :thumbsup: . He was very familiar with the differences in the hammer style and told me that he thought it was working OK and that's why he did not replace the hammer. When I told him about the knapped flint problems he agreed that was not normal and that the new hammer would probably solve it.
Telephone contact works MUCH better than email (if you can reach the person you need to). :grin:

Here are photos of the lock. First one is fully down, second is in the half cock position with the factory flint.

 

[Rifleman1776]

First lets assume your useing good flints,not cut from stone thats been laying on the surface exposed to frost.

No offense, my English friend, but that is pure balderdash. Flint being exposed to weather has no effect. I was once thrown off of a ml discussion forum because the 'owner' had his own theories about flint and often bragged he had "written a paper" on the subject. Only problem was he was wrong about just about everything. He even advocated storing flints in jars of kerosene ('parrafin' in Queen's English) or water to keep them soft. I didn't accept this and disagreed with him. So, I wrote to several universities with geology departments. The responses I got said flint was, essentially, impervious to moisture. If you stored flints in kerosene all you got from it was stinky flints. If you stored flints in water, after 500 years the moisture might penetrate as deeply as on micron, which ain't very much. Weather does not affect flint.

 

[ebiggs1]

That is the old style cock. Let's hope the new style fixes your issues but I really have little problems with my old style lock. :hmm:
Oh, BTW, ditch that horrible “flint” as soon as possible. :thumbsup:
My best practice is a generous amount of GOEX 4f in the pan. Keep it right next to the touch hole and if a little trickles in , that's good too. You do have the “new improved” touch hole liner?

Here is a photo of mine after a shooting session which is usually 25 to 30 shots. I do nothing to the gun except load it and shoot.

 

[tdperry]

That is the old style cock. Let's hope the new style fixes your issues but I really have little problems with my old style lock. :hmm:
Oh, BTW, ditch that horrible “flint” as soon as possible. :thumbsup:
My best practice is a generous amount of GOEX 4f in the pan. Keep it right next to the touch hole and if a little trickles in , that's good too. You do have the “new improved” touch hole liner?

Have already tried several of the nice expensive flints from Track of the Wolf, all which were either shattered almost immediately or only lasting about 10 shots. That "horrible" flint works better than the hand knapped ones. I'm hoping the new hammer will allow me to go back to my Fuller English and French amber (and the Rich Pierce when they come in).
Yep, I knew that the lock was the old style. It's the "new" style in all but the hammer now tho' since Ernie replaced the older parts.
Touch hole liner is the old style with the slot in it (had an order placed with T/C for the updated but got a note in that they were on backorder so will be ordering from somewhere else - probably Dixie Gun Works if they have it).
I've had better luck placing the powder on the side opposite of the touch hole - seems to ignite faster and there is not the delay that I had been experiencing (I use 3F to prime as well as shove down the barrel).
ff
On a side note, got a Ruger Old Army in just a couple of days ago. Took it out and sighted it in then went walking checking the feeders for hogs. Saw a poor little fuzzy wuzzy bunny rabbit about 25 yards away. One round straight through it's eyeball that was staring at me :thumbsup: . Going to make a great hunting pistol - accurate as you could ask a pistol to be.

 

[detent]

No offence taken, Unfortunately im old enough to have talked to the old flint nappers at Brandon who taught me to cut and nap flints and they never cut gun flints or the rings they made for fun from surface flint,500 years a mear speck in time iv got a rifle nearly that old how about 5 million years, if you have churches and houses made from flint like we do here look on the ground after a bad frost see how many flint slivers you can pick up I certainly agree with you in regards to kerosene the last thing you need on flint or frizzen face is oil of any kind. As fore the topic we have hijacked I would say that the cock needs to be about a quarter inch higher halt the frizzen is wasted.

 

[bob4st]

...as a retired geologist, I feel compelled to validate all that rifleman reports... he is indeed correct... :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

...as a retired geologist, I feel compelled to validate all that rifleman reports... he is indeed correct... :thumbsup:

Thanks. Stick around. I need somebody watching my back. :wink:

 

[ebiggs1]

If that procedure works well for you, I am not going to be of any help. Because it is contrary to how I shoot. I know off no way to make guns with those “flints” work reliably. I hope you get your rifle sorted out and it preforms the way it should and virtually all the others do. :wink:

 

[tdperry]

If that procedure works well for you, I am not going to be of any help. Because it is contrary to how I shoot. I know off no way to make guns with those “flints” work reliably. I hope you get your rifle sorted out and it preforms the way it should and virtually all the others do. :wink:

I know that the "factory" flints are manure :barf: ... it's just a fact with this gun that right NOW they work better than the high dollar flints. I can't afford to keep replacing a flint every 8-10 rounds because it's been hitting the frizzen at almost a 90 degree angle and sometimes shattering instead of scraping down it like it is supposed to. That was why I was commenting on the angle of attack of the hammer (my original compared to what a newer hammer does). Got a friend that has a new style lock and I took the hammer off his, mounted it up to mine and put a Fuller english flint in it and it worked great... pretty good indicator that it is a hammer/lock problem. Now to wait on my hammer to come in... then wait on some funds to replace the 30 flints I've wasted with the old hammer :td: .

 

[RC]

I had something like this once on a chambers lock,,about 6-10 falls then no spark, new flint worked great,for 6-10 times.. :cursing: got a new frizzen.. been perfect ever since,,,,,suppose someone redoin the frizzen woulda worked.... but just ordered a new,
an all is fine!

 

[tdperry]

That is the old style cock. Let's hope the new style fixes your issues but I really have little problems with my old style lock. :hmm:
Oh, BTW, ditch that horrible “flint” as soon as possible. :thumbsup:
My best practice is a generous amount of GOEX 4f in the pan. Keep it right next to the touch hole and if a little trickles in , that's good too. You do have the “new improved” touch hole liner?

Here is a photo of mine after a shooting session which is usually 25 to 30 shots. I do nothing to the gun except load it and shoot.

Received not one, but two of the new style hammers and a new hammer screw (it was the complete hammer - jaw screw and top jaw) from Ernie at T/C. Put one of the new hammers on and went out to shoot with a Tom Fuller black English flint. Quit shooting after 35 shots on the same flint with nothing being done to it (and 100% ignition). Guess the hammer DID solve the problem. :wink:

 

[ebiggs1]

Congratulations! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
But it gets better, get yourself the “new” improved touch hole liner! :grin:

 

[Renegade Dan]

I had something like this once on a chambers lock,,about 6-10 falls then no spark, new flint worked great,for 6-10 times.. :cursing: got a new frizzen.. been perfect ever since,,,,,suppose someone redoin the frizzen woulda worked.... but just ordered a new,
an all is fine!

Thanks RC, I'll check out Dixie and the track for replacement frizzens and if I can't find any there, I'll just get a pedersoli replacemnt one for my Jaeger.

 

[tdperry]

Congratulations! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
But it gets better, get yourself the “new” improved touch hole liner! :grin:

Yep, that's one of the next purchases, in addition to a Williams Fire Sight in .450 height (the stock T/C fiber optics shoot WAY low with my load even with the rear sight in the full up position). Had to get the calipers out to measure the T/C fiber optic and it's .500 so that should take care of the problem of shooting low with the 90gr FFFg and a Hornady patched round ball.

 

[fishspike]

A taller front sight blade will bring the strike of the ball down not up.

Bob

 

[tdperry]

A taller front sight blade will bring the strike of the ball down not up.

Bob

Last time I checked .450 was smaller (lower) than .500. :grin:

The Fire Sights are measured from the dovetail to the top of the sight. Doing the same thing with the T/C shows that it is the taller of the two. They offer a .450, .500 and .550 if I remember correctly. The latter two will be to tall.