Flintlock range ettiquette

[Eric Krewson]

I think a flash guard would be a good thing, I shoot at home by myself and don't worry about it. I was shooting at the local range the other day without a flash guard; I do caution people not to stand even with my rifle on the right side. I touched off a shot and a guy I knew who was at least 20 feet away reached up and touched his head, he said something hit him in the head hard when I fired.

 

[smo]

Some people just don’t listen….

 

[bronko220002]

I made my own leather frizzen cover from a piece of leather from and old possibles bag strap. I have a leather thong on it that is tied to the trigger guard so I won't lose it.
One other note is that with or without the frizzen cover on your frizzen should be open. A flinter can fire without powder in the pan. It all depends on where a spark hits the pan. One could possibly fly right into the flash hole.

 

[smo]

Just another reason the hammer/cock should be down and not at half or full cock…
Definitely leave the frizzen open

 

[AndyJ]

Good grief I feel so fortunate to have a gun club with no range officers, no one to call the range hot or cold.
We supervise each other, but during the week the gun club gets little use. Especially during the off summer season.
Pistol bays are individual so you don't have to put up with the activity from other shooters. The rifle range has a short 25 yard bay enclosed on 3 sides by a high embankment laying next to the open rifle range. I can shoot the monthly postal challenge there by myself.

That may work fine at a private range where everyone is "bona-fide" but whilst walking back from my targets down range, at a self policing range, a youngen brought by his grandfather started firing...my buddy back at the line ran into the range went verbally ballistic on them as a range office would have done...so in that sense it was "self policing".

 

[mmb617]

The rules are indeed different everywhere so you need to find out what they are at your range. At my club when they hold a muzzleloader shoot the main rule is keep the muzzle pointed up until on the firing line. And they always call out 5 minutes till cold range so anyone loaded can fire before that.

Other than in formal shoots the ranges (we have 5) are never crowded and I usually can have one all to myself. There is no RSO present and common sense prevails. It's a private club so we don't get the general public run of the mill idiots. That's not to say I haven't ever seen what I consider unsafe handling of guns, not just muzzleloaders, but when I do I leave that area. I'm not an RSO or officer of the club so I don't tell others what to do. But I'm also not sticking around if I feel unsafe.

 

[sturmkatze]

Awesome, thanks for answers guys.

Flint stall...Im not familiar. I googled it and got a lot of nonsense.

What is it, where can I get it, or what do I make?

Sentry44

Or, more often “hammerstall “

 

[Boston Bill]

Years ago an RSO questioned me on why I was pointing the revolver to the sky. I said thats the only way I know how to load a black powder revolver? We became friends after that interaction and he got me into the RSO program at my club.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good grief I feel so fortunate to have a gun club with no range officers, no one to call the range hot or cold.

Fortunate? More like flirting with death. An unregulated range is a dangerous place. There is a very fine shooting range in the national forest not far from me. But, it is unregulated. I no longer use it. When I did, there was always someone who did not know what "cease fire" meant. I had people shooting targets next to me when the range was supposedly 'cold' and I was down range changing targets. Same idjits would go down range to change targets while others were shooting.

 

[Daveboone]

At our club, we have flash guards on the support post on the far right side of each covered shooting range. Flinters are expected to stand in reasonable proximity. Prime at the firing line, just like you would cap at the firing line. If you have an alibi....I keep my flintlock tools, etc. in my pocket. clear your pan, etc. while still on the firing line, re-prime, try again. Most times no one else will ever notice for the time it takes. Just like a percussion though, if you have a failure to fire, wait a reasonable abmoint of time, inform the range officer, and then we take then to an end station to rectify. Really, otherwise I cant think of any other flintlock specific flinter etiquette.

 

[ord sgt]

This is my view point:
I am an NRA certified RSO, former Chief RSO, at my R/P club. Also, NRA certified Muzzleloading Instructor. I shoot muzzle loading rifles and pistols at my NRA affiliated range. RSO's control the firing line at all times. During "cease firing', all shooters leave their empty firearm on the bench. Modern firearms have the action open, showing an empty chamber, pointed down range. Muzzleloaders can be left safely leaning against the bench with muzzle pointed up, unloaded or laying on the bench, unloaded, muzzle pointed down range.
Once the cease fire is called, everyone stands away from the benches. It is safe to go down range to change or post targets. Only after all have returned to the area behind the firing line is the command to "commence fire". Then all can return to the bench and handle firearms.
The RSO on duty will check with the M/ler to be sure the firearm is empty. (There aren't too many of us.) This is for cease fire.
This club has been in existence for over 50 years. It has a new lease for another 50 years. NRA range inspectors visit and inspect our range, making suggestions on range safety improvements, if needed. The club, at one time, had open land behind the safety berms. Now we have industrial parks around us.
With flintlocks, I try to get a position on the far-right side of the line, so I don't burn anyone with the flame and flash from the pan. If I have a shooter to my right, I give them a warning so they can stand clear of the touch hole blast.
At the club, we run a program call NRA Women on Target. A few dependable RSO's who shoot m/lers, introduce the ladies to the wonderful world of black powder rifles. We have them shoot at clay birds on a backer board. Clay birds get broken and the smiles that appear are priceless.

 

[James Dietz]

Cuttfingers does make a good hammer/frizzen stall. The only problem is his work is so incredible I always end up buying more than I intended! All worth it though!

 

[BadDaditood]

Here’s a hammer stall on an 1803 Harpers Ferry

 

[French Colonial]

At the range I shoot at during a match when they are getting ready to go cold the range officer shouts "Are there any hot ones"

If there are the individuals who have hot ones they are allowed to shoot, then the range goes cold with no loaded guns at the loading bench.

 

[hanshi]

I belong to a private club, a small one, and often I, and a friend, have it all to ourselves. A combo rifle & pistol 100 yard range are it for shooting and that works out just fine. I have no need for anything over 100 yards since round balls are stretching at that distance anyway. No range officer except during formal shoots and we are left on our own and use the "honor system". Works well for us.

 

[appalichian hunter]

The club I belong to has no R.S.O. we run an extensive pre qual class prior to issuing a grounds badge (which must be displayed on the range when using it) Being a former firearms instructor for the state I was a bit leary of this in the beginning, but through the years it has worked well, there is a red light and siren system with switches at each shooting bench that one turns on to halt the line, and each shooter checks with each other to insure the weapons are safe, before going down range, once everyone is finished with target repairs and back on the line again each shooter checks with others that all is safe and ready, then the lights are turned off, the members while shooting are very courteous to one another during this process, yes this is an old private club and most shooters there are older fellas, law enforcement and have background in range management practices. I will not shoot on a public range to many yahoos.

 

[Stantheman86]

I don't shoot close enough to anyone else to worry about gas out the vent, in the rare case I bring a .69 flinter out when shooting with my Dad or something I make sure no one is standing next to me

I avoid going to my gun club on weekends when the range is busy so I'd assume etiquette would be to try to stay on the far right of the rifle range

I also have another private club I go to which is basically a skeet range with a deer rifle zeroing range so I rarely see anyone there, I just don't go during skeet matches

 

[Eric Krewson]

I make cheap frizzen stalls with thin leather like I put one a bows handle, I don't stich them, I use barge cement to glue the seam. Not too pretty but they function like the $10 ones you can buy.

 

[stikshooter]

Fortunate? More like flirting with death. An unregulated range is a dangerous place. There is a very fine shooting range in the national forest not far from me. But, it is unregulated. I no longer use it. When I did, there was always someone who did not know what "cease fire" meant. I had people shooting targets next to me when the range was supposedly 'cold' and I was down range changing targets. Same idjits would go down range to change targets while others were shooting.

Every one at our private range is a RO so no problem , and yup there are idiots but they just can not stand the grief before they pull a trigger /Ed

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Being a left-handed flintlock shooter, I have made it a habit to announce, "Left Handed Flintlock" when I stand to shoot. If someone approaches me when I am standing on the line preparing to shoot, I repeat the warning. If they still take a position to my left, I explain what is about to happen. They usually get the point. In our group shoots, we always look out for the person to our left or right to make sure we are not spraying them with gas, or about to be sprayed by someone else. It only has to happen to you once and you get smart fast!

ADK Bigfoot