Flintlock vs Percussion

[AZbpBurner]

Somewhere a long time ago I heard or read from somebody that you might run out of caps, but you could shoot a flinter as long as the earth was still made of rocks.

Sounds like something a flintlock shooter would say.

It's not totally correct though.

Sandstone, limestone and pumice make for really crummy sparks in a flintlock. :grin:

Chert, flint and quartz are all forms of silica (silicon dioxide). The earth is composed of 85% silicon dioxide, which should give you easy access to more flint than you could use in a lifetime :grin:

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

lots of sand stone in my parts :barf:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Where there is sandstone this is also probably chert not far away.....both are signs of ancient bodies of water....

Most people couldn't' recognize chert or flint in it's natural state if they where hanging onto a piece...They are use to seeing it after it has been knapped..

 

[coloradoclyde]

To bad you cant read my posts...
You might learn that there is jasper only 15 miles from you in Stonewall...Just start walking the creek beds.

When I was young my grandpa had a cabin on the river...There was a spot not far from his cabin that was an old Indian encampment where they must have made flint arrowheads or something we use to dig them up in the sand.

 

[Zonie]

To bad you cant read my posts...
You might learn that there is jasper only 15 miles from you in Stonewall...Just start walking the creek beds.

When I was young my grandpa had a cabin on the river...There was a spot not far from his cabin that was an old Indian encampment where they must have made flint arrowheads or something we use to dig them up in the sand.

C Clyde:

I quoted your post so FML could see it.

:rotf:

(Who knows? He might even take you out of the lead box so he can see the other good information you write. :grin: )

 

[Cowboy]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Commodore Swab]

My $.02

My brother in law uses a homemade percussion piece for hunting rats in the rice fields. He had never seen a flintlock and when I showed him a lock he was instantly in love and desired to have a piece that no longer needed those caps (actually using paper caps).

As far as flintlocks go it is easy to find a poor flintlock and not as easy to find a poor caplock. Of course it is easy to find a poorly maintained caplock that will cause problems.

A good flintlock will deliver 200-300 shots from a flint and will be a surprise when it does not ignite.

 

[Gene L]

I know it's possible to knap raw flint into a gunflint, but it's not a talent I have. And I don't think it was an everyday skill back in Colonial times. As someone said, the sale of gunflints was very common.

Let's face it, shooting any muzzle loader is fun, and flints are (to me) more fun, but flintlocks are a new thing to me and I'm enjoying the experience. Come to think of it, shooting about any gun is fun. Which is why we do it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I know it's possible to knap raw flint into a gunflint, but it's not a talent I have. And I don't think it was an everyday skill back in Colonial times. As someone said, the sale of gunflints was very common.

.

I'm no flint knapper....not even close. I just bang two rocks together like a chimp trying to open a coconut. It's not that difficult to make a functional gun flint....even if you don't know what you're doing....

And I don't think it was an everyday skill back in Colonial times.

For the colonists, I would agree.....But let's not discount the Native Americans and their stone age mastery of flintknapping

 

[coloradoclyde]

Drop your flint into mud puddle while changing flints & you just pick it up, wipe it on your sleeve, install it & continue shooting.

Drop your tin of caps into same mud puddle & you walk back to town to buy more.

So very true!....Also easier to find in the tall grass too.. :thumbsup:

 

[Gene L]

I use a capper, so the disaster if I drop it isn't quite as bad as it could be.

I can't imagine worrying a single cap out of a cap box with cold fingers.

 

[azmntman]

It cannnn be dddone....usualy 3-4 times before it mmmaaaakes it onto thhhhe nipple

 

[coloradoclyde]

I use a capper, so the disaster if I drop it isn't quite as bad as it could be.

I can't imagine worrying a single cap out of a cap box with cold fingers.

If I had a dollar for every time I reached for my capper and it was empty I'd be rich... :haha:

 

[nhmoose]

I have a nephew that works at one of the biggest barrel makers in the US.

His heavy barrel bench Flintlock rifle with a 2 1/2 inch octagon barrel that has won national records by the maker/original owner till gifted to him.

For 5 years he only used a flint found at the range being shot at. Usually from the drive way in. 40-50 shots per.

Big reason my rifles are flint, however I do use the devil's invention in my revolvers. And I do have a 16 gauge fowler that takes the same devils invention I use with steelshot for waterfowl.

 

[Ohio Joe]

I've shot both cap and flint for 40+ years and about the only pro and con I can come up with is that on a humid day with a flinter you have to pay extra attention to the moister gathering in the pan and breech, you need to get these areas wiped out with a pipe cleaner (vent) and a q-tip (pan), and don't forget to make sure you don't have fouling built up on your flint to where it won't spark when hitting the frizzen.

With a cap lock on a humid day you can just clear the moister build up out of the nipple and breech area with just popping another cap before reloading.

All in all, I like both ignitions and probably enjoy the flintlock the most. I think it's do to its rich history and it being the rule rather then the exception before the caplock came along. :hatsoff:

 

[Billnpatti]

The caplock would get my nod simply because it is a more reliable ignition. If that were not so, it would have never overtaken the flintlock back when it came out. As they say, "The proof is in the pudding.". Having said that, however, I still like the flintlock.

 

[Black Hand]

I've owned both and the reliability of ignition doesn't really differ between the two. That said, I prefer flintlocks...

 

[Nativearizonan]

Percussion caps were only used for a very short time compared to flint or cartridges. They actually are an odd transitional technology that only lasted about 30-40 years as the peoples choice. Flintlocks were the overwhelming choice for close to 200 years? I would say cartridges came into vogue in overwhelming fashion in 1873, so they have had over 140 years of acceptance as of now.

I guess the attraction has to do with a lot of history that took place in that short 30-40 year period.