flintlock ?

[maya]

I have a Dixie Gun Works Lancaster cal 45 made in Italy. It does not make sparks, the flint looks like its not hitting the frizzen. How do you measure the flint stone so that you know what to order ? I see they advertise as 5/8 , 3/4.

 

[Stumpkiller]

As wide as the frizzen. Length should allow 1/16" to 1/8" between frizzen and the edge of the flint at half cock.

 

[David W.]

Hello, and welcome to the forum. Measure the width of the frizzen, the flint should be approximately the same width. When at half cock, the flint should be almost touching the frizzen. The flint may have to be bevel up, or bevel down for the flint to strike the frizzen at 2/3rds from the top. Are you using a piece of leather to hold the flint?

 

[ebiggs1]

I like the biggest flint I can get in. It doesn't matter if it is slightly bigger than the face of the frizzen as long as it doesn't strike anything else. :thumbsup:

Use leather as a wrap. You may need to notch the back so it will clear the jaw screw. :thumbsup:

Most times bevel up is best. :hmm:

Use hand knapped flints and not the sawn agate atrocity :barf: that is supplied with many rifles.

 

[maya]

thank you. i'm avid hunter and ex military but this is my first go at old school weapons. No there is no leather wrap,just flint locked in the jaw.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The leather helps hold the flint secure and gives a spacer to get it closer to the frizzen. I sometimes add a bit of a twig to move it even closer. Waste not, want not on flints.

 

[maya]

stump killer thank you. thats exactly what I needed,you could'nt have made any simpler. I appreciate it.

 

[spudnut]

another thing about mounting a flint,Try to get the edge pointing to the middle of the pan when the the cock is all the way down.Takes a little to get it just right and I would say most are different.Have fun ,once you go flint its a ball.

 

[asbrown]

Once you determine the right size flint you may also want to try different types. Black english, amber french, white missouri flints. Every flinter is different as to what it likes the best.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

The leather helps hold the flint secure and gives a spacer to get it closer to the frizzen. I sometimes add a bit of a twig to move it even closer.

Maya, just to be clear, this is one of the many aspects of this sport that can vary. Some use the spacers behind the flint, some find them unnecessary in THEIR locks. In my firelocks, using a leather flint pad/holder/whatever, I've never needed a spacer - just move the flint forward and snug the jaws up again. As with many things, try the various possibilities and go with what works for you in YOUR gun(s).

Regards,
Joel

 

[Stumpkiller]

Depends how far down you use your flints and how many times they have been knapped back. I hate to toss one with less than a hundred shots on it. Some hold up better than others.

They ain't six for a buck anymore!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Use hand knapped flints and not the sawn agate atrocity that is supplied with many rifles.

You did qualify by mentioning the type supplied with many (factory?) rifles. Yes, I have heard bad-bad reports about those that come with TC rifles.
But, quality sawn flints go way back in time and were often, possibly usually, on only finer guns for the aristocracy. I use them and have used good sawn flints for many years and, with the proper quality lock, they last much longer than a knapped flint. Good sawn flints are worth trying in your gun.

 

[maya]

I finaly got sometime to do the things ya'll told me to try and by golly it works great. thanks for all the pointers

 

[MSW]

I've never run across sawn flints- it sounds as though this would work well if the natural fault line of the flint didn't mess up the geometry of the system.

The cut agate, however, should be banned; i've always been amazed at factory's insistence at shipping rifles with these things... if even one shooter gives up on flint as a result of their frustration with these bits of
:barf:
then they've done themselves (and the shooting public, and the poor fellow who plonked down his or her hard earned, over taxed, God entrusted discretionary income).

OK- that's my tirade for today...

 

[4570tc]

I have been using knapped flints with a Flattened out ball, instead of leather to hold the flint since the early 70s! no reason that is just what the who helped me start up used?

Anyhow I pound a RB out flat and about .030" - .062", cut to shape with sissors, and use. I allways have an extra ball not so with leather?

Just my way of doing the same thing.

 

[David W.]

I have been using knapped flints with a Flattened out ball, instead of leather to hold the flint since the early 70s! no reason that is just what the who helped me start up used?

Anyhow I pound a RB out flat and about .030" - .062", cut to shape with sissors, and use. I allways have an extra ball not so with leather?

Just my way of doing the same thing.

No problem using lead for the most part. If one owns a Jim Chambers lock and chooses lead, Jim will void his warranty.

 

[Comrade Coffin]

You can also try lead rather than leather if the leather doesnt hold the flint securely - as mentioned earlier - whatever works for you.

 

[SCRice]

Like the stick idea. Have to give that a whirl.