french or english flints

[Grenadier1758]

The bump is still the bump. The French flints were flat on top and bottom while the English flints often had a bump on either the top or the bottom making getting a tight fit in the jaws more of a problem.

 

[Britsmoothy]

You all know how I'm odd!
I don't like the English black flint. It's as soft as .....well, it dosnt last long at all. The grey flint with white bits in it is much better I find

 

[Woody Morgan]

Either one works well in my guns as long as I do my part.

wm

 

[appalichian hunter]

Black english but then I have never shot the frenchies.

 

[PathfinderNC]

On my fowler and smaller flinter locks I prefer the black English ones.

But on my large 7" long banana-curve lock by The Rifle Shoppe (on the Fusil de Boucanier with 54" barrel) that has a VERY long throw/arc to it ... the amber/honey colored French ones last much longer.

Would love to see a few photos of your Fusil!

 

[TFoley]

On my fowler and smaller flinter locks I prefer the black English ones.

But on my large 7" long banana-curve lock by The Rifle Shoppe (on the Fusil de Boucanier with 54" barrel) that has a VERY long throw/arc to it ... the amber/honey colored French ones last much longer.

However, they lost at Waterloo.......

 

[GREENSWLDE]

However, they lost at Waterloo.......

And they've never Forgiven us either.. I'll stick with Brandon Black. OLD DOG.

 

[Erwan]

During the F&I, the French flints were knapped with flat tops while English flints often were humped topped. The French flints provided more reliable ignition and longer useful life. It wasn't until the English learned the French knapping process that English flints improved.

That's true, but the the intrinsic quality of English and Normandy black flint is better than that of French Limousin blonde flint.
With the French cut of the English and Normandy black flints the advantage goes quite clearly to the English flints, perhaps this is also one of the reasons why they are also more expensive. (French 0.95 cts and English 1.50 €)...
I shoot every day with French flints and on Sunday with English flints....

 

[Sidney Smith]

The lock I bought for my squirrel gun, (large Siler) came with an amber flint. First time I ever used one. It's still sparking well after several dozen shots. Haven't done anything to it accept clean it. I may be switching to amber if I can find some at decent prices?

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I have never really been able to tell much if any difference . Both come in two versions , good and junk .

 

[Musketeer]

You all know how I'm odd!
I don't like the English black flint. It's as soft as .....well, it dosnt last long at all. The grey flint with white bits in it is much better I find

Indeed, Brit, you march to your own drummer, and there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. Your outside-the-box thinking and personal experimentation/experience is what started changing my mind about powder granulation (the "evils" of 4f and all that), for example.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Indeed, Brit, you march to your own drummer, and there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. Your outside-the-box thinking and personal experimentation/experience is what started changing my mind about powder granulation (the "evils" of 4f and all that), for example.

Mother always said " you ain't ever going to be a rocket scientist son"......so I took up muzzleloading!

 

[Woody Morgan]

Mother always said " you ain't ever going to be a rocket scientist son"......so I took up muzzleloading!

Isn't shooting a form of rocket science?

wm

 

[Britsmoothy]

Isn't shooting a form of rocket science?

wm

I'd say rocket science is slightly more complicated, well unless your shooting minie balls!

 

[GREENSWLDE]

I'd say rocket science is slightly more complicated, well unless your shooting minie balls!

I've given up on Rocket science and mini balls these days.The 460 with 550 grns in front of 95grs of No.4 is a bit too much for my TESCO shoulder. Tho' it did go quite well to a 1000 &1200. No. 7's or 8's in front of 21/2 drms of Swiss 1 or 2 will do me now. Flying or Tree rats don't like it up 'em.. & and we have No Shushy's around here any more.. OLD DOG..

 

[chiller]

I go with the English flints. The French flints are more costly and I see no difference when using either one. Sometimes, I find the French flints are harder to find, so its easer to stick with English flints.

 

[ord sgt]

My experience with flints is limited to English. I did try the sawn agate flints but I had a terrible time with one of those. I am trying some chert that was knapped by a two of the forum members but my range time is still limited.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

That's true, but the the intrinsic quality of English and Normandy black flint is better than that of French Limousin blonde flint.
With the French cut of the English and Normandy black flints the advantage goes quite clearly to the English flints, perhaps this is also one of the reasons why they are also more expensive. (French 0.95 cts and English 1.50 €)...
I shoot every day with French flints and on Sunday with English flints....

So you shoot everyday , is that at the three ranges I see in La Rochel I cannot shoot my own real guns anymore in uk, the police won't grant me a shotgun or rifle certificate, they came up with excuses , like I might shoot intruders, flintlocks on the wall, my three 12b shotguns chopped up, however the pcp pump up air rifles are ok, but bow hunting in uk was banned in 1965, If only I was wealthy super shoots in Hungary and at Cheateaus in the south of France, I am a 35 year old born in 1943 Reason for comment for those across the pond theses are leftover Flint lumps from the English chalk downs , wife puts the bits in her flower pots . I wish you all well...cool and overcast today, had very heavy rain, This week one pigeon and two squirrels in the bag one at 59 yards others at 30 , got a long garden Ha ha

 

[Gordoncourtney]

And they've never Forgiven us either.. I'll stick with Brandon Black. OLD DOG.

I love the French and the country , but don't mention Agincourt either , my mothers anglosaxon side , but seems we are decended from Courtenay , via Courtenay duke of Devon, arrived around 1140 , its SE of Paris, maybe visit in November, a bit late in the year I know. But the Colvic testing in September could cost us £700 Free NHS tests not acceptable, the test kit its are free at the chemist 7 tests to a box

 

[Erwan]

Azincourt, it's also good that you don't talk about Trafalgar, Waterloo or Mers-El-Kebir, there are people who have nostalgia and memory...

So you shoot everyday , is that at the three ranges I see in La Rochel

It's a French expression, a bit like saying: "All week long, I'm dressed as a worker, but on Sunday, I put on a nice suit".
Here I say that "I shoot the week (the ordinary days) with French flints BUT that on Sunday I put a beautiful English flint"...
About the shooting ranges mine is open seven days a week from 8.00AM to 8.00PM so I can shoot every day with French flints (in fact I shoot only on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and not every day) and on Sunday I put an English flint because they are too nice, too good and too expensive to shoot every day in the week...
We should not envy the French too much when it comes to guns, we have lived a relatively great freedom but it is well over since the reigns of Sarkozy and now of his majesty Macron the first of the name: it will become even more difficult, we will join (and exceed) the "excessiveness" of English regulations : In the best we are the worst but in the bad we are the bests.
I already had the opportunity to talk about it here, but it was understood as a political opinion, so I won't go further on this subject...

Il se dit que le pass "sanitaire" devrait devenir exigible à la nouvelle saison...

It is said that the mandatory "health" pass should be required for the new season...