Help me get started properly

[Stone]

I am reading everything I can find in preparation for the weekend in the ANF and I have a couple simple questions I hope will give me the best chance of success.

1. I have read that the "flint angle" is important.
2. I have read that where the flint strikes the frizzen is important.
3. Does the type of flint make a big difference?

Can someone give me a summary of a good starting point since I am brand new to flintlock?

Is this diagram acceptable advice?

 

[mmb617]

I'm pretty new myself having shot my first flintlock in May of this year. I don't know what kind of access you have to range time but what helped me the most in the beginning was shooting a lot and experimenting with the flint. After a while I found what works with my guns, which might be different from what works in yours.

I ran a couple hundred balls through my gun the first month I had it, and I learned a lot while doing that.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I don’t know what a ANF is but a flintlock of great quality works with most any flint and a cheap lock can be a pain to operate with a wonderful flint. The guidelines given in your chart are just that so be ready to learn what your lock wants. What lock are you going to be working with?

 

[FishDFly]

I HATE acronyms.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I prefer English flints, but French amber can work well. The width should match the width of the frizzen, approximately. With the flint locked in the hammer's jaw, put it on half cock and close the frizzen. The end of the flint should come close to the frizzen. If the flint looks like it is pointing towards a point below the middle of the frizzen, I flip the flint over in the jaws.
That's about what I can tell you without knowing what lock you're working with. Hope it helps a bit.

 

[Des52]

The best way to know where your gun wants the flint is go out and shoot a lot. If you can't or don't have time, waste a flint by trying it to see what sparks the best. Use the diagram as a starting point.

 

[flntlokr]

I am reading everything I can find in preparation for the weekend in the ANF and I have a couple simple questions I hope will give me the best chance of success.

1. I have read that the "flint angle" is important.
2. I have read that where the flint strikes the frizzen is important.
3. Does the type of flint make a big difference?

Can someone give me a summary of a good starting point since I am brand new to flintlock?

Is this diagram acceptable advice?

View attachment 111746

You are overthinking that stuff. Just clamp a flint in the jaw with some leather to hold it, set it so that the leading edge is parallel to the frizzen face with about a 1/16 gap, and you should be good to go. Locks are made to work without a lot of fussing by the shooter. All of that other detail you will learn over time, and how to make adjustments to deal with problems. Find some other flint shooters and get some hands-on range experience with them mentoring. All of the books in the world can't replace that. I teach newbies to the art for my home club. Usually a couple of hours of classroom style show and tell, followed by a couple of hours on the range where they get their hands dirty, one-on-one with an experienced shooter, finishing up with half an hour or so cleaning their guns. After that, they are deemed competant in at least the basics, but we encourage them to come out to some club practise days so they will have some support while they gain competance.

 

[stewart.leach]

I can only say Amen and Amen to the advice of Flintlokr. After 60 plus years of shooting modern arms, including real success in NRA and CMP Highpower Rifle competition, I took up muzzle loaders. My thanks to all those at Boulder Rifle Club, Ft Lupton ML Club, Buckhorn Skinners, Colo St ML Assn and others who helped me on the way. Same for the good folks on this Forum!

Nothing beats trigger time in the company of fellow BP shooters.

 

[hanshi]

I HATE acronyms.

You wouldn't happen to know what the acronym is for "ACRONYM", would you?

 

[TerryK]

I would agree that the angle of the flint to the frizzen is important. The drawings are good, but the flint strikes the frizzen at an arc, so it is a little more dynamic than the drawing.
I think you can adjust the flint by observing the contact with the frizzen as you slowly lower the cock. It should strike about 3/4 of the frizzen and shave it's way downward.
Now, I had some poor locks with bad geometry, and no matter how I placed the flint it would not shave properly. I just had a big name lock rebuilt and tuned for 275 bucks, and the changes are dramatic. My point is you first have to have a good lock, then optomize the flint position. A poor lock is a train wreck.

 

[morehops52]

I am reading everything I can find in preparation for the weekend in the ANF and I have a couple simple questions I hope will give me the best chance of success.

1. I have read that the "flint angle" is important.
2. I have read that where the flint strikes the frizzen is important.
3. Does the type of flint make a big difference?

Can someone give me a summary of a good starting point since I am brand new to flintlock?

Is this diagram acceptable advice?

View attachment 111746

If Stone is near NW (north west) PA (Pennsylvania) then ANF would likely be Allegheny National Forest.

 

[FPDoc]

I am reading everything I can find in preparation for the weekend in the ANF and I have a couple simple questions I hope will give me the best chance of success.

1. I have read that the "flint angle" is important.
2. I have read that where the flint strikes the frizzen is important.
3. Does the type of flint make a big difference?

Can someone give me a summary of a good starting point since I am brand new to flintlock?

Is this diagram acceptable advice?

View attachment 111746

Welcome to flintlocks., lots of fun and a good way to git rid of extra income you may be burdened by. I recommend, in addition to some very good advice in this thread, that you search the posts of now deceased forum member Paul Vallandigham, who for years educated many of us specifically on the history, use, adjustment and maintenance of the flintlock. He was a nationally known shooter and educator). His posts tended to be lengthy and we ribbed him about that at the same time we searched and saved and printed them off to review while offline. I can't remember a single post that I shouldn't have committed to memory. I think you will consider the time well spent.

 

[FishDFly]

You wouldn't happen to know what the acronym is for "ACRONYM", would you?

Nope.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I almost didn't buy a flintlock after reading about all the bits and bobs required and how this has to be right and that has to be tuned.

I ended up buying one anyway and since I've found it all pretty straight forward. If I had major geometry issues it might be more challenging but most guns these days are pretty good. Even factory options like Pedersoli.

Just get one and have a crack I say!

 

[ord sgt]

With the hammer in the down position, best case would be to have the leading edge of the flint pointing toward the pan. It should look like the piece of chert in the picture.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The basic description in the diagram posted by @Stone is correct although I think the direction of the arrow is a bit misleading as the flint travels in an arc as it strikes the frizzen.

 

[Crow-Feather]

FYI, everything is important. Where the powder sits in the pan, if there is any gap tween the pan and the barrel, having a clean touch hole to the powder. and having proper follow through when firing. When I first started shooting a flint, I sighted in from the bench. Later shooting off-hand, I found that my shots hit six inches to the right. Thats how far I was flinching from the ignition in front of me. A flint makes you a better cap lock shooter also. There is nothing as sweet as a good flinter firing and a target busting 50 yards down range.

 

[moose23]

Yes ANF is the Allegheny National Forest in north western Pennsylvania. That’s where I hunt bears. My buddy has a cabin near a small town called Tidioute. Beautiful land up there.

 

[Stone]

Sorry guys, yes the ANF is the Allegheny National Forest, a huge, magical, desolate place where there are deer that have never seen a human.

I have obtained some FFF Goex and hope to do so.e shooting at every opportunity to learn what I need to know to.

Thanks guys!

 

[fillwa]

This reference is a good starting point:
https://chuckhawks.com/flintlocks.htm