How many shots from a flint?

[hanshi]

I've noticed that one of the most frequently asked questions asked by new flintlock shooters is how many shots can I expect from a flint. The real answer, of course, is 0 to 100 plus. But to put that answer in perspective I'll tell about just one flint's life in my gun.

The flint, a R. Pierce white, had an undetermined number, maybe 30 + or - of shots before I returned it to the lock. A range session produced 45+ shots. A second range session produced another 40 to 45 shots. The flint was knapped a few times and set forward as it wore back. It's now very short but still firing the gun. I've had similar experiences with English flints as well. Now there have been a few flints that were either near non-sparkers and some with short lives, to be sure. They have been in the minority, however. This particular flint has given over 100 shots and is still going strong.

As long as there is enough material for the cock jaws to get a grip on, good flints will keep doing the "Energizer Bunny" thing. The secret is just to knapp and reposition. :thumbsup:

 

[Macon Due]

Thanks for the info Hanshi. I had been wondering about this. I have some black English flints from TOW, some from B.Channel and some whites from R.Pierce.
Macon

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good post, Hanshi.
I frequently have to defend cut flints. There are claims they do not last very long. My experience is quite different. I used them almost exclusively in my Rev. period transitional longrifle with a Siler lock. They lasted so long for me I simply did not pay much attention them. They shot and shot and shot. There are so many variables with flintlocks it is hard to list them all. Basically, the geometery of the lock and the hardness of the frizzen determine reliability and flint life. That is what makes this flint game so frustratingly fun. There are no absolutes. We ain't talking 30-06s here folks. We are talking about banging rocks with a centuries old technology.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use Tom Fuller's English and I have had many that went over 80 shots. I do have to work at them a bit. I start out bevel up, after 15 shots I'll nibble the edge as needed or even flip it to bevel down. I'd say 60 is about average . . . and then I toss it in a jar to be reworked if I ever get desperate enough.

I have only ever had one shatter on the first shot from an internal flaw. Kind of shocked me. Occasionally they do break, but usually even then are good for continued service.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I keep a logbook on all my shooting. The first 50 flints I used were put in a computer excell file with the number of shots they delivered. Some went over 100+ shots a few had fewer than 20... After I had spent those 50 flints the average number of shots I had was 65 shots per flint. I use the English Tom Fuller 3/4 flints in a Pedersoli Frontier 45cal rifle... Currently I bought some French amber flints... haven't used them yet....

 

[hanshi]

I had one flint that only went 4 shots and another that shattered after a few shots. I always replace what's in the jaws with a fresh flint prior to hunting season and then reinstall the old flint to be used up at the range. That's the story with the flint in the post. As long as the jaws will hold them I'll keep trying to use them.

My experience with cut flints has been mixed. It has ranged from pretty good to HO-Hum. While I haven't used them extensively I do have a couple of cut agate flints (small) and 2 medium cut T/C flints. The agate flints are the best and have two sides which is a plus.

 

[bangfxr]

I've been able to get a flint to last about 40 shots at a reenactment and at rendevous.

 

[rich pierce]

In my experience, matching the flint to the lock is critical for long performance. Flints fail for 2 reaons. 1) they shorten and 2) they dull.

If you can get sparks from a dull flint in your lock, it's good to choose flints with a strong angle, more wedge-shaped than knife-edged. If your lock only sparks with sharp flints, choose flints that are more knife edged and keep sliding them forward till there's nothing left to grip.

 

[hanshi]

Exactly! :thumbsup:

 

[aeatwood]

Yeah, it's all fun & games til the Feds figure out they can put hazmat fees on sharp rocks... :shocked2:

 

[123.DieselBenz]

I had one flint that only went 4 shots and another that shattered after a few shots. I always replace what's in the jaws with a fresh flint prior to hunting season and then reinstall the old flint to be used up at the range.

I'm wondering . . . would it not be better to shoot a few times at the range prior to hunting with the new flint, just to make sure that the first or second time the flint makes the trip to meet the frizzen that it doesn't ruin a good hunting opportunity? :idunno:

Of course I realize they could fail at any time, but seems that if there is an internal flaw, that it would show up fairly soon . . . what do I know?

 

[Eric Krewson]

I put about 40 shots on a R Pierce flint Monday, knapped it lightly once or twice, didn't need to but thought I did because it didn't spark on a couple of shots. A loose top jaw screw was the culprit. After 40+ shots the flint still looks like new.

One thing I often forget it to check the tightness of the top jaw screw as my flints will become slightly loose after about 20 shots and spark poorly.

 

[Frank/Pa]

1-100, depending on the flint and the lock.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'll mention another factor in the discussion of cut flints.
There is a 'flint' on the market called an Arkansas cut flint. As much as I would like to promote an Arkansas products, these are not, in my experience, satisfactory at all.
They really are cut novoculite, the same manufactured material as our (really great) Arkansas sharpening stones.
I do wish they would perform well as they would be both plentiful and inexpensive. But, sadly , those I have tried just do not spark well at all.

 

[Frank/Pa]

I have yet to see any cut flint that performs satisfactorily.

 

[hanshi]

You bring up a very good question and it's one I've often mulled over. It certainly doesn't hurt to do that and is actually a pretty good guarantee of a usable flint. I don't normally do it but have on occasion. The problem is that simply seeing sparks doesn't necessarily mean you'll get ignition. The only (almost) sure way would be to prime the pan and fire. That's an awful lot of trouble to go to for just a bit of extra confidence.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have yet to see any cut flint that performs satisfactorily.

Here is a couple. Perform far better than just "satisfactorily".

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[Wayne/Al]

Rifleman, Are those real flint or are they some other material?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Rifleman, Are those real flint or are they some other material?

They are some kind of rock. I'm not a geologist or rock guy so can't help much. I know some of his are agate which I have been told is flint-like. In another thread about flattening flints I showed a diamond drum I used to flatten black English flints just fine. But, I also tried to grind a used Gunter Stifter cut 'flint'. The diamond wouldn't touch it. With my Rev period style longrifle with a Siler lock I get so many shots from one of his flints I don't keep count. Some report unhappy results. Check out Gunter's website for more info. BTW, good luck it is written in a German/English combo, very hard to understand. http://www.stifters-gunflints.de/

 

[Stumpkiller]

The German "milled" flints do very well (leave it to the Germans to be unhappy with the irregular shape of a knapped flint). The Arkansas cut flints I have seen are a different grade of stone. Chert perhaps? They work, but not as well as a good flint IMHO. They also vary in color a lot and it likely depends on the stone itself how well they spark.