How many shots?

[FlinterNick]

Two simple questions.

How many shots on average do most of you flintlock fellas get from each flint?

How many shots on average do you get before you have to adjust it or tinker with it to keep it going?

Depends on the lock and how it’s cared for, if the flint is properly fit, the quality of the flint and how well the lock is maintained, it can last awhile for sure but will eventually dull like the breaks on a car.

There’s no specific number to pin on how long they last, they can last as few 20 as many as 80.

I make my own four sided flints on a diamond grinder. They last a long time because of how I cut them.

 

[FlinterNick]

I bought a bunch of cheap arrow heads off of Amazon, and looks like most of them, if i maybe break the tip off, would work for a pretty good Flint. Haven't had a chance to find out i sure will have to try.
Squint

The right piece of quartz can throw a great spark, but it has to be a rock cut from a highly pressurized stone.

With my homemade flints, at least a hundred, but sometimes less. Using a rough piece of leather from old boots or gloves helps keep the flint in place.

Dont buy flints from Afghanistan, they don’t hold an edge very well, i think they’re a type of jasper rock.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

The life of my flint in most cases depends on my understanding of my rifle. I am getting more shots and consistent shots now due to knowing how to set the flint properly, when to adjust one that’s starting to wear, and I’m getting better at keeping an edge on them. Getting 30 or so shots right now on ‘em.

I think flintlocks are a finesse firearm, and you have to invest the time and enjoy the experience. Just my opinion.

 

[ETipp]

The life of my flint in most cases depends on my understanding of my rifle. I am getting more shots and consistent shots now due to knowing how to set the flint properly, when to adjust one that’s starting to wear, and I’m getting better at keeping an edge on them. Getting 30 or so shots right now on ‘em.

I think flintlocks are a finesse firearm, and you have to invest the time and enjoy the experience. Just my opinion.

So about 30 shots per flint with adjustments and/ or knaping in between?

From the information I’ve obtained so far, that’s the way I’m seeing flintlocks as well. Nice tools but have to fiddle them a lot.

It appears as if a high quality lock is very conducive.

Keep em coming folks. I’m interested in this.

 

[ETipp]

That really depends on the lock...

On a custom-made lock on my Jaeger sixty plus with a knap every 15 shots or so...

On lesser quality locks forty or so.

If I cannot get 20 shots something is wrong with the lock (assuming good flints).

Thank you Colonial. Appreciate it.

 

[Wirehair]

I just dialed in a .45 Kibler SMR. Fired over 20 shots, no knapping. The last shot was as fast as the first. It should easily go another 20-30 shots.

 

[jiedgar]

I've shot percussion guns since mid 70's. Not a lot, mostly fall shooting to put a deer in the freezer. I got a Kibler Colonial kit last year. I finished it last spring and have enjoyed learning the flintlock. From what I see and read before I got that kit the Kibler locks are very good. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it has been fun for an old guy to do something new. My wife, our youngest son and his wife all had a good time shooting it the first time, I know that for sure.
I get 15-20 or so shots from a flint, but I am still figuring it out.

 

[TDM]

With my flintlocks, mostly Kibler, I average 20 shots with no maintenance though I do check the jaw bolt tightness every 10-12 rounds. With a little knapping and maybe repositioning what’s left I’ll get 40-60 no problem. Could probably get more, but I have plenty of flints. The used ones get put in a separate box for future reshaping.

 

[kyron4]

On my Traditions lock using small 5/8"x34" flints I get about 20 on average. Some as little as 10 and the most was around 40. Once I start getting poor sparks or a klach, I just replace the flint. These small flints don't leave much to knap and I'm not that good at it either.

 

[Commodore Swab]

So about 30 shots per flint with adjustments and/ or knaping in between?

From the information I’ve obtained so far, that’s the way I’m seeing flintlocks as well. Nice tools but have to fiddle them a lot.

It appears as if a high quality lock is very conducive.

The lock isn't as important as having it tuned. Even a cheap lock that most here consider garbage can be made to work very well. Some things to remember striking flint and steel to start a fire doesn't require extra force so the stronger your springs the shorter your flint life. When sparks are generated they must be delivered to the correct location

 

[Topsail]

Had a muzzleloader shoot this weekend. Steel targets out to 150 yards. Shot my long stock Hawken 58. 26 shots without messing with the flint. What amazed me the most was by using 3f instead of my usual 2f, I was able to get 15 shots without swabbing the barrel.

 

[kyron4]

Had a muzzleloader shoot this weekend. Steel targets out to 150 yards. Shot my long stock Hawken 58. 26 shots without messing with the flint. What amazed me the most was by using 3f instead of my usual 2f, I was able to get 15 shots without swabbing the barrel.

I noticed this myself and have since use nothing but 3F in my rifles.

 

[ETipp]

I noticed this myself and have since use nothing but 3F in my rifles.

Indeed. Been using 3F in everything for years. My .54 likes it quite well. I have some 2F that’s probably 20 years old. Someone else bought it and I got it from them as a backup. Only tried a little of it and it but not much.
Recently got some Swiss 3F because it’s supposed to burn cleaner yet.

 

[Penske]

Tipp
Welcome to the love affair with flintlocks. As stated above a well tuned lock (a main spring not too strong and frizzen spring just enough to provide friction to get good sparks) flint adjusted to throw sparks into the pan and you should be able to get 40 or more shots on average with just a small amount of adjustment. Kibler, Chambers, Davis locks all good. TOW is good to buy flints from there are others you will find when doing a search.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Two simple questions.

How many shots on average do most of you flintlock fellas get from each flint?

How many shots on average do you get before you have to adjust it or tinker with it to keep it going?

As others have indicated, there is no 'average'. Life of a flint depends on many factors. e.g. quality and geometry of the lock, hardness of the frizzen, quality of the flint itself, how you hold yer mouth and much more. FWIW, my best success with flints was ("was" past tense, my shooting days are pretty much behind me) using Gunter Stifter's German sawn flints. I first acquired a couple dozen in the 1970s and still have several unused after countless tens of thousands of rounds fired.

 

[bpd303]

My main problem is them coming loose and flying out. Seems no matter how tight I screw the jaws down.

I have a couple of locks with the same problem. I have found that a thin sheet of lead instead of leather corrects the problem. I just hammer a round ball flat and thin for the lead, trim with a knife.

 

[jrweis1997]

On this india lock I tuned it was 100 shots without cleaning/knapping. With cleanup/knapping over 200. Typically 100-300 on french style locks. Miquelets, snaphaunce ect are a different story.

How do you clean up one of these locks just polish?

 

[oldwood]

As a child , I was always fascinated by all things mechanical. Finally , muzzleloader locks IE flintlocks captured my imagination. I love to work with them , build guns using them , and shoot guns using them.. Flint choices have changed from black English flints to Blond French flints. Today's guality locks seem to work fine with either type flint. Seems they last equally as well.

 

[wiscoaster]

I have a couple of locks with the same problem. I have found that a thin sheet of lead instead of leather corrects the problem. I just hammer a round ball flat and thin for the lead, trim with a knife.

Hmmmm ... my Pedersolis came with lead flint wrappers and my experience with them was they were the worst of the lot. Maybe it's just me.

 

[Commodore Swab]

How do you clean up one of these locks just polish?

Primarily it is a tuning of springs and tweaking geometry. Many locks will deliver a lot of sparks but not necessarily where the sparks need to be. To get great reliability this kind of tuning is required. Too strong springs may deliver great sparks but destroy the flint. When the main and frizzen spring compliment each other the wear on the flint and frizzen is minor with each shot. Once the springs are done right the wear on the rest of the lock is vastly reduced allowing for some of the inherent problems with india locks (tolerances/steel) to be a very small factor on lock life.