I want to move on and experience flintlocks. Any suggestions as to a starter flintlock?

[Hawken1980]

You are at the right place. The members here are great, take in all the advice and go shoot at a local event a friend or members gun. Then look around for a used one.

most of us have traded a few modern guns for a good flint gun. Something to think about.

 

[Bnewberry]

So much good advice! Try before you buy if at all possible!

 

[Mulebrain]

Be sure to get a napping hammer, so you can nap it while it's in the hammer jaw. I have found differences in many locks performance based on the flint type used. I don't recommend the manufactured ones, however in some cases they can spark like crazy in the right lock. Priming, I ditched the small nipple pan primers, they just love to clog. I moved onto a pistol flask with a small measure attached. When your doing a lot of shooting it makes a big difference.

I recommend Bob's Black Powder notebook

http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/flintlockfaq.html

 

[Sun City]

Here ya go!

Untitled by Sharps Man, on Flickr

Leman flintlock/35" Sharon barrel/L&R Lock/Davis Set triggers and Birdseye Maple stock! 50 caliber!

 

[Col. Batguano]

As many have said, the quality of the lock is critical to having a well functioning flint lock. Part of that is the location of the touch hole. It's incredible to me but, many used guns have truly awful touch hole locations. And internet pictures seem to "conveniently leave that little detail out in their ads. For those reasons, it's MUCH better if you can either buy it from an honest and trustworthy source or do it face to face.

An honest person or seller wouldn't have a problem letting you spark it (if that's a condition of you buying it) and running a patch down the bore to let you feel for loose spots or roughness. A crummy barrel isn't necessarily the end of the world, because (if there is enough barrel wall thickness remaining to do it safely) it can be bored out or relined (Bobby Hoyt gets a lot of rave reviews here) , but the time, hassle, and cost of doing so should be reflected in final the price you negotiate.

Similarly, a bad touch hole location can be fixed by plugging the old one and installing a new one (or liner) in the correct location. That will most certainly require you to refinish the barrel. If it's just a little bit off (and flinters are remarkably forgiving regarding placement), you might be able to compensate for that by simple filing the interior of the pan. More time effort, cost, and hassle. (And purchase price adjustment.)

 

[fillwa]

H

Thanks for all the info. I just got a Lyman .50 GPR. Got it from Gun Works. Had a great discussion with the sales people who suggested the Lyman over the Traditions while talking about lock, frizzen, flint, angle of attack, flash, powder. I got some flints and two pieces of leather. Got the gun in two weeks, put it together and found out that it will take a little while to get the right spark into the right amount of 4F BP in the pan. Can't wait to learn and learn and learn and .....

Here is a useful link for learning flint locks: Flintlocks: How to Shoot Them

I started my flintlock adventure last August and I’m having a lot of fun learning and shooting. A lot of information is on this forum and the internet.

 

[tenngun]

I shot a bess at a gun club in ‘77, everything paled after that.

 

[rmagnus]

H

Here is a useful link for learning flint locks: Flintlocks: How to Shoot Them

I started my flintlock adventure last August and I’m having a lot of fun learning and shooting. A lot of information is on this forum and the internet.

Thanks for the link it’s a very interesting read. Please provide the link to the Off Hand Secrets article if you have it. Good stuff.

 

[Timber Wolf]

After decades of cap locks I decided to try a flintlock and bought a .50 T/C Penn. Hunter. I liked it so much I found a .54 Lyman GPR flinter and really enjoyed it also. Then a LNIB Traditions .50 pistol came along and it is much fun. Then a friend sold me a custom .45 flintlock. That is it so far but I can quit anytime I want, really.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I wasted money of three entry-level flintlocks before making the plunge into a good one. I could have bought the better gun earlier if I hadn't wasted a couple of years and three purchases. An early Pedersoli right hand flinter was my first; it shot well when it shot. I sold it to a friend who wanted a wall hanger. I moved on to a Lyman Great Plains (Investarms) and it ate flints for three meals a day. I sold it after a very frustrating day at a match when it broke flints every five or six shots. I later got another Investarms (Cabela's) and again sold it soon after.

Then I ponied up and had TVM make me a lefty flintlock with a Chambers Large Siler lock. I still have it and it is utterly dependable. I have since added four more TVMs, with good locks. A good barrel and a good lock are essentials for good shooting with a flintlock. I wish I had made the investment earlier.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[fillwa]

Thanks for the link it’s a very interesting read. Please provide the link to the Off Hand Secrets article if you have it. Good stuff.

Here is the link: Off-Hand and Trick Shooting

You might also be interested in the book:
Flintlocks A Practical Guide for their Use and Appreciation. The book contains a wealth of information.

 

[ormond tony]

I took my GPR to the range for the first time. Did everything right. Except did not remember to hold when flash occurred. I missed my first shots: one high and one low when I 'flinched' twice. Third and fourth time no spark; fifth time spark/flash but no shot. Sixth time, after cleaning frizzen and adjusting flint, hit target at 3pm second ring in. From then on, no spark.
I am trying to find a good knapping youtube but all I find is someone in buckskins in front of a fire talking about hammer and knife. I'll keep looking for a video that shows taking the flint from the jaws and knapping.
Again thanks for all the info and links.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Search: knapping flint for flintlock rifle

Copy/paste into You tube search window.

wm

 

[Grenadier1758]

@ormond tony, here is a decent short video on pressure flaking an edge on your flint thanks to @Tom A Hawk. You may not have a moose antler, but any antler, brass or copper rod would work.

Extending flint life | The Muzzleloading Forum

 

[Woody Morgan]

@ormond tony, here is a decent short video on pressure flaking an edge on your flint thanks to @Tom A Hawk. You may not have a moose antler, but any antler, brass or copper rod would work.

Extending flint life | The Muzzleloading Forum

Yes, it is this easy!
Don't overthink this either. I've been known to use the back end of a brass powder measure. A shooting buddy had a beautiful piece of black English go dull on him. He flipped it to me and said, "Want this?" Thirty seconds later it was back in action with a thank you. Then it was, "Ok. How'd you do that?"

wm

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I took my GPR to the range for the first time. Did everything right. Except did not remember to hold when flash occurred. I missed my first shots: one high and one low when I 'flinched' twice. Third and fourth time no spark; fifth time spark/flash but no shot. Sixth time, after cleaning frizzen and adjusting flint, hit target at 3pm second ring in. From then on, no spark.
I am trying to find a good knapping youtube but all I find is someone in buckskins in front of a fire talking about hammer and knife. I'll keep looking for a video that shows taking the flint from the jaws and knapping.
Again thanks for all the info and links.

So back to the range, first.
IF flinching is causing problems, as a new flintlock shooter you should first be using a supported rest on a bench. (imho)
Do Not begin flintlocking with an unsupported rifle. The flinch may become a problem that is hard to cure if you do. Focus on the front sight post. You will naturally have a tendency to move the shooting eye off the sights and toward the lock when you fire. Sometimes it's the very minor motion of the cock, and sometimes it's the flash, or even both. This is natural as the human eye reacts in three stages, motion, outline, color. So what you are doing at the beginning is to train yourself to disregard that motion. After you've done the bench for a while, then you switch to different shooting positions with various amounts of body support for the rifle, with the final stage being standing-unsupported, aka "offhand".

As for knapping, the best way really is to pressure flake the forward edge of the flint. Yes tapping the edge of the flint when it's in the lock, using the spine of a knife blade or a special tool will "work" but it can stress the lock internal parts, and you have a chance to cause the slightly dull edge of the flint to become useless, instead of sharper. Pressure flaking is more controlled and gives you a better chance at restoring a good edge (imho)

Here is a video showing pressure flaking of a stone arrow head. The beginning goes right into the flaking. The principle is the same with the edge of a gun flint.

Flint Knapping 101 Basics

WEAR EYE PROTECTION PLEASE

LD

 

[Patch@Ball]

If I may add, I’m not sure what type of flint you are using. My friend has a Lyman GPR 50 cal. He had the German flint which really did not give him a spark. He tried a 5/8 English flint and had better results. Congrats and be safe and have fun.

 

[Throwdown58]

The GPR was a great choice. Don't have to go find primers now right.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Whatever you decide dont talk about Pyrodex on here.....

 

[Throwdown58]

Well it would be a point of information that pyrodex and Triple 7 have higher ignition temps and don't work well in flintlocks.