Issues with flintlock

[Troy Easter]

I purchased my flintlock last year and have been having nothing but firing issues with it. There is no serial number on it or identifying marks to tell me where it was made. I presume India. I have tried all kinds of flints and different sizes to try and get a constant spark. I even took the frizzen to my local blacksmith to re harden, and I personally think the lock has been played with. So frustrated, my good friend who has helped me with my reenactment journey is going to trade me for a Japanese model. I have no clue what these Japanese models are made with or if they are any good. Thanks for any ideas and help.

 

[Adam in WI]

Pictures?

 

[Troy Easter]

Pictures?

I will send a few when i get home from the farm.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The Japanese replicas, especially those made by Miroku in the 1970's were very good. They sparked well and shot well. Look for the bent trigger guard if it is a Brown Bess. As the story goes, the original short land pattern supplied to Miroku had a bent trigger guard and their production muskets had the same bent trigger guard.

 

[Commodore Swab]

If you specified i missed it but musket or pistol? The Japanese "tower" pistols are junk. Far easier to get a newer india piece working.

 

[Troy Easter]

Pictures?

 

[Sun City]

There's gobs of boat anchor material out there for folks looking for a steal! And then they want to know WHY??

 

[54ball]

Yep,
That’s a Japanese Bess.
These are very good.

 

[2 shots]

indian in my opinion unless those proofs were added later but looks like rosewood [ teak]

 

[wiscoaster]

Looks pretty cool. Too bad it doesn't shoot.

 

[Brian Gibbs]

Ya know what? I’m really sorry you are having such a disappointing experience with this thing. I’ve been shooting’ for a long time and would say…..save your Pennie’s, buy a quality firearm. Study on ‘em. Learn as much as you can. When you own a REAL flintlock (or whatever) you will have a completely different experience.

 

[Greenjoytj]

Set the flint up properly the take the firearm to into a dark room no light.
With no powder in the gun Trigger the action while observing for sparks.
Assuming the flint is being held tightly so it doesn’t move when it strikes the frizzen. If no sparks fly the frizzen is bad and would need replacing.
Or the geometry of the cock frizzen would need to be looked at.

If the lock sparks well look at the flash hole for more problems.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

I purchased my flintlock last year and have been having nothing but firing issues with it. There is no serial number on it or identifying marks to tell me where it was made. I presume India. I have tried all kinds of flints and different sizes to try and get a constant spark. I even took the frizzen to my local blacksmith to re harden, and I personally think the lock has been played with. So frustrated, my good friend who has helped me with my reenactment journey is going to trade me for a Japanese model. I have no clue what these Japanese models are made with or if they are any good. Thanks for any ideas and help.

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

 

[jdw276]

Set the flint up properly the take the firearm to into a dark room on light.
With no powder in the gun Trigger the action while observing for sparks.
Assuming the flint is being held tightly so it dosen’t move when it strikes the frizzen.
If no sparks fly the frizzen is bad and would need replacing.
Or the geometry of the cock frizzen woul need to be looked at.

If the lock sparks well look at the flash hole for more problems.

Also presuming he is using real black powder. If using a substitute not enough heat to reliably ignite the charges. It is not always the gun.....

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

Also presuming he is using real black powder. If using a substitute not enough heat to reliably ignite the charges. It is not always the gun.....

True, very good question. Semper Fi.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Hook up with an experienced flintlock shooter. You will be amazed at how simple things can really be.

 

[FlinterNick]

This is not a Japanese miroku bess.

This is an Indian made bess, i can tell by how the barrel is breeched, there is a seam where the flange of the plug meets the barrel, miroku didn’t breech their barrels this way.

The lock is also totally different too.

 

[FlinterNick]

indian in my opinion unless those proofs were added later but looks like rosewood [ teak]

Yeap, Indian made for sure, didn’t need to look twice.

 

[FlinterNick]

There's gobs of boat anchor material out there for folks looking for a steal! And then they want to know WHY??

Yeap, Indian muskets parts are made from recycled steel and brass. Indian is the recycling capital of the world, it could be steel from a ship, chain, anchor etc. could even be iron.

Even the gunstocks are pulled from old lumber from docks, barns, or surplus Lumber that was not selected wholesale, I suspect a lot of the wood they use is very old.

Not very high quality at all.

 

[SMH]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

That’s why this place is so awesome!