Lead or Leather to hold the flint

[Jason holgate]

Leather

 

[64Springer]

Leather

 

[yotyfox]

I've had the best luck with leather. Lead has only worked short term for me, 5-6 shots before it moves.

 

[TDM]

Leather

 

[Erwan]

For me: leather too...

 

[LME]

Ford or Chevy, which political party to join?

Let the never ending fight begin, followed by Ballistol, will a .45 kill a deer and what is the best liquid to clean you rifle?

If old topics were not rehashed there would be nothing at all to post? LOL!

 

[MSW]

ah, flint vs. leather ... get out your torches and pitchforks, and let's storm the castle ...

try it for yourself and go with what works best for you

 

[Artificer]

An idea
I am tryi g this too see how it works. I wet some leather strips that hold the flint.
Wrapped the leather around the flint, while it was wet, and wrapped a piece of waxed thread around it to help comfort around the leather.
My idea was faster changing of flints when need be.

Thoughts?
Mark

Hi Mark,

I fired a Brown Bess Carbine a lot in competition in the mid to late 1970's, but did not think of taking what you propose along the next step until I began doing a Private Soldier in the Major's Coy of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch, reenactment group around 2000. Wished I had thought of the following decades before.

I made a point of trying different thicknesses of leather for the flint wrap with different size flints until I got the sizes that gave the most consistent and longest lasting sparking. Even as a recruit in the company, many more seasoned re-enactors commented on how my musket never seemed to misfire and how many shots I got out of a flint.

Well, during one reenactment, my flint busted in half on the third or fourth shot. It was a bit too early to "take a hit," so I grabbed a spare carefully chosen flint, but the leather wrap in the flint jaws did not hold that particular flint very well. Though the flint broke because of an internal flaw I had no control over and could not see ahead of time, I wanted to see how I could rectify the problem for the future.

I put a thin coat of RIG grease on and all around the flint jaws, so this would not rust my lock. I carefully selected the leather and flint to see that it would work well in the lock. Then I took the leather and flint out, wet the leather and put it and the flint back in the lock, modestly tightened the top jaw screw and allowed the leather to dry while in the lock. Then I kept them together as a mated pair. I did an additional two leathers and flints like this as well. I wiped the grease off the lock to where it was almost gone. Then I made a somewhat oversize flint wallet that would hold each flint with its own wet formed leather wrap.

Now, I always put a fresh mated pair of flint and wet formed leather wrap in my lock's jaws before a reenactment (or firing in competition), so it took quite a few more reenactments before I ever had to change a flint again during a reenactment. However, when I finally did use my wet formed mated pair, it was an extremely fast flint change and it worked perfectly.

Gus

 

[hanshi]

Me? Leather.

 

[buckleymarka56]

Hi Mark,

I fired a Brown Bess Carbine a lot in competition in the mid to late 1970's, but did not think of taking what you propose along the next step until I began doing a Private Soldier in the Major's Coy of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, the Black Watch, reenactment group around 2000. Wished I had thought of the following decades before.

I made a point of trying different thicknesses of leather for the flint wrap with different size flints until I got the sizes that gave the most consistent and longest lasting sparking. Even as a recruit in the company, many more seasoned re-enactors commented on how my musket never seemed to misfire and how many shots I got out of a flint.

Well, during one reenactment, my flint busted in half on the third or fourth shot. It was a bit too early to "take a hit," so I grabbed a spare carefully chosen flint, but the leather wrap in the flint jaws did not hold that particular flint very well. Though the flint broke because of an internal flaw I had no control over and could not see ahead of time, I wanted to see how I could rectify the problem for the future.

I put a thin coat of RIG grease on and all around the flint jaws, so this would not rust my lock. I carefully selected the leather and flint to see that it would work well in the lock. Then I took the leather and flint out, wet the leather and put it and the flint back in the lock, modestly tightened the top jaw screw and allowed the leather to dry while in the lock. Then I kept them together as a mated pair. I did an additional two leathers and flints like this as well. I wiped the grease off the lock to where it was almost gone. Then I made a somewhat oversize flint wallet that would hold each flint with its own wet formed leather wrap.

Now, I always put a fresh mated pair of flint and wet formed leather wrap in my lock's jaws before a reenactment (or firing in competition), so it took quite a few more reenactments before I ever had to change a flint again during a reenactment. However, when I finally did use my wet formed mated pair, it was an extremely fast flint change and it worked perfectly.

Gus

That's what I did. Took wet leather strips, wrapped them around the flint, than wrapped a piece of waxed thread, to hold it together. Hoping the leather would mold around the flint and hold it better.

That was my thought anyway.

I had read in the old days they used lead instead of leather.

Thanks
Mark

 

[TDM]

Lead was used by the European and Colonial military throughout the 18th century but little or no use on civilian flintlocks.

 

[buckleymarka56]

Lead was used by the European and Colonial military throughout the 18th century but little or no use on civilian flintlocks.

I wonder why only in Europe and military?

 

[TDM]

I wonder why only in Europe and military?

Lead was used by the military in Europe, England, France, etc., not aware of much/any use of it by civilians there either. Don’t really a good answer as to why, except a lead wrap will tend to hold its place in the jaw when changing flints. Someone will have a better explanation.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I wonder why only in Europe and military?

The lead wrap was primarily used on the very large military locks and the very large flints that were to be held in the jaws. These massive locks used the advantage of the added weight of the lead to strike the flint against the steel (frizzen) with more force than a leather wrap for more sparks and more reliable ignition. The jaws could be tightened with more force than possible with the small locks used in civilian firearms.

The extra weight of a lead wrap puts more stress on the graceful neck of a civilian sized lock and is not recommended by many lock builders.

Yes, Pedersoli does supply some of their locks with a lead wrap. Acceptguns.able choice for the military guns, but leather is a better choice for the civilian guns.