Modern muzzleloading-locktime speed?

[genes0504]

Hello, have any tests been taken with regard to lock time speed of various modern manufacturers?

 

[tenngun]

I can’t point you to a specific test, as it’s not something I’ve ever been concerned about. But yes lots of high speed ignition test have been done, including 3vs4 f priming. And high speed work on small vs large locks

 

[Magungo1066]

The Chambers colonial lock on my New England fowler, built by one of our friends here, is so fast it astounds me. I swear some times it feels like a centerfire. My other locks are really nice but nothing touches that one.

 

[necchi]

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/igniton-lock-time.27526/https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/lock-speed-percussion-vs-flint.105651/

 

[Rob M.]

Interesting topic . I've always strived for very fast ignition in my trade guns . For me the ultimate test is to shoot them upside down . There is nothing as satisfying as very fast ignition in a flintlock, and conducive to good shooting , no flinch , as well ....

 

[Johnny Tremain]

In 2005 I bought a Chamber's Late Ketland and Mr. Rice tuned it.
They say it was the fastest at the time. Dont know, dont care.
It goes clack, boom ever time. Thats all I care about.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

In 2005 I bought a Chamber's Late Ketland and Mr. Rice tuned it.
They say it was the fastest at the time. Dont know, dont care.
It goes clack, boom ever time. Thats all I care about.

That lock and Chambers early ketland are the two fastest locks that I have experience with.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Interesting topic . I've always strived for very fast ignition in my trade guns . For me the ultimate test is to shoot them upside down . There is nothing as satisfying as very fast ignition in a flintlock, and conducive to good shooting , no flinch , as well ....

That was a required shot on our woods walk. Hammer falls counted as a shot. The guys with the junk guns got sorted out pretty fast.

 

[nchawkeye]

Plenty of articles in the past in MuzzleBlasts

 

[Stumpkiller]

I think it was a member here named “Dryball” who did tests with a high speed camera. Pretty amazing results. It was something like 1/10th of a second for some Chambers flintlocks. If you notice a delay it may be your lock/vent/pan geometry. Too much priming powder can also cause delays.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I thought sure Kibler would jump me.....

 

[garypl]

I was shooting today and trying to squeeze a few extra shots out of my nub of a flint. Noticeably slower at the end of flint life. Put a new flint in and almost instant ignition. Those new flints throw a lot more sparks more quickly

 

[nchawkeye]

I'll tell what I remember from these test, the human brain can't tell the difference in ignition between well built locks...Where slow ignition comes from was the touch hole being positioned too low and the fuse effect slowing up ignition...With well made locks and properly positioned touch holes and coned from the inside there was not enough difference to be be noticed...

 

[david w]

I'm willing to put up Kibler's locks against any other locks made today.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I'm willing to put up Kibler's locks against any other locks made today.

There are a lot of good locks out there to make that kind of statement. I think Kibler makes a good lock but have never had a gun built around one. They appear to be as good as the other top tier locks.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Pletch has a whole series of super high speed lock videos. By just a smidge, wheel locks are the fastest. The fastest flintlocks will give you about 0.095" of total barrel dwell time. Percussion about 0.031". Modern cartridge guns are more like 0.012"

 

[Col. Batguano]

I just re-read my above post and want to clarify it a bit.

I did not mean to imply that wheel locks are faster than percussion or cartridge guns. They're not. Only that they are just a smidge faster than flint locks. I suspect most of that difference is in the time it takes for the flint lock cock to fall and contact the frizzen vs just slide on to the spinning wheel and start making sparks. There may be a difference in pyrite spark quality vs frizzen steel quality too. I don't know anything about that difference, if any.