Mounting a Flint

[theoldsow]

What material is best to mount a flint in the lock: lead, copper, leather, something else? Cheers, Foxtail

 

[Bob McBride]

Leather. Most locks that aren’t beefy military locks can’t handle the stresses of lead in the cock.

 

[Tumbledown]

I use thin leather, but my flints are tiny, about a half inch bt 5/8". The military often used lead for theirs. I can't clamp tightly enough on lead to use it. As BP said above, the lock isn't beefy enough.

Whatever you use, you may want to cut it like an elongated O so the hole folds over the back of the flint and allows the flint to sit as far back in the jaws as possible.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Leather.

 

[Jaeger]

I started out with leather, then tried sheet lead. I found that in my lock the lead sheet loosened up....possibly because the lead compressed? I went back to leather.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I have used both, get good results with either. I usually wind up with leather though, as it takes a bit of time to hammer out a ball and trim it.
A few seconds with the scissors makes a leather strip and I have a few old leather goods items to have a decent selection of leather thicknesses.

 

[Yewbender]

Leather for me.

 

[ord sgt]

I have scraps of tanned deer leather that I use.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Initially, I used leather. Then read about how lead is supposed to work better and tried that for a while. After getting tired of having loose flints after a few shots, I now use deerskin leather exclusively. It grips and conforms to the flint better.

 

[Bob McBride]

The best locks, specifically Chamber’s, will void your warranty if you use lead, as would the best locks of the day. Military locks can handle lead, the smaller locks will be thrown out of balance with lead. Lead is not HC, nor appropriate, in a regular longrifle lock.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

What material is best to mount a flint in the lock: lead, copper, leather, something else? Cheers, Foxtail

Leather! Just make sure it is thick enough to have substance once it is compressed. Too thick makes it hard, or impossible to install. Lead never worked for me in my Br Bess as the flints kept working loose.
Flintlocklar

 

[mushka]

I've used both and both worked. Probably haven't shot either enough to warrant a preference.

 

[NorthFork]

Lead

 

[hanshi]

LEATHER!

 

[Musketeer]

I had never tried lead until I got my Bess, which came from Pedersoli with lead installed (as seen in my avatar). I shot it that way and the flint came loose with annoying regularity. I made a couple pads myself by flattening lead balls, but they didn't fare any better. At that point I cut some appropriate sized leather pads, and they have worked fine, just as they have in my other flinters. Leather gets my vote.

 

[Carbon 6]

I started out with leather, then tried sheet lead. I found that in my lock the lead sheet loosened up....possibly because the lead compressed? I went back to leather.

Same here. Leather is best.

 

[NorthFork]

???

Not sure why all the trouble keeping a tight grip on lead wrapped flint's?

 

[Blaze]

Leather

 

[Musketeer]

???

Not sure why all the trouble keeping a tight grip on lead wrapped flint's?

I don't know. I didn't try it for very long, so maybe I did something wrong, but it didn't work out for me. The lead pad from Pedersoli was really thin, so I thought that may be the problem, but it persisted after I switched to the thicker pads I made from balls. Since leather has always worked fine for me, I just went back to it, and I haven't thought of lead since, until this thread came up.

 

[Griz44Mag]

The best locks, specifically Chamber’s, will void your warranty if you use lead, as would the best locks of the day. Military locks can handle lead, the smaller locks will be thrown out of balance with lead. Lead is not HC, nor appropriate, in a regular longrifle lock.

My new Pedersoli Frontier 54 came with a lead in the jaw and one in the goody pouch. It does not void any warranty that I can find on-line....
DRY FIRING however - does!