Myth of the Unreliable Flintlock

[Turtle Creek]

TooMuch...what do you mean by 'ill fitting balls'?
To small, too large what?
I've never had a BP rifle (never had a smoothie) that didn't get hard to load after a few shots.

 

[Pete G]

If your piece is hard to load after only a few shots you might want to experiment with a differt lube.

 

[Toomuch51]

TooMuch...what do you mean by 'ill fitting balls'?
To small, too large what?
I've never had a BP rifle (never had a smoothie) that didn't get hard to load after a few shots.

Too large or too small either one will deliver it's own share of problems.
Mic. the bore (both on top of the lands and in the bottom of the groove). The ball size should be .005 to .010 smaller than the land diameter. The patch thickness should be slightly more than the groove depth (1/2 the difference of the two measurements).
There is no "one size fits all" and nearly every rifle will preform differently, even from the same manufacturer.
Best powder charge will be approx. 1 grain per caliber (50cal.=50gr.), 3f up to 50-54 cal. 2f for larger, adjusted for tightest groups, adding about 20 to 25 grains for hunting and long range (100 + yd.) applications. For prime either 3f or 4f will work (3f usually works better in damp weather).

Hope this helps.

Toomuch
..........
Shoot Flint

 

[Toomuch51]

If a fellow either shells out the dough or takes the time to make his own flintlock and spends time learning how to use it he will probably know his gun better than those that don't.....

If you're saying that by buying/building a custom gun the owner will know it better, then I must disagree with you. It all depends on the owner. I have a lowly Pedersoli Frontier, and have dismantled it completely (except for removing the breech). I feel that I know it just as well as my cap lock (which is a custom made rifle). Knowing how it works, I am now in the process of trying to understand how it performs.

It comes down to the owner, and the amount of effort they're prepared to put into their gun, whether custom or production.

Well said. No problem is ever solved by merely throwing money at it.
To get the best from your rifle, or anything for that matter, is to use and practice with it regularly.

Toomuch
.........
Shoot Flint