New Flintlock Will Not Shoot Round Balls

[jethro224]

If you are still so worried about an unprimed flintlock going off, use a frizzen stall.

Now that would just be silly.

Closing the frizzen in the first place is an unnecessary step in the loading process that could lead to an accidental discharge. Why ad another unnecessary step by using a frizzen stall to protect against a possible danger caused by taking the first unnecessary step?

Just leave the dang frizzen open! Keep it simple and safe!

At any range or event where I shoot, loading with a closed frizzen would first get you a safety lesson and then an invitation to leave if you did it again or argued about it.

 

[mr.flintlock]

Some have suggested that your patch is too wet and contaminating the charge. I do not believe this. With an 80gr charge in a 50 caliber rifle you will have a column of powder of about two inches deep inside the barrel. I do not see how a patch can be wet enough when seated on the front of the charge to wet the column of powder all the way to the breach.
Unless there is oil or cleaning solution in the breach area that is wetting the powder at the breach end then the fire from the prime is simply not reaching the main charge. A larger diameter touch hole may be needed as has already been suggested. Before doing anything, make sure the breach is clean and dry and try using FFFg to load the barrel instead of 2-f. Also, I have experimented with triple 7 and it will fire in my flintlock but hang-fires bad. Always use real black powder.

 

[ebiggs1]

Apparently you need to re-read the post I made.

And very, very unlikely to have a mishap.

I am anxiously waiting for you to tell us all why it's a good idea to close the pan while he is loading his gun.

You are going to still be waiting because I never said it was a GOOD or bad thing.

Perhaps the sear wasn't fully engaged with the half cock notch (as in my case)? Perhaps the half cock notch or the sear broke?

'Perhaps' the sky will fall today, too, but the bottom line in gun safety is pointing the gun in a safe direction all the times. Even when you are loading it. Exposure to the business end it always unsafe. Perhaps?

I don't know if I am buying this thread from the start. Certainly leaving a frizzen open or closed is not a factor in one's ability to fire RB's. Any person that can use 777 in a flintlock, is not having issues with firing a round ball?

And very, very unlikely to have a [strike]mishap[/strike] problem.

 

[ebiggs1]

Man I can not believe someone on this forum was, or would be, concerned with adding another step to shooting a flintlock.
With all the ceremony some of you do that is totally unnecessary taking time to slip the frizzen stall on would add little in time consumption area. But if you are so concerned about it firing extraordinarily, by all means do it. Ya just never know when you may need that last little bit of safety.
Shooting guns is never 100% safe but neither is most of the things we do in life.
Life itself is not safe! :hmm:

 

[Rifleman1776]

At any range or event where I shoot, loading with a closed frizzen would first get you a safety lesson and then an invitation to leave if you did it again or argued about it.

Amen, Bro. :applause:

 

[ebiggs1]

Well you convinced me. I am going to remove the lock for the gun before loading. And I am going to wear Nomex gloves. Just in case there is a cook off, too! Anything else?

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Putting aside the frizzen dispute and what position your cock belongs, I'm curious if ruderam has had any success with roundballs yet?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Well you convinced me. I am going to remove the lock for the gun before loading. And I am going to wear Nomex gloves. Just in case there is a cook off, too! Anything else?

Face shield, ceramic shrapnel proof vest with neck protector. Have hearse standing by.

 

[jerrywh]

I you load with the frizzen closed having the herst standing by might be a good idea at that.
I wonder what would happen if it went off while pouring powder down the barrel out of the horn?
Thats no more dangerous than loading with the frizzen closed. Why take little chances? Big chances are more exciting.
Old timers have come up with these saftey ideas for a reason. Stuff happens and it happens more often than you think.

 

[Clovis]

I am curious too about the OP's luck with round balls now.
I may have an explaination of what is going on with his situation. My experience with these plastic dohickies is they are as tight as they can be, and pushing one down a barrel causes the air between the projectile and the powder at the breech to be compressed and it has to go out the touch hole and pushes the powder in the patent or something similar breech. This puts it where it should be to allow the gun to fire.
With the roundball it may not be near as tight and any air could/would escape around the patch and out the muzzle, when the ball gets to the powder it compresses it enough to cause the powder to bridge in front of the patent type breech, thus no powder in the breech and no firing for the gun.
Or I could be way off and wasting everyone's time.
I would try this; drop your powder charge as always, leave the pick out and your frizzen open so you can first see if you see any powder grains in the touch hole in strong light, if not see if you can use your pick and feel any powder in the touch hole and the breech. If not, holding the gun verticle still start rapping on the side of the stock opposite the lock and breech area, now look again and or pick again. If powder has gotten there load your ball and prime and shoot. If not try rapping on the side of the rifle until you do have evidence there is powder in the breech.
Other than that if that won't work, try pushing some powder through the touch hole and then try priming and firing again.
Any way hope some of this may help, but this is what I would try.

 

[ruderam]

I was at our local MO Dept. of Conservation Shooting range but did not try and shoot round balls. Was worried it would not fire and would have to do try and pull the ball by myself. Did not want to make the staff question what I was doing. I did shoot my modern projectials and the gun never missed a beat. I took everyones advise and did not use Triple 7 and just shot my GOEX FFg. I noticed a bit faster response time from the flint hitting the Friz to lighting off the real BP in the barrel. I will only use real BP from now on!

Heading to my lake home this weekend that is out in the country and can shoot down the front yard. I will be trying PRB's a bunch along with trying GOEX FFFg down the pole.

I'll post my update when I get back home.

Thank you,
T.

 

[Fox.45]

:surrender: I used to have a T/C Hawken with that "space age" metal on the frizzen ,and it would fire with an empty pan, I know because I tried it. I got a new frizzen ,didnt trust it anymore, after I saw that.. Im all for safty and more of it.. Guns get a bad rap too quick today and we dont need an "accident"
,period.... :thumbsup:

 

[dc7x64]

The O.P. should get a percussion and be done with it :rotf: Oh? Im on the flintlock forum? Sorry guys didnt mean to intrude!....I know its just a matter of time I will be on here right? :surrender:

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's why we leave a candle burning in the window.

To draw in the lost and wayward.

 

[dc7x64]

:rotf: :surrender:

 

[ruderam]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!!!

The new flinter is now shooting patched round balls!!!!! :grin:

To be honest, I did not change ANYTHING from what I posted last week with respect to my exact loading process. For some reason it never missed a beat. Shot about 25 rounds of PRB's through it w/o a single issue. The only thing that has transpired from my origional post was that I fired about a dozen Modern Projectiles through it just so that I could target shoot. Perhaps there was a slight defect that was "shot out" of the gun allowing it to fire off PRB's???? Perhaps some sort of a blockage or defect in the Patent Breech that got cleared out?????? All I know that she shoots like a dream now.

Once she starting shooting PRB's I played around with different GOEX Powder. Started out using 80grains of FFg BUT ended up dialing in with 65grains of FFFg. The FFFg seems to light off a touch faster than the FFg down the pipe. Shoots pretty tight 3 shot groups at 50 yards, about 1.5" when sitting at the bench without the use of a lead sled.

I am so happy she is doing what was supposed to be doing from the start!

Thank you everyone!

T.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Good to hear!

 

[Matt85]

glad to hear it! round balls are fun and economical to shoot.

-Matt

 

[ebiggs1]

You can't end your story there! You have to tell me how you are able to get 777 to work? :bow:
I have tried subs of all kinds and find pretty poor results. Even in the Firestorm that is supposed to use them, it isn't what I consider good. So, if you please, how? :hmm:

 

[ruderam]

Believe it or not this gun will shoot anything at this point. It will shoot Triple 777 ffg, GOEX B.P. FFg & GOEX B.P. FFFg.

I'm not sure what to say here. To be honest, this Flinter LOVES, & I mean LOVES, GOEX FFFg down the pipe. However, it will fire off GOEX FFg and even Triple 777 ffg. I am now only using GOEX FFFg. power in the pan & the pipe. I', not doing anything special. This little Cabelas Hawakins Flintlock rifle now seems to shoot anything!!!

With all that said with this rifle,,,,,, does it favor one powder over another???? YES IT DOES!!! It LOVES GOEX FFFg down the pole and pan. It also shoots very well GOEX FFg down the pole w/ FFFg in the pan. However, it will shoot off "Everytime" Triple 777 from the pole!!!!! Now with that said I can tell a slight difference from the flint hitting the frizzen. When I shoot GOEX FFFg powder down the pipe and pan this thing fires off as soon as the trigger is pulled.

If I put Triple 777 down the pole it does have a slight delay when it fires off. When I pull the main trigger I estimate a .2 to .4 sec delay. But it fires off EVERY TIME!!!!!! Now if I fire off GOEX FFFg. down the pole it fires off the second the flint hits the frizzen....