New Flintlocks

[Flintlock]

READ THE MANUAL, STUDY AND LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE LOADING (or buying really). There, hope this helps.

 

[tom_in_vt]

I feel like there’s a story behind this post….

 

[Flintlock]

I feel like there’s a story behind this post….

Just keep seeing and reading, someone bought something, has no clue how to clean-load-carry, BUT fiddle around with it till something happens that shouldn't.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Read the tips at the top of this forum and the tips in the General Information Topics.

Flintlocks: How to Shoot Them | The Muzzleloading Forum

Look for the advice on how to tune a flintlock.

 

[Flintlock]

One example, I sometimes checked in on a individual that bought a Traditions kit, he stained, finished THEN was not happy at all that the pieces did not fit together as he thought they should. I tried to explain that finishing the stock was the LAST thing to be done and that one should kind of follow along with the directions. I would not be suprised if this person doesn't run out and buy a can of smokeless powder if he ever gets his rifle put together, after all smokeless is colored black too.

 

[TrapperDude]

I read all of this guy's material before I bought my BP revolver and, later, my flintlock pistol. My first trips out with both turned out very nicely after doing all of the research. The articles were helpful enough to teach me what I needed to know in the beginning, which was nice because I don't know anyone else who shoots black powder.

Here is the link:
http://geojohn.org/ShootingMobile.html

 

[Norman Brooks]

smokeless is colored black too.

I was told that by an employee at a sporting goods store when asked if they had black powder. This happened about 10 years ago...

 

[mmb617]

You're preaching to the choir. Before I even bought my first black powder gun 4 months ago I researched the manure out of it. There were zero surprises on my first trip to the range with it.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

READ THE MANUAL, STUDY AND LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE LOADING (or buying really). There, hope this helps.

Sage Advice

There was a time when I was a Senior Hunting Safety Instructor, and every class, regardless of what tool for hunting we were discussing, myself and the other instructors would stress, "read the stupid little book". WHY use that phrase, because everybody seemed to assume it was a "stupid little book" that didn't need to be read...., and there was usually a person every year someplace in the state that got hurt (sometimes killed) who would've been fine had they....wait for it....read the "stupid little book" that came with what they bought.

LD

 

[TraderVic]

Sage Advice

There was a time when I was a Senior Hunting Safety Instructor, and every class, regardless of what tool for hunting we were discussing, myself and the other instructors would stress, "read the stupid little book". WHY use that phrase, because everybody seemed to assume it was a "stupid little book" that didn't need to be read...., and there was usually a person every year that got hurt (sometimes killed) who would've been fine had they....wait for it....read the "stupid little book" that came with what they bought.

LD

^^^^^^^
As a 30 year Hunter Safety Instructor, I couldn't have said it any better !!

 

[Sergio Natali]

Like about everything else, before you start something it's better if you get all the necessary info about it, and now with the Net that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Sidney Smith]

This is why I put no faith in "reviews" of items online. I'd imagine 9 out of 10 negative reviews of a product stem from a person who buys something, doesn't read the manual, then trashes it when they can't get it to work properly. Much easier to save face by putting the blame on the product instead of their own stupidity.

 

[Daveboone]

Most...even kits...come with a very nice detailed manual on the care and feeding. But....no one reads anymore (present forum excepted of course).

 

[Norman Brooks]

Most...even kits...come with a very nice detailed manual on the care and feeding. But....no one reads anymore (present forum excepted of course).

My wife say's it's a man thing, not reading the instructions...

 

[Woody Morgan]

My wife say's it's a man thing, not reading the instructions...

Training always has me reading instructions.
I know. Take my man card.

wm

 

[TrapperDude]

Most...even kits...come with a very nice detailed manual on the care and feeding. But....no one reads anymore (present forum excepted of course).

Having only bought one flintlock, I don't know how detailed the instructions are that accompany new guns, but the manual that came with my pistol was pretty bare bones. It had instructions on max powder charges and ball size, as well as the general steps for safe loading and firing.

The rest of the details, such as flint size and mounting, among other items, is missing. There are also several practical techniques the included manual leaves out and which only another more experienced BP shooter can teach. It does behoove one to research well beyond what might come with the pistol, too, and to do it well in advance of taking possession it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

This was the last step of our engineering troubleshooting procedure, "When all else fails, read the instruction manual!"

 

[Flintlock]

This was the last step of our engineering troubleshooting procedure, "When all else fails, read the instruction manual!"

Right after "KICK IT".

 

[Sidney Smith]

Only kit I've built that had even the remotest of instructions, was my first, my TVM Lancaster. And those were only general assembly type instructions. The ins and outs of loading, firing, and cleaning were left to the builder to figure out. Fortunately for me, I already knew what I was doing in that department.

 

[Cruzatte]

Training always has me reading instructions.
I know. Take my man card.

wm

Yeah. I'll hand mine in, too.