New to flintlock

[bradmartin]

I have a Traditions .50 flinter on its way to me. :: I've been shooting cap and ball so I have some equipment for loading and cleaning. What I need to know is what tools/equipment I will need to shoot the flinter that are not in common with the cap and ball.
Any help will be great. Thanks

 

[musketman]

I have a Traditions .50 flinter on its way to me. :: I've been shooting cap and ball so I have some equipment for loading and cleaning. What I need to know is what tools/equipment I will need to shoot the flinter that are not in common with the cap and ball.
Any help will be great. Thanks

Instead of a nipple wrench you'll need a screwdriver to secure the flint into the jaws, some jaw screws have a hole through them, this works with a metal rod as well for tightening...

Perhaps an extra leather for between the flint and the jaws won't hurt...

I use a discarded Blue-Jay's feather as a pan brush to remove priming powder that drew moisture, a small stiff paint brush will also work...

You may have to clean out the flash hole from time to time, a tooth pick or a feather's quill will work fine for this, care must be taken not to break it off, if it does, just push it through and shoot it out... (more than likely burn up with the powder)

Instead of a capper, you'll need something to hold your priming powder in, unless you do both main charge and prime from the same horn/flask...

I use a small copper revolver's flask to hold my priming powder...

A cow's knee (large slab of treated leather) will help keep rain and snow off your frizzen, fold it over the entire loak area tp protect it, just flip it off when you are ready to shoot...

When cleaning, an old toothbrush works wonders for cleaning a flinter's lock...

That about does it except maybe a small brass rod for knapping the flint sharp...

 

[bradmartin]

Thats just what I needed to know. On the sites I've looked at their are all kinds of tools. I didn't want to spend money on things I didn't need to.
Thanks.

 

[Rebel]

It is illegal here to posses pretty much any feather that isn't from a game bird.

 

[musketman]

I use a discarded Blue-Jay's feather as a pan brush

Interestingly enough, I was just reading this morning on the FrontierFolk board about Blue Jay feathers. I'm looking into it further, but the person is well-known who ended up with a fine and all feathers confiscated at an event last year. Seems that Blue Jays fall under the "insectiverous migratory thrush" category of the Federal law and it's illegal (a felony?) to posses their feathers. Hmmmmmmmm.....Makes me want to look into it more for sure before I use one as a pan brush or vent plug.
Now, it might be an urban legend, but I'd look into it first. Too many simple alternatives to risk it.
http://frontierfolk.net/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5035&start=15

Jack

Odd, Most fly fishing suppliers sell ecotic and domestic feather for fly tying... :hmm:

Maybe I meant to say synthetic Blue-Jay's feathers, yea, that's it, man made feathers... :haha:

OK, use a brush with synthetic camel's hair...

 

[bradmartin]

See how you are! Trying to got me sent to jail! :nono: :kid:

 

[jethro224]

From the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations;
"All wild birds(EXCEPT the house sparrow, European starling and domestic pigeon) and parts thereof (their nests and eggs) are protected."...
"It is unlawful to take, posess, sell, or offer for sale, any such wild birds (dead or alive) and parts therof (including their nests and eggs), or such wild mammals (dead or alive) and parts thereof, including their green hides, contrary to the provisions of the Illinois Wildlife Code."
Many of the legal game birds and ducks have pretty feathers that would work. This law is not often enforced over a bluejay feather but it can be. I'd check my state regs and stay on the safe side. :m2c:
Jethro

 

[jdixon]

That is one hard up flat foot to jam a guy up over Blue Jay feathers. :: I prefer the feather quill (lets say I am using a Starling feather for now)as the quill end is somewhat fiberous and not likely to break off in the flash hole like a toothpick can. Getting that little hunk of wood out of your touch hole can be a real chore sometimes. To answer the original question - equipment - I highly suggest one of those little pan powder horns with the spring loaded 3 grain dispenser. They may not be real authentic but, they sure make pan loading simpler, especially in the wind!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Seagull feathers. Tough, and no one loves them dump ducks.

They leave everything else on the boat and dock, as well. :curse: During the molt I pick up a year's worthy of vent feathers just walking through the parking area.

Besides, they're white. "Looks like chicken to me, officer."

 

[bradmartin]

From all the looking I've done their was a lot of extra tools that I didn't know if I needed or not.
I have a cows knee and not one to be PC just yet, I pack my Leatherman tool.
I have plenty of scrap leather from other projects to make the frizzen cover. Other then that I'll need to find the other things. Thanks.

 

[Rebel]

Sea gulls are protected here too. Don't know why, it ain't like we don't have plenty of the nasty things around.

 

[Bob Riegl]

Yes, being a fly-tyer we do possess various and sundry feathers---however there are restrictions which in themselves are quite ridiculous. I hardly see getting nailed for the possession of a feather or two from one or more songbirds. Possession of skins of migratory and song birds is one way to get yourself in a deep pile of buffalo chips, other than by legitimate institutions of learning with such programs. BTW be aware that if you pick up a roadkill animal and transport it in your vehicle that will get you put away for a period of time in a federal facility. A lot of fly-tyers just love to pick up various and sundry carcasses on the highway and cure the hides for later use of the furs. A few of these guys are not in the business anymore.Verbum Sat Sapienta Est :hatsoff:

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Rebel,

Me again! Pretty much the same here in Victoria, Australia. The law forbids possession of any part of a protected species (especially primitive wallabies from the Northern Territory!) without a permit. I had a complete and magnificent male lyre bird tail which I quickly donated to the Zoology Dept. at Monash University when this law was enacted!

Pete.

 

[Rebel]

I know we need SOME laws, but our society has really gone overboard with them. We have laws that contradict themselves, we have so many. What we need are less stupid laws, and more enforcement of the GOOD laws.

 

[bradmartin]

HA! HA! HA! I almost kissed to Mailman just now when he knocked on the door. He had a long box! My flinter got here sooner then I thought it would. It also came with a pan brush, pick, hammer stall, patch box kit, Lee round ball mold, brushes, flints, measures, and some other stuff. Its like Christmas in October. So from what I can tell here I don't need to buy anything else. ::

 

[Rebel]

Sounds like yer set for some fun. That a mail Man or woman? Mail Man may have been a bit shocked if you kissed him. Course a Mail woman might be too. ::

 

[bradmartin]

The only thing that stoped me was all the facial hair :kid:

 

[NEW222]

You didn't mention which flinter you got yet? I just want to know because I'm jealous of all you got with it. My Traditions Deerhunter came as just itself, nothing else. It is cheap though I probably would have paid the extra for the accessories, as most of my (please forgive this one bad word :master: ) inline (yes that one) accessories just don't work. Anyways good luck, happy shooting and lets see a pic or two of your present! :front:

 

[HistoryBuff]

Make sure you check that Traditions Flintlock for a large gap between the pan and barrel flat. priming powder can get inside the works through that gap and do some damage. I'm still trying to eliminate that gap on mine.

HistoryBuff

 

[bradmartin]

Its a Kentucky by Traditions. Its the one that was in the classifieds on this site. The seller didn't say anything about the extras. Can't wait for this weekend. ::