OT: Why we call 'em FLINCH-Locks!

[Wes/Tex]

Two thoughts:

Try Henry McKenna...cheaper and gooder!

Try focusing only on sights...not easy but learnable!!

...And we wonder why it got hard to see at Waterloo!! :rotf:

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Next time dont use half a can of powder.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

The pan does look over loaded in the photo. A smaller quanity of priming will look less dramatic, but will help your shooting. Here are two examples with a very small quanity of 4fg:

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When I tried to take the above photos, even a lightly loaded pan completely covered up the lock. I tried smaller and smaller amounts until I finally got the ignition without covering up the lock.

Below is the same lock without priming powder so you can see the location of the sparks:

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Fun stuff.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[Leonredbeard]

COOL,LARRY, REALLY COOL!
How could powder fail to light with the pan filled with burning bits of steel? I love the way the pan appears to be glowing itself where the powder was lighting.
volatpluvia

 

[captgary]

After looking at all these really good pictures my next endeavor at the range will be to see how little of an amount of powder will make the ole flintlock function properly . :thumbsup:

 

[Vaino]

Did you try a load w/o any priming? Sure looks like it might "touch er off" if the TH land isn't too long...... Fred

 

[sniper68]

Couldn't figure out how to call up a previous post, :cursing: soos I reposted it. I thought this might help.. this is 2 grains FFFFg prime and 80grns FFFg on the main. as you can see very little smoke. There was a breeze blowin. Link :v

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Did you try a load w/o any priming? Sure looks like it might "touch er off" if the TH land isn't too long...... Fred

The bottom two pics obviously have no priming powder - took them just for the sparks. The top two pics were harder. I had primed with one of those plunger type priming valves. One push left fire that completely engulfed the lock. I ended up operating the plunger against my finger, tipped the tube to horisantal, and let only what woudl fall from that position. I'll weigh it.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[lanedh]

Before I started shooting military competitive pistol matches I had the worst flinch you can imagine with center-fire and .45 ACP pistols. The local SAMMI cured my flinch in about 15 minutes, permanently, using the following method.

First, put on ear protection. That does a lot to mitigate one's tendency to flinch.

Second, he had me turn my back while he operated the pistol slide, so I couldn't see whether or not he chambered a round. I could hear the click-clack but didn't know if it had a round chambered. He then handed me the pistol (loaded/unloaded, who knew?) and had me concentrate on sight alignment and trigger control.

After a few uneventful clicks on an empty chamber, he slipped a round in and I took position--bang!, whaddaya know, a 10x! Within a few minutes I was shooting for record to qualify for Pistol Expert. (Thanks, Chief!!)

Why did he start with a .45 ACP and not .38 center-fire? We didn't have any .38 revolvers or autos at the time, so fired the .45 for both the center fire and the .45 legs of the National Match course in competition.

For what it's worth, if a newbie is trying to get into flintlocks, perhaps somebody can act the role of the instructor as the SAMMI did above, and have the newbie shoot from a bench. Maybe this method would work for MLs too.

Hope it helps somebody.

BJ

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Re: the TOP photos with lots of fire & flash ...

FWIW that's me shootin' my new-to-me flintlock ... it was my twin bro who took the photos.

I have been experiencing failures to fire with this new-to-me Caywood 62 caliber (20 gauge) Wilson trade gun (smoothbore). I'm currently playing with from 1/3rd or less to

 

[Rebel]

Is it a removeable liner? If so i would try replacing the liner with an Ampco or something and then drill the new one out to 1/16". I also drill the inside of my liners out as large as i can and as deep as i can. I take the vent pick and run it in from the back to the front egde of the liner at the bottom of the screw driver slot and put my thumb nail at the back to mark it then pull it out and slide it in along the side till it bottoms out on the edge. Then check the distance between your thumb nail and the where it ends now and that is how much i drill minus a few thousenths. Not sure if any of this is making in sense in print. A lot easier to do than explain on a keyboard. But the jist of it is i want to get the main charge as close to the outside of the liner as i can. Hope this helps some.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... the jist of it is I want to get the main charge as close to the outside of the liner as I can.

It does and I agree with your thoughts. Alas, the Caywood uses and exterior-coned linet that is not a liner. The outside of the touch hole is counter-bored by what appears to be an egg-shaped (parabolic) burr or end mill. The thicness of the barrel where the cone meets the edge of the thru-hole is < 1/16" or so.

 

[Rebel]

I think i would think about having it drilled and tapped for a liner then. JMO

 

[Vaino]

Have heard that installing a TH liner in a Caywood gun nulifies the warranty?......Fred

 

[Rebel]

Be that as it may, if it won't fire reliably, and getting Danny to do anything about it might be a chore, why not fix it and then enjoy it.

 

Caywood's warrenty is voided if you put in a liner. He seems to be paranoid about liners blowing out. Some people worry about the sky falling, and that we never landed on the moon. Course it's your gun now, and if it were mine I'd be putting in a Chambers White Lightning. If it's flashing every time then the plasma is not getting to the main charge. Could be a crud buildup inside, or too much distance from the flash to the charge. Most liners are coned on the inside, and get the charge real close to the flash.

Bill

A penny saved is government oversight!

 

[dlemaster]

Another thing you can try would be to open the touch hole with a #50 drill bit to .070 dia. and I don't think that would void the warranty, but as soon as it's out of warranty I would install a whit lightning liner.

Regards, Dave

 

[Mike Brooks]

but as soon as it's out of warranty I would install a whit lightning liner.

I think Danny has to die before that happens.....
I'd have a white lighning liner in that thing quick....end of troubles.

 

[Ephraim]

Less powder in the pan, and put your hat back on.
to be able to shoot a flint lock you got to out smart that little stone. But if your are dumber than a rock better go back to cap guns :rotf: :blah:

 

[sniper68]

It may be PC, but a white lightning will sure make a BIG difference. Seen quite a few converted. :hmm: Quite a delimma ya got there... A rifle with a warranty that wont ignite or no warranty that works great.