Percussion Guys: Flint Guys

[Stumpkiller]

I shoot both. Flint is a more entertaining ignition style - for me. I can see where some folks might not be able to get past the blast. The first time I fired my Bess it was with a brimmed hat and that puppy had a vent you could poke out with your pinky . . . plus I imagine I had heaped that big 'ol pan plenty full. I felt the heat up around my eyes and thought "Cripes! You've gotta be knutz!"

Since then I've learned to just relax and give yourself up for dead as you squeeze the trigger.

For bird and bunny I like my little 12 bore New Englander percussion shotgun. I would probably like a small, fast handling flinter otherwise equal to that gun but I haven't come up with one as yet. It was a kit I assembled in 1988 and it's just that "mousey little girl" that steals your heart even amongst the beauties. I also like the swap-barrel feature as it makes a great .50 cal carbine.

 

[Billnpatti]

Some simply prefer the relative simplicity and reliability of a caplock. I know, I was one for several years. I had nothing against the folks who preferred the flinters, but at that time, they just weren't for me. Later, I traded for a flinter and found it to be quite enjoyable. Now, I had a foot in both camps. But I decided that just because someone told me that a flinter was the only way or that a caplock was the only way, I could enjoy both. I wasn't compelled to be one or the other, I could be both. Sometimes I reach for one of my caplocks and sometimes I reach for one of my many flinters. I own several of each and I enjoy them all. :thumbsup:

As I am sitting here, I am visualizing each of my rifles in the gun safe and there is a .36 cal. flinter that is wanting to be taken to the woods and allowed to harvest a few bushy tails. Hey, I'd love to stay and visit but I've got to run. Talk to you later. :haha:

 

[Otter]

I have and shoot both. Kinda depends what side of the bed I got out of in the morning. If it has a long barrel, a wood stock, a sidelock and loads from the front, I like it.

 

[dave payne]

fell in love with flintlocks years ago...don't know if i can explain it...just a kinda crude yet exotic beauty to them

 

[tg]

I do not have any caplock guns left I sold them to fund flintlock projects, first rifles now just smoothbores, it adds another dimension to the sport and experience for me, I like to wear period dress when hunting also, again to me it adds something to the whole experience, no foul on those who shoot caplocks in blue jeans, I am sure they enjoy the day out as much as I do.I used to do the same thing but as my interest grew my choices of what I used changed,it is about the only way one can step back in time for a while,and live a bit of the life our ancestors did.

 

[David Ratusnik]

tg- Really neat!! Others as well. David

 

[Darkgael]

I shoot them both. Started with a caplock. One reason that I shoot percusson guns is that no one has designed a flintlock revolver (Yeah, now that I wrote that some one is prolly gonna show up with a picture of a flint wheel gun)
I must say, though, that the last four MLer's that I bought were all rock locks. That's what I grab the most nowadays.
Pete

 

[Don]

I have only shot percussion guns, not because I don't like flints its just a logistics thing. Real black powder is hard to get in my area and what little I can get is limited to Goex brand. Nothing wrong with Goex but I'm the type that likes variety and the opportunity to try different products. Anyway, the synthetics are much more available in my area so shooting cap locks makes practical sense. Also, decent percussion guns are a sight cheaper than well made flint guns. What little I do know about flint guns is that they function best with real black and quality lock works. I own a few CVA rifles which shoot very well for me but their locks are cheaply made and need a little tweeking to be reliable. A flinter with a cheap lock would only be a sourse of frustration. If I ever come across a quality flintlock at the right price I'd go out of my way to get the real black to shoot it.

Don

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Osayo,
I only shoot flints. :wink:

 

[Mulebrain]

I started out with cappers, and as the virus became further embedded, the flints started showing up in my house!

The learning curve is tougher with flintlock, but well worth the time!

You can actually relive the past, and reach back in time!

I find myself shooting the flinters more than the cap locks. It's like going from center fires, then to cap locks! Now the cap locks are to easy so the progression to flint!

Going backwards! Is forward thinking!

 

[nkbj]

Yep, the usual long arms progression in utility and expertise is from caplock rifle to flinter smoothie. What's the experirence with pistols?

 

I think what you said may be true. I own cappers, but some day I want a .45 flinter that is a copy, as close as one can make it, to the Dickert Alamo " rebuilt rifle" yeah, it was a rebuild. But I got a pic of it in an old Time / Life book called " The Texans". Some day............
James