Percussion Guys: Flint Guys

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I have single action handguns, a winchester Yellow Boy, and since my youth a caplock Pedersoli Percussion Pensylvania... Loved the BP gun above the others! :grin: And then at our gun club, there was a friend always telling me that the real work was in shooting flintlocks.... Now I also had a Pedersoli Frontier in caplock, and I changed that into a flintlock .... It took me some time to get used to the new type ingnition, but now I am totaly hooked, and my flintlock is the only gun that I shoot almost weekly. The others never leave the house anymore... And now I am totaly in love about one of the TVM guns for which I am saving up! In flint of course! Those flintlocks are a real nasty microbe - once you get bitten, you do not recover! :shocked2:

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

While I own both, my percussion guns are mostly for the kids to shoot. I like flinters because:
1. My first muzzleloader was a flinter
2. The time periods that most interest me were periods earlier than percussion guns.
3. I find architecture of guns developed in the flintlock era far more beautiful than later guns.
4. I like to tinker
5. I lack the manual dexterity to fumble with percussion caps!
6. I enjoy competing against those with percussion guns
:grin:

 

[Golfswithwolves]

Both types of ignition are fine and correct. But flintlocks are more fun.

 

[crooked eye]

I have both and like most started with persussion. When I switched to flint my scores dropped a fair amount as I had to get used to the whole flash in my face thingy. It took about a good year to get the proficiency with a flint that I had with a percussion. If you go to a flinter I'd stay with it and forego using percussion again as I belive shooting a flinter takes work and and the skill can be lost if not kept up with. AT least this is how it is with me.

 

[larry wv]

I like both but shoot flint 90% of the time. And hunt with flint only. Larry

 

[David Ratusnik]

Guys- You have a COOL firearms community. Thanks for the responses. It would seem that there is a real mixed bag with regard to percussion and flint.

I have my 50 cal here on the chair -- just loved it up polishing up the brass furniture. I guess I'll touch up the wood with a little Howard Feed N Wax. While I know many muzzleloaders are devoted to smoothering in Bore Butter, give Howard Feed N Wax a consideration. I've used it on my shotguns, rimfires and centerfires for quite some time. Nice stuff-is a recommended quality antique furniture wax- good stuff. Many in the shotgun clays community swear by the stuff.

Thanks again for the education.

David

 

[hanshi]

I shoot and hunt with flintlocks mostly. I do have two favorite caplocks and shoot them occasionally. My M1841 Mississippi is special to me and I like my little Crockett a lot.

But I usually reach for a flintlock for shooting targets, plinking and hunting. They are more of a challenge and just plain fun.

 

[tg]

I am begining to have an interest in those bolt action types with the high tech sights and bullets that give you a possible kill distance of 250 yds, that is really cool, using a ML like our forefathers did..I don't care for centerfire guns though :barf:

 

[Flintlock58]

I enjoy hunting and shooting flinters, percussion, modern and centerfires. I have some of each.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

I am begining to have an interest in those bolt action types with the high tech sights and bullets that give you a possible kill distance of 250 yds, that is really cool, using a ML like our forefathers did..I don't care for centerfire guns though :barf:

:rotf: You're killin us, TG! :rotf:

 

[rabjr]

I am begining to have an interest in those bolt action types with the high tech sights and bullets that give you a possible kill distance of 250 yds, that is really cool, using a ML like our forefathers did..I don't care for centerfire guns though :barf:

:rotf: You're killin us, TG! :rotf:

Scared me, wasn't sure if I had a drug interaction and was hallucinating when I saw this. :rotf:

 

[fluggies4]

As a muzzleloading community, are percussion guys dedicated percussion guys and are flint lock guys dedicated flint lock guys? Do some guys shoot both varieties- percussion as well as flint? What
motivates those who shoot percussion and those who shoot flints?

I started out with caplock in 1978, but moved to flint smoothbore about four years ago and now that's all I shoot. Our club has it's own muzzleloading range and there are only three or four that shoot flint smoothbore at all. Everyone else is a caplock rifle shooter. I'm certainly not the greatest at it for accuracy, but I enjoy it a whole lot more than percussion.

 

[vern faulkner]

:hmm: The very first rifle I ever bought was a flintlock, and it was love at first spark. I've bought a few more that I "needed" and couldn't be happier. There is something about those graceful lines and the shape of the lock work. I must add that all of mine are long rifles. Early and late Lancaster's, Poor boys, and one that I had made(against the builders advice) is a blend of many schools. To me a real thing of beauty, but not very PC But it's my rifle and I really don't care what anyone else thinks of it. Vern

 

[Many Klatch]

I had a TC Caplock .50 once, good gun, safe, accurate. I switched to Flintlocks about 25 years ago. Flinters are all I shoot anymore. I figure if you can shoot well with flintlock you can shoot anything well. Besides, I hate messing with those tiny little caps. I have noted that my flinters seem to go off on days when the caplocks are having troubles.

Many Klatch

 

[JPShelton]

I only shoot percussion. I really like the coolness factor of the "rock lock," though. Just something about it that I can't adequately express that I find supremely cool.

When I started in blackpowder, I fully expected to gravitate to flint.

About five years into it, a nice gent at the range let me shoot his flintlock. I really didn't enjoy shooting it. All the "stuff" going on was, well, kind of scary. I know.... I'm a wuss.

Now, I still think flintlocks are cool. If a guy with a flinter shows up at a range where I am shooting, I can just put my toys away and watch him do his thing for hours on end. I think they're cool but I have no indpendent desire to shoot one now.

So its percussion for me, all the way. Probably always will be, too.

-JP

 

[jbtusa]

I have built both. I like the flinters the best because they are more fun and more rewarding.

P.S.- Have you seen the price of caps lately? ...Flinters are cheaper!

 

[pchwcf50110]

P.S.- Have you seen the price of caps lately? ...Flinters are cheaper![/quote]
caplocks for me only. flint doesn't do anything for me. cap prices have gone through the roof especially the German RWS caps. i cleaned out my local supplier this summer when i found he had them at last years prices. current price for RWS 1075 is $9.25 per 100! last year they were $4.49.

 

[ozark57]

I am begining to have an interest in those bolt action types with the high tech sights and bullets that give you a possible kill distance of 250 yds, that is really cool, using a ML like our forefathers did..I don't care for centerfire guns though :barf:

TG, I guess this is OK if you want to stand IN LINE at a discount store to buy one. But I don't think this is IN LINE with this forum though. We do hope to see you get back IN LINE with Traditional ML's though! :nono: :rotf:

 

[Le Grand]

I shoot both but like others have said, flintlocks are more fun.

 

[Deadeye]

It's kinda like when you were a kid and got your 1st tricycle, it was great fun but once you got a bicycle and learned to ride it that tricycle just wasn't as much fun anymore. Now the smoothbore flinter, that's a Harley.
Deadeye