performance difference bn. flintlock & percussion

[ewan]

If you had two identicle rifles and loads but one was flint and the other percusion would the performance difference be noticable?
I would assume the percussion is more effective - bullet will print higher on the target with same point of aim.
am i correct or is the difference negligible? anyone have an idea?

 

[roundball]

If you had two identicle rifles and loads but one was flint and the other percusion would the performance difference be noticable?
I would assume the percussion is more effective - bullet will print higher on the target with same point of aim.
am i correct or is the difference negligible? anyone have an idea?

Always an interesting question...I don't personally know the answer but would assume there might be a slightly higher velocity out of the percussion as it probably wouldn't have as much loss through the nipple as through the vent hole.

However, everything else being equal, I think the cap gun would print lower, not higher...if it's faster there's less barrel time and it would exit the muzzle lower in the recoil arc wouldn't it?

 

[ewan]

re: hitting higher ----i was thinking archery ::

i really don't know enough about either but i thought it would be a flash hole/nipple relationship that decided it also.

 

[BLAHMAN]

HOLY COW!!!!! Another question that leads to volumes of thinking, does it include math?????

It's a weekend, time to relax!

That is a good question and since I know that Roundball allready tried to trick us with another tough brain teaser that required a lotta head scratchin', I"m gonna give it my best and answer the question.

Ok, lets see, all things bein' equall, if pie are squared and ya use two quarts of sugar.....no that's not the one.

Ok, let's see, if two busse left Toledo at the same time and one had a flat tire on the corner of 4th and Main....no that's not it.

Ok, if Suzie had $14.00 and Betty had a Ford Bronco.....no that's not it.


Dagnabbit!!!! I don't know.

 

[Gary]

Having failed in the sciences, :redface: let me throw in my two cents. If anything, the flashhole of the flintlock would result in pressure venting out instead of being concentrated on driving the ball from the barrel. The percussion also does some "venting" but this is arrested by the cap which remains atop the nipple and held in place by the hammer. Therefore, given two barrels loaded with the same powder and patch/ball combination, the percussion should drive the ball out with a slightly higher MV and ME. :m2c:

 

I had a Pedersoli Jaeger with interchangable percussion and flint locks. I was more accurate with the percussion lock even though the ignition with the flint seemed just as fast. The difference was probably me and not the gun. The two groups weren't higher or lower, just not as tight with the flint. Nowadays I'm a bit steadier with a flintlock than I was then.

 

[laufer]

Having failed in the sciences, :redface: let me throw in my two cents. If anything, the flashhole of the flintlock would result in pressure venting out instead of being concentrated on driving the ball from the barrel. The percussion also does some "venting" but this is arrested by the cap which remains atop the nipple and held in place by the hammer. Therefore, given two barrels loaded with the same powder and patch/ball combination, the percussion should drive the ball out with a slightly higher MV and ME. :m2c:

Agreed.
I tried this with a frined, me having the GPR cap and he having GPR flint. They both hit the target in the same area, grouped in the same area. We could not get responce form the elk and deer we shot, so this is like 'second hand experience'. :front:

 

[robinghewitt]

If you want to find the difference between caplock and flinter, get some digital calipers and measure
the smile after firing. Is it a :: or a :: ?

 

Since there is no such thing as "two identicle rifles", the only way to make a test IMO would be to take a rifle with say a siler caplock (or any other interchangable lock)with drum/nipple, take 5 shots or so, then change out the lock and replace the drum with a vent and shoot again. same rifle, different ignition. It would require a mechanical rest to eliminate the shooter as a avariable as some shooters may not shoot one as well as another. However, i doubt you would see any difference. Now, if you are to use Squire Robins idea, well, the difference would be so great as to not require the use of calipers to distinguish between the two. If too many people tried the good squires test, I'm afraid we would run the risk of rendering caplocks extinct.

 

[bezoar]

Well the real question to getting the same performance would be these questions :
Does having a large geyser of flame and smoke next to your face at every shot cause you to scream in fear and pull the sights off target before the bullet has left the barrel?

Are you going to be able to take the time to learn how to properly keep your gun on target until the smoke cloud dissapates after a shot? this is called follow through.

To me those are the more important questions. If you are afraid of the flash of a priming pan going off next to your face or beard you will most likely never acquire the correct composure or steadiness or follow through that is required as the spead of ignition is slower with a flintlock and that can vary from the powder used and to the amount of moisture in the air and varies more depending on the amount of prime placed in the pan (is it just enough to flash, or did you make a nice 20 second duration fuse out of priming powder?).

If you are the above type of shooter then a percussion cap is the way to go. The lack of a sudden flash in the face will allow you to focuse more on proper shooting and shot placement. Sure the hammer will stil be on the edge of your vision to distract you, but that is pretty easy to blind out (you could make a pair of blinders if it was needed). And as the percussion cap explodes directly into the powder charge, ignition is far faster and that decreases the amount of holding time.

Now for ignition, if the nipple channel is full of oil or your particular brand of cap is rather weak, you will have slower ignition, possibly worse than on a flintlock.

And as for accuracy form the barrel. a clean barrel and a properly tailored load will take care of that. That means you dont use.0155 and a .495 roundball one day with perfect results and expect to get the same with your exwifes pistachio green sweater the next time you shoot.

 

[Tahquamenon]

If you had two identicle rifles and loads but one was flint and the other percusion would the performance difference be noticable?
The performance difference should either not be noticable or bareley noticable. All things equal, a percussion rifle will only be higher in feet per second by single or low double digit gains. I can't tell the difference of 5-50 FPS. The shooting experience would be different as by the nature of flintlock ignition.


I would assume the percussion is more effective - bullet will print higher on the target with same point of aim.
am i correct or is the difference negligible? anyone have an idea?
Nope just as effective for all intents and purposes. I suppose the minute velocity gain with percussion might offer a even more minute POI increase.

:imo: :m2c: