question for yall flinters

[Gene L]

As a beginner myself, I might be able to give advice to other beginners for what has worked for me so far. I raised my head at first but my shooting buddy reminded me to stay down on the sights and I overcame the flinch fairly quickly. I still have to remember each time to stay down on the rifle, though. The faster the ignition the better, so whatever it takes to reduce the ignition time the better. I'm surprised and very much impressed with the amount of accuracy I can get with a flintlock. I'm not sure I can tell much difference.

I know it's a no-no, but I don't wear glasses to shoot because I don't have any. I would recommend them, though. If I get around to it, I might get a pair but wearing amber shooting glasses with a flintlock just looks 21st century weird.

 

[Cruzatte]

im a cap n ball shooter,that bein said,how in the name of the great horned spoon do yall hold still while the priming powder goes off pretty much in your face?then ,while this is goin on you gotta hold the sights still.i got a lota respect for anyone that can use one of these accurately :hatsoff: guess ill just have to get one and see for myself huhh? :hmm:

First off, if you've seen the flash, you probably filled the pan too full. You really don't need all that much priming to ignite the main charge.
Second, you focus on the target.
And finally it just becomes second nature. Come on over to the light. Shoot flint. :grin:

 

[robert bw]

come to the dark side we have cookies :grin: if there shaped like a flintlock count me in!!

 

[tenngun]

im a cap n ball shooter,that bein said,how in the name of the great horned spoon do yall hold still while the priming powder goes off pretty much in your face?then ,while this is goin on you gotta hold the sights still.i got a lota respect for anyone that can use one of these accurately guess ill just have to get one and see for myself huhh?

Ha!
The way that you describe it makes the ignition take a looong time. It is not that way at all. Properly loaded and primed, flintlock ignition is virtually instantaneous. There is no waiting around for the thing to go off and the ball to leave the barrel.
It is not "snap...fizzz....bang" but more "snfzbang".

That's a truism. Been shooting them most of my life and don't notice a lag, and the flash from the pan is all blended with the flash from the muzzle.

 

[SgtErv]

The muzzle flash is what I usually see, too. Unless I fill the pan up too much. Figuring out what my Brown Bess liked...wow, yeah saw the flash a few times with that one. Had to check my eyebrows.

Worse than the flash near your face, like Twisted says, is the burning bits of powder. Sometimes they hit my forearm.

All in all though, man it is a ton of fun. You might notice one thing you haven't seen in this thread is someone saying, "yeah the flash was too much for me so I gave up flintlocks." Good reason why that sentiment is rare; we're having an awesome time!

 

[AZbpBurner]

Switch to decaf before going out shooting your flint.

 

[Curt]

I shoot by my self at home mostly so I have never used a flash guard and was wondering if they direct the flash up or toward the shooters face.Curt

 

[tenngun]

No, there is a big gap around them, they blow the gas down and up. I have several, I don't have any mounted now.

 

[hanshi]

Just a smidge of prime works best and fastest; I use about 1/3 pan full, or less. The shot should seem instantaneous with the pull of the trigger but you must also "follow through". The more you shoot, the easier it gets.

 

[MountainRanger]

Just play with tapping out a few grains (if you have a priming horn) or get one of those store bought tubes with one of those spring loaded tips that puts out about 3 grains or so . Get it centered in the pan, or if you want, tap the lock with the palm of your hand to direct the priming powder toward the vent... I have found this isn't necessary. I heard a highly respected local gun builder tell another fellow that he was pretty well convinced that doing this could eventually burn out the vent and while I have no opinion of this either way, like I said, I've found that at least on either of my flintlocks, it's not necessary. You'll find that a little bit of priming goes a long way (about like everything else with black powder) and is generally sufficient to make the world right (as in a nice loud noise and bringing down a buck or putting a ball into the 10 ring) but play with it and you will find that you won't be paying any attention to that flare-up and your beard catching on fire... it's probably too long anyway! hehe :wink:

 

[Onojutta]

It's really not hard at all swamp chicken. You just focus on the target in your sites and squeeze the trigger until it surprises you by firing. I never even notice it.

That sentence there applies to anything from flintlocks to modern firearms. Hold the gun consistently, learn to control your breathing while waiting for the surprise and there really isn't much more you need to worry about... with any gun.

 

[Len Graves]

When I first started shooting flinters I had an " old timer" ---- wait a minute, I'm an old timer now. Seems like yesterday. Any way he showed me a way to cover the flash by just holding your thum up to cover the flash. Seemed to work. After a while you just get used to the flash and learn to concentrate on the other stuff. I guess it makes other shooters wonder what you are up to. I saw some cartridge shooters doing it while I was at the range. I just let them wonder.

 

[rescuerandy2]

Good Evening. I have been shooting an original 1768 Charleville for the last few months with 80grains of FFg. Yes, it does not take too long to get used to the flash and smoke just a few inches from your face. As to concerns with burns, no issues to date. Jus had a bit of soot on my nose.

In another comparison, there is a bit of hanging fire compared to my 1863 Springfield. It is slight and you get used to that too. Randy

 

[sidelock]

Do you ever see the hammer fall on your cap buster? If not you won't see the flash in the pan.

 

[Zonie]

I've shot a flintlock a lot of times over the past 40+ years and I for one, notice the flash in the pan.

I didn't say it bothered me. I just said, I notice it. That's why I can also notice if it doesn't flash after the cock falls. :hmm:

I got used to the flash a long time ago. That was easy to do.

Something that wasn't quite as easy was getting to the point that I didn't mind the places on my forehead where the little flying sparks from the pan were trying to burn their way into my skin.

IMO, anyone who says little sparks burning into their forehead doesn't hurt a bit are either wearing a really low brimmed hat or they also don't notice it when they cut themselves shaving.

Getting use to these little annoyances while concentrating on the target is just part of learning to shoot a flintlock.

As I said earlier, if one masters a flintlock (or is it flinchlock?) they will have mastered shooting any small bore gun.

 

[robert bw]

Something that wasn't quite as easy was getting to the point that I didn't mind the places on my forehead where the little flying sparks from the pan were trying to burn their way into my skin.

But that's half the fun, right?I make my own bullwhips and if you don't cut yourself occaisionally, you aint learning.Just the way it is. :grin:

 

[MSW]

"I guess i'll just have to get one..."



BWAHAHAHAHAHA! (Mad scientist laugh)... he's hooked for sure!

Flash? there's a flash?

(now, don't tell anyone about this- it's a rockbanger secret: that flint and steel and priming powder is just for show- - to convince the public that we're 'cool' 'cause we're doing something incredibly arcane and unusual... really it's just plain old magic that makes the main charge fire... all flint shooters know this. We only use the pan and flint and frizzen thingie when someone might be watching.)

OK - now you're one of the cool-guy cognoscenti.

Do NOT, under any circumstances, reveal this secret to ANYONE!

bwahahaha (insert puff of smoke here)
I used to have superpowers, but my therapist took them away.


:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

really, all you have to do is put a few dozen rounds through the rifle and you become used to it.

stay on the sights, and keep on the target, for a mental "five count" after you see the muzzle smoke, and you'll be fine. Try to think about a follow up shot, and put the sights right back where they were before the thing went bang. Dutch Schoultz gave me this trick and it works for me.


Welcome to the rock banging community! :grin:

 

[earlwb]

I do not remember the flash pan being a problem when I was shooting. I was mainly concentrating on the sights and aiming the guns to worry about the flash pan any.

But as I understand it, one needs to put in the minimal amount of powder for igniting the charge in the barrel. The powder level should be just below the flash hole. You don't want to cover the flash hole. Usually the charge is about 1/3 of a pan full. Too much and it tends to ignite the main charge more slowly, plus it can lead to misfires where the flash charge blows itself away from the flash pan without going through the flash hole. Too much powder sort of causes a fuse effect and burns through to the main charge more slowly.

What is really cool, is that if the flintlock is setup good, and the flash powder charge is just right, you can fire the gun upside down or any other angle for that matter. It actually works.

Now then, it may be a bad idea to shoot a left handed flintlock right handed or vice versa for that matter. That puts the flash pan right in front of your nose.

 

[Dr5x]

It'scalled "Follow Through" and it works for percussion rifles too.
I thought I had discovered it but, to my dismay, learned that old time riflemen have practiced it for years.

Dutch

 

[Pete G]

I've shot a flintlock a lot of times over the past 40+ years and I for one, notice the flash in the pan.

That's because your eyes are open when you pull the trigger. :haha: