Really got to shoot the poor boy today and I need your help

[psyptak]

Hey Robbie, make sure you are using black powder and not that 777 subsitute or something similar in the pan. I found that stuff causes a long hangfire

 

[Southarkrob]

I am using Swiss 2f in the gun and goex 4f in the pan. I am going to really up the powder charge and get some 600 rbs and some pillowticking patches. Most of the wooshes are as soon as the hammer falls. Gonna keep playing with it till I get it right.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Is there a link for Pletcher's research?

I found this article by Larry.

http://www.blackpowdermag.com/featured-articles/pan-vent-experiments.php

:wink:

Cimarron, Thank you for the link. I stand corrected, at least based on this evidence. To satisfy my own stubborn curiosity I'm going to have to exsperiment some but it certainly forces one to re-evaluate previously held ideas. But then any excuse to shoot a flinter more ain't a bad thing now is it?

Thanks again

Snow

 

[Rifleman1776]

"The prime should be level and at or below the touch hole. If anything you get faster ignition if the prime is tilted away from the hole."

Snow on the roof, Larry Pletcher's research, published in "Muzzle Blasts" and on this and other forums, shows just the reverse. You get faster ignition with the prime tilted TOWARD the touchhole. Not trying to be contradictory, but his findings are reproducible.

Completely disagree. There have been many (reproducible) articles by knowledgable shooters that show just the opposite. Flint ignition is by a [sort of] venturi effect. Piling your primer requires the powder to burn down to the touchhole before ignition can happen. That slows things down. Meaning that is the source of the 'WOOSH'. I use a small line of primer below the touch hole and, truthfully, cannot detect any delay. I perceive it to be as fast as any modern gun.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Well "perceptions" do differ, that is exactly the reason for Pletch's research. In my own perception no flintlock is as quick as a modern gun, I am always aware of the clunk of the flint slamming into the frizzen before the recoil of the shot. It's a totally different firing sensation compared to my sideslapper percussion or any modern firearm.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Well "perceptions" do differ, that is exactly the reason for Pletch's research. In my own perception no flintlock is as quick as a modern gun, I am always aware of the clunk of the flint slamming into the frizzen before the recoil of the shot. It's a totally different firing sensation compared to my sideslapper percussion or any modern firearm.

Sorry you experience that. A well set up flintlock makes the rifle go bang before the shooter has any awareness of what the lock is doing.