I had made some purchases after leaving a post about my first trip to the range.
I bought a pound of FFFFg for priming the pan and a new vent liner with the allen screw in system as “Roundball” had suggested. I made up a batch of “Stumpy’s Moose Juice” soaked about 100 patches and let them dry. I marked my ram rod like “paulvallandigham” had suggested with the ram rod all way down the barrel then up one inch.
I had plans on getting to the range this morning early before it got hot, but when I woke up at 5:00am it was raining hard so I went back to bed. At 10:00am it quit raining and my Mom, Dad, Wife and I went to the range at the lake.
After packing my shooting stuff down to the 25 yard range bench I proceeded to load the rifle.
First I ran a dry patch down the barrel to remove any oil.
I poured 50gr of FFFg down the muzzle and seated a patched round ball on the powder charge without compressing it too much like “paulvallandigham” had suggested.
I used one charge of FFFFg with the TC pan primer that I had bought like “Roundball” had suggested.
I cocked back the hammer squeezed the set trigger lined up the sites squeezed the front trigger and the TC went off with a very slight hesitation.
I repeated with the next few shots without any problems then the TC did not fire.
The TC had prime but it didn’t spark I dumped the pan charge replaced the flint recharged the pan ran the pick through the vent hole. The Vent hole on the new style liner is a little bit bigger with a nice coned hole inside. I cocked back the hammer lined up the sites squeezed the trigger and I had ignition.
The next time I loaded and tried to fire with a new flint I had no spark. I checked the flint and the bottom of the flint was wet. I had brought along some alcohol and extra patches. I wiped the bottom of the flint and the frizzen dumped out the pan charge, wiped out the pan ran the pick through the flash hole put in a fresh charge, and the TC went off like it was suppose to.
I have found that the patch lube may be to a little to dry to go down the barrel easily.
I still have to run a patch down the barrel after each shot or I have to pound the ball down the barrel. Since there was so much moisture in the air it may have contributed to the loading problem.
I loaded the TC and let my father shoot it about as much as I did and he really got a blast out of shooting the flint lock. BTW I got him started in shooting muzzleloaders when I brought home my first deer with my MK85 54cal he has also harvested many deer with his MK85 50cal.
I picked up the patches and with only 50 grains of BP they were still shredded where the outside of the ball went down the barrel but not burned up.
In conclusion I have been able to make the TC fire every time if I follow the correct procedure. I also need to get different patch lube and thinner cleaning patches. I am to cheap to buy pre lubed patches at $7.00 a hundred just to high for me to justify.
I could hardly believe that the BP residue would turn to soup so fast but I guess the moisture in the air had a lot to do with it.
I am always willing to listen to your suggestions to help make this rock lock more reliable. Deer season starts in September and I plan on getting one this year with the TC Flint Lock.
I have listed the people’s names because I thought it was important to give credit to them for there assistance with my several past posts.
I bought a pound of FFFFg for priming the pan and a new vent liner with the allen screw in system as “Roundball” had suggested. I made up a batch of “Stumpy’s Moose Juice” soaked about 100 patches and let them dry. I marked my ram rod like “paulvallandigham” had suggested with the ram rod all way down the barrel then up one inch.
I had plans on getting to the range this morning early before it got hot, but when I woke up at 5:00am it was raining hard so I went back to bed. At 10:00am it quit raining and my Mom, Dad, Wife and I went to the range at the lake.
After packing my shooting stuff down to the 25 yard range bench I proceeded to load the rifle.
First I ran a dry patch down the barrel to remove any oil.
I poured 50gr of FFFg down the muzzle and seated a patched round ball on the powder charge without compressing it too much like “paulvallandigham” had suggested.
I used one charge of FFFFg with the TC pan primer that I had bought like “Roundball” had suggested.
I cocked back the hammer squeezed the set trigger lined up the sites squeezed the front trigger and the TC went off with a very slight hesitation.
I repeated with the next few shots without any problems then the TC did not fire.
The TC had prime but it didn’t spark I dumped the pan charge replaced the flint recharged the pan ran the pick through the vent hole. The Vent hole on the new style liner is a little bit bigger with a nice coned hole inside. I cocked back the hammer lined up the sites squeezed the trigger and I had ignition.
The next time I loaded and tried to fire with a new flint I had no spark. I checked the flint and the bottom of the flint was wet. I had brought along some alcohol and extra patches. I wiped the bottom of the flint and the frizzen dumped out the pan charge, wiped out the pan ran the pick through the flash hole put in a fresh charge, and the TC went off like it was suppose to.
I have found that the patch lube may be to a little to dry to go down the barrel easily.
I still have to run a patch down the barrel after each shot or I have to pound the ball down the barrel. Since there was so much moisture in the air it may have contributed to the loading problem.
I loaded the TC and let my father shoot it about as much as I did and he really got a blast out of shooting the flint lock. BTW I got him started in shooting muzzleloaders when I brought home my first deer with my MK85 54cal he has also harvested many deer with his MK85 50cal.
I picked up the patches and with only 50 grains of BP they were still shredded where the outside of the ball went down the barrel but not burned up.
In conclusion I have been able to make the TC fire every time if I follow the correct procedure. I also need to get different patch lube and thinner cleaning patches. I am to cheap to buy pre lubed patches at $7.00 a hundred just to high for me to justify.
I could hardly believe that the BP residue would turn to soup so fast but I guess the moisture in the air had a lot to do with it.
I am always willing to listen to your suggestions to help make this rock lock more reliable. Deer season starts in September and I plan on getting one this year with the TC Flint Lock.
I have listed the people’s names because I thought it was important to give credit to them for there assistance with my several past posts.
