the myth of the "unreliable flintlock"

[Carl Fowler III]

There was no need for clarification, as I understood the first time. I still see no need for a modern back-up firearm. But your mileage may vary compared to mine....

I worry as much about the people I might meet in some places. I hunt with a ML because I want to. If I don't want to that day or the wind is really high, or I am hunting hayfields late in the season and the shots might be 300 yards I don't take a ML.
Gbears? Everyone should let their conscience be their guide. If I have my 16 bore rifle and use it right I am not likely to need a backup.

I also hunt with this.

I carry a modern or a FL pistol as suits me.
I tend to carry a handgun regardless of what I am doing. But there are places where its not allowed in Montana so sometimes I am unarmed.
Dan

Ok Dan, what the heck kind of flinter ye got there? Is that a double barrel that flips giving ye a quicker second shot? :shocked2:

 

[Carl Fowler III]

M.D. so what ye is trying to explain would be like trying to fire a flintlock while someone was standing next to you with a hose on spray and dousing the action while trying to get the cows knee off and making it go bang? I think you are right...no place to be with an angry bear about to take your head off in under 2-3 seconds...don't waste your time brother...it's like casting pearls before swine! You have done your best and can walk away with a clear conscience at this point...besides bears have to eat too! :stir:

 

[cynthialee]

All I have is a flint pistol. I have not had a FTF yet. But I am only about 25 shots on it so far. All on the same flint. Haven't touched it once.

 

[palonghunter]

I think a lot of the "myth" actually is true, when you're talking about an average shooter using a run of the mill, mass produced flintlock like a traditions, cva, etc. Not to say that these guns are never reliable or can't be made reliable, but there are quite a few lemons around. When an inexperienced shooter gets ahold of a gun with a soft frizzen or any or any of the number of other small, easily corrected problems that often occur in inexpensive guns, they might draw the conclusion that flintlocks are all unreliable and give up on them.

Then there's the care and feeding issue. If you don't use good, sharp flints and set them right, your gun won't be reliable. If you don't keep your flint, pan, frizzen, and touchhole clean, your gun will be unreliable. You have to use real black powder, and so on. Let's face it, flinters are a far cry from being idiot proof.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Flintlocks are just as difficult or simple as the shooter wants them to be. Granted, they require just a smigeon more care than percussions but what the heck, fiddlin' is half the fun. Hard frizzen and sharp fun are where it's at...unless you're a matchlock person (that for Teleoceras)!*

*Alden too, if he plays nice! :wink: :rotf:

 

[azmntman]

How do you harden a frizzen? May buy an OLD T/C flint .50 but I passed years ago cuz it dont spark reliably at all. :idunno:

 

[chuck-ia]

I would say most people who bad mouth a flint lock have never seen a well made gun shoot! Just hear say, about how those flint locks are not reliable. They also have no experience with a flint lock and have never shot one, most have never even seen one shoot, but they seem to know it all. flinch

 

[stinkyfeet]

Before I started shooting a flintlock all I heard about how hard it was, the flinch from the flash, and the failure rate. I was intimidated the first shot after that I realized I was lied too. Of course I have to admit I never bothered with a low end flintlock or gun and learned on a pedersoli frontier, then switched to my full custom. Still to this day I have not seen the flash that comes off the pan, then again I am looking down the sights. Do failures happen yes they do. But at a rondy this summer I don't know what was happening with the cap gun guys but everyones gun was just snapping caps, mine and my buddies flinter fired everytime and we laughed reloaded and waited for everyone to get the guns to fire.

 

[Billnpatti]

I think it all boils down to why do we choose to shoot muzzleloading rifles when centerfire rifles are so much more powerful and reliable? It is because we like the challenge inherent in loading a patched ball on a measured charge of powder, ramming it home and being able to hit our intended target. Most if us even prefer the ultimate challenge of doing it while standing up on our hind legs and shooting off hand rather than from a bench rest with a scoped rifle. Caplock or flintlock, in the end it is all a matter of the challenge we want. Flintlock or caplock you either enjoy the challenge or you don't.

 

[Ken Cormier]

I know where my thoughts on unreliable flinters came from in the beginning. My first flinter was so low rent that If I remember right they paid me to take it home. Then I met a guy that had a real flint gun .I fell in love with flinters have never looked back. Don't have a caplock and unless am gifted one probably won't have one.

 

[CrossXstix]

How do you harden a frizzen? May buy an OLD T/C flint .50 but I passed years ago cuz it dont spark reliably at all. :idunno:

The best way to harden a frizzen, is to take two onces of Marker's Mark, stir in two Viagras, and drop your frizzen in. By morning your frizzen will be hard as Chinese arithmetic. :stir:

X
David

 

[Dphar]

Could the lack of accuracy from the French (or any) military musket be due to the loading meathod? The paper cartridge was rammed down with the ball in a rushed manner, and I doubt that it was ever well centered. I think if they had used a patched round ball the results would have shown much greater accuracy and consistancy.

They were shooting them as the Army would use them. Other loading methods were not relevant. From the military standpoint there one way to load it, paper cartridges.
Also muskets were not bored to a precise size so the ball fits might vary somewhat.
This said rifles will shoot surprisingly well with unpatched balls in paper cartridges.

Dan

 

[tenngun]

Did not the charly also have its front sight on the barrel band? I have never owned one but in my memory of the last one I sw it was that way.
That could not be the best sight placement. Bur I'm betting there are some charly shooters who do right well.

 

[Billnpatti]

Send a PM to Dan Phariss or M.D. Both are pretty darned knowledgeable and can tell you how to do it or where to send it for proper hardening.

 

[azmntman]

If it is a TC would it be covered i warranty...and do they still do it at S/W?

 

[Billnpatti]

S&W does some warranty work on T/C guns. The only way to know for sure is to give them a call. I am sure you can find a phone number for them online. I've heard of some folks praising their warranty work and others cursing at them for not honoring the T/C warranty. Only a call to them will answer your question for sure.

Try this number 1-800-331-0852

 

[larryp]

I'd just buy one of the replacement locks made for T/C. They're supposed to be better all around. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/795/1/LOCK-LR-03-F

 

[ChuckWagonKen]

OK now I'm getting Confused, I don't understand the problem!
I be shootin both cap n flint. I enjoy both immensely. The look, feel, of the arm,
the aroma and yes sometimes the taste of BP shootin. Having fun, and enjoying
it, that’s the meat of the sport, However I must say there is no greater satisfaction
for me than hitting the mark dead on after the microsecond “Delay” of skillful
and properly built flint load! As for rain? Stoning your pan & frizin to seal,
and draping the leather flap over the lock area will help, just like in the “Olden days”
And no I wont hunt or target shoot in a perfect storm! or meteor shower or volcanic
eruption or forest fire or............
Chuck wagon ken.

 

[Kenny54]

I have really enjoyed reading this post. I have heard about every opinion from hardcore hunters who hunt in nice to nasty weather and target shooters who shoot lots of shots on nice days. with a flintlock both types of use need different methods for success. I started with a 30-30 and then got a navy arms caplock in 1975 and my first flintlock in 1985. I knew NOBODY who shot flintlocks and everybody snickered at it. I had a long learning curve and thanks to forumns, people like you guys and magazines etc I slowly learned how to shoot and care for a flintlock. Thank you guys for teaching me and opening my eyes to this wonderful "addiction" :haha: I haven't taken any of my dads or grampas guns out to hunt or target shoot since 1998 and hunt and shoot strickly flintlock. I have learned and been taught by people and sites like this and my own experience how to make my flintlock go off in rain,snow,hot,humid weather. pretty much whenever I want her too. yes, there were lots of misfires,curses etc in the beginning but now if I do my part she`ll go off everytime. is it more "work"? well, compared to a modern gun, yes but, we don't shoot the flintlock way for its simplicity and easiness.to try to explain why I hunt with a flintlock to people who don't is like a woman trying to explain to a man what its like to give birth. it just aint gonna happen :wink: I have never not gone hunting because of bad weather. I love to hunt in rain and snow and yes, last year I had a misfire on a snowy/rainy day. it was the first in a lot of years. however, I did catch up and shoot that deer a few hours later. I did bring a 357 pistol as backup on a grizzly hunt and if I was going up against people shooting back I would bring the 30-06 auto over the flintlock but that's not really the point. enough rambling from me, I just want to say that when I get the urge to grab a gun wether hunting or just shooting, it is a flintlock these days.