Thompson Center Flints

[DCP]

What size flints do you use in your Thompson Thompson Center Flintlocks

It looks like they came with 1/2 wide flint white in color(looks pretty cheap)

I was going to use a 5/8 English flint

But does anyone use a 3/4

Thanks so much

 

[Ken Rummer]

Black English flint, 3/4 wide x 7/8 long

 

[Rifleman1776]

If that white is sawn, there has been a lot of dissatisfaction expressed over those. And, they have given sawn flints in general a bad rap.

 

[tdperry]

Black English flint, 3/4 wide x 7/8 long

+1 to what he said. I've used the Black English, French amber and the white ones (can't remember the name of the guy who does them - he's based in the U.S).

I rank the Black English and the white ones very close together - the English have a slight edge. The French amber seem to be a little more brittle.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Rich Pierce makes a superior Missouri chert flint and his price is the best I know of! :hmm:

 

[roundball]

What size flints do you use in your Thompson Thompson Center Flintlocks

Just an FYI, it seems a good rule-of-thumb is to use a flint that's basically the width of the frizzen, and T/C's frizzens are 3/4", not 1/2" or 5/8".
Of all the fints I tried in T/C Hawkens...T/C's 'flints'...Agates...French amber...and black English, the black english flints were hands down the far superior flint to all of them.
3/4"W x 7/8"L gave the longest flint life (not the shorter 3/4" x 3/4").
I got best performance / longest life from starting out with the bevel up...then occasionally if a flint wore shorter from use & knapping I'd flip it bevel down to get some more life out of it.
(photo is T/C's redesigned / improved lock they began producing in the mid to late 90's)

 

[Billnpatti]

I used the 3/4 inch flints in my T/C Hawken before I sold it. There is no question but that the black English flint is the best. It is real flint not the chirt that you find most other people making gun flints from. As I understand it, their flint is found in chalk beds and that is where all real flint is found. Black English flints have, in my case, given more sparks and lasted longer than chirt "flints". I tried the T/C cut "flints" and was sorely disappointed. The black English flints will usually cost a bit more but they are worth the extra expense. The French amber....they're not bad and if I can't get black English, I'll gladly use the French amber but they are not my first choice. The American chirt is just not as good as real flint. But, if you live where it is found, it is worth learning to knap it yourself and make your own gun flints. It may not be the best gun flint but if it is free, you can't beat the price and you will have the fun of making your own flints.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Completely misleading post regarding flints.
You may like the English chipped flints, that is OK. Your preference is your business.
But, understand, flint is flint. The only difference between what English chipped are made of and "chert" is where it is found. Chert is flint (get that, real 'flint') that is embedded in the earth. The English stuff is found in nodules in chalk beds. Other than that, flint is flint. Identical. Granted there are good flint beds and inferior flint beds. There is inferior flint in England as anywhere else in the world. The among best is found in the chalk beds near Dover in England. In the US there is good flint in many locations and inferior in many others.
A couple computers back I researched this with geology professors at several universities and the USGS. Those documents are gone with the old 'puters or I would bury you with them.

 

[MJMarkey]

You asked what size. Not having any experience with TC locks, here is how I determine flint size for my locks.

Width is determined by frizzen width, flint should match or very slightly less. With your lock on half cock you want the flint to be slightly less long as the distance from the jaw screw to nearly touching the frizzen. When I install with a leather pad I cut a notch in the leather where it fits in front of the jaw screw so it doesn't force the flint forward. Each time you knapp your flint check adjustment, you may have to move the flint a little forward. Hope this helps. :hatsoff:

 

[MSW]

fwiw, i'm also a fan of Rich Pierce flints. the French amber are nice, but very expensive and it's been my experience that they work no better or worse than Black English, so all you really get is that they look cool. If looking cool is worth the extra money to you, then by all means go for it: they're your over taxed, God- entrusted dollars to spend as you see fit.

for the life of me i can't figure out why T/C bothers to ship out a pretty serviceable lock with those dreadful sawn flint-oid thingies. i've never been able to get them to spart for a flip, and i know of no- one who has, either.

best advice i can give you is to go with a 3/4x7/8 Black English, and get some of Pierce's flints, and see which ones work best for you.

Once you get the rifle up and running, they're a great deal of fun to shoot and as relaible as any caplock. (Mind you, I'm a prejudiced flint shooter).

 

[bpollock_sr]

I agree. Forget those smooth,good looking,sawn rocks.Get yourself some of those ugly black English flints .You'll have sparks you can rely on.

 

[Rifleman1776]

i can't figure out why T/C bothers to ship out a pretty serviceable lock with those dreadful sawn flint-oid thingies. i've never been able to get them to spart for a flip, and i know of no- one who has, either.

I agree.
But, do not brush all sawn flints with the same broad brush. TC 'flints' may be junk but I have used Gunter Stifter sawn flints from Germany for decades and they are, in my experience with some locks, great. Terrific sparking and long-long-long lasting.

 

[hanshi]

I now agree. I've one lock in particular where the sawn agate flint shines and it might do so in others except it only fits in a small lock. The T/C garbage is truly garbage.