Traditions Kentucky finally arrived

[vezePilot]

My Traditions .50 cal Kentucky Rifle from MidwayUSA finally arrived. The fit of some parts is not perfect, but the rifle’s condition is reasonable. I like the wood grain and finish. The brass parts fit nicely … except for the part under the muzzle. This is the third flintlock rifle I ordered in two weeks. The first one was on backorder from MidwayUSA, and I decided not to wait for it. The second one from Muzzle-Loaders.com was stolen by a UPS employee at the Denver hub. Claude Mathis posted an article regarding theft by UPS employees. The report said "All merchandise missing. Empty carton discarded."

So First of all, I made sure to Clean the bore really well, using large cleaning patches and MAP. This required a half-dozen patches. I have followed much of the advice in an article by Paul Vallandigham. For example, I’m using thin Lead instead of leather to hold the flint in the jaws. Fitting the flints I bought was not easy, because I apparently got the wrong size. The 5/8 English from Jedediah-Starr are too large. Also, I have Noted that the Lock must be disassembled from the rifle in order to remove the touch hole liner.

I am Priming the pan with 3F GOEX, not 4F as suggested in the manual. I’m using one of those handy plunger-style Pan Primer/Dispensers. It is described as providing 3 grs of powder with each push, and I use two or three pushes.

The Lock is not making enough flash to cause flinching, even though it is burning all of the 6 - 9 grains of Priming powder each time it actually works (which is more and more nearly every time.)

Once I got the Priming to repeatedly flash reliably … I loaded 30 grs of GOEX 2F and just a patch to see if I could fire it just once (a “blank round”?). This worked rather well on the first try (!), and didn’t make too much noise. The .50 caliber bore makes a nice low thump.

Perhaps I will be able to travel tomorrow to a location where I can shoot this rifle a little. My plan is to use .495 DIA Hornady Round Ball projectiles and 0.010” patches lubed with EMSS Competition Lube.

 

[Tumbledown]

I have 2 Kentucky rifles I built from kits, one percussion, one flint. I find them to be good shooters. Both shoot well with .490 ball and spit-lubed .015 patches.

I did a little work on the flint's lock. I removed the wave washer from the frizzen hinge as it was adding too much friction, and replaced it with a small plain washer for a spacer. I also smoothed down the point where the frizzen contacts the spring. It pops open nicely now.

Enjoy your new rifle. They are a blast!

 

[JoJoLesh]

I have a Traditions PA flintlock, and love it. It is my first (and only so far) muzzleloader, and was a gift from my partner. I had so much fun with it that I soon got her a muzzleloader too

Anyway, one important thing to know is that the forward screw that holds the lock in place also holds the ramrod spring. If you pull that screw all the way out of the stock, you'll have to remove the barrel to get that spring back in place.

I highly suggest you read the article on this forum on how to shoot a flintlock. I joined this group after having mine for 2 years, but learned a lot from that article. (Due to work I didn't get to shot it much in those two years)

Lastly, for now, I prime with 4F but given my recent experience (and a recent discussion here) I wouldn't buy 4F if I had to do it again. I do use one of those plunger trickled too, they are quite convenient.

 

[rafterob]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. 3f will work fine for priming but 4f will work better and will flow from your primer more readily. You don't need a lot of powder for your prime, two depressions of your primer should be plenty. You mention the lock must be removed to access the touch hole liner. Do not remove the touch hole liner, it is meant to stay in the rifle until possibly needing replacement many years from now.

 

[vezePilot]

Thanks, All, for your replies. I am really looking forward to shooting this rifle, after many years of enjoying a variety of modern arms.

Yes, the article by Paul Vallandigham on "How to shoot a Flintlock" is fantastic. I have read the whole thing at least twice. It is so much more informative than the user manual which comes with the rifle.

I'm leaving in a few minutes for an hour drive up to where I can shoot. Discharge of firearms is currently banned in Boulder County, CO.

 

[gabedard]

I started with a couple of percussion kits
Good shooters both
Congrats

 

[TreeMan]

The 5/8 flint should fit your lock fine. Fold your lead wrap in half and cut a notch in it at the fold to allow the lead/flint to sit further back against the screw. You may have to resort to using thin leather or rawhide in that small lock so the flint will sit back further.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I find leather holds my flints securely in the lock. Lead wraps are good when used in a large military lock such as found on a Brown Bess.

 

[hanshi]

Using lead instead of leather will void the warranty of some lock makers.

 

[BullRunBear]

Congrats on your new pet. Flintlocks are so much fun and there is a lot of satisfaction in shooting them well. I have several Traditions guns acquired over about thirty years. They aren't the best looking or finished but they are nicely accurate.

I would think the 5/8" flint should fit okay. Try it with leather instead of lead. I've had better results holding flints in place using leather. Your mileage might vary.

Please let us know how your range session goes.

Jeff

 

[Kansas Jake]

JoJoLesh is correct on the front lock screw. On my Traditions Flintlock, if I'm removing the lock, I unscrew the lock screws but do not remove them from the stock. I simply pull the lock out. I cover them with masking tape so they stay in place and the front screw keeps the ramrod spring in place. It is a pain in the behind to get back in place if you remove the forward lock screw from the stock.

 

[JoJoLesh]

Ok everyone..... He is at the range now (hopefully).

What's the odds that he will need to pull a dry ball by the end of the day?


Jokingly serious, I think my first two range days ended with me needing to pull a ball. One of those was a hard end because I stripped out the ball not knowing that I should just pour lube (or water) down the barrel when pulling a dry ball.

 

[vezePilot]

Hah! It could happen. But worse ... drive 90 minutes, up steep mountain roads, carry bunch of gear up & down even steeper hillsides. Get the targets set out at 50 yards, splash FIVE GALLONS of water all over the area in front of the muzzle, get the bipod set up (this is NOT at a range) ... and realize you have LEFT the Shooter Bag AT HOME. No powder and ball!?!?!?!. So pack everything back up, nearly pass out in the heat and stress. Drive home.



But ... I found a Range out East; flatland driving, flat ground facility, got there with 30 minutes of shooting left. Fired Four whole rounds. No stuck ball!

I'm happy. So much fun ... is it because of all of the effort required? Man this rifle kicks a lot. Using 80 grains of GOEX 2F, had only a coupla misfires, only one flash in the pan without firing. And ... AND ... this rifle is REALLY accurate. The Range Officer was impressed.

Thanks for all of the moral support, and for the important advice about that Lock Screw and the Rod Spring. I think it's a good start. Rifle is clean again.

 

[Mulebrain]

Hah! It could happen. But worse ... drive 90 minutes, up steep mountain roads, carry bunch of gear up & down even steeper hillsides. Get the targets set out at 50 yards, splash FIVE GALLONS of water all over the area in front of the muzzle, get the bipod set up (this is NOT at a range) ... and realize you have LEFT the Shooter Bag AT HOME. No powder and ball!?!?!?!. So pack everything back up, nearly pass out in the heat and stress. Drive home.



But ... I found a Range out East; flatland driving, flat ground facility, got there with 30 minutes of shooting left. Fired Four whole rounds. No stuck ball!

I'm happy. So much fun ... is it because of all of the effort required? Man this rifle kicks a lot. Using 80 grains of GOEX 2F, had only a coupla misfires, only one flash in the pan without firing. And ... AND ... this rifle is REALLY accurate. The Range Officer was impressed.

Thanks for all of the moral support, and for the important advice about that Lock Screw and the Rod Spring. I think it's a good start. Rifle is clean again.

That reminded me about a guy who loaded up his entire family, for a cruise and cookout on the river. He launched his boat, and everyone was so excited. His kids couldn't wait for dad to get the boat started, but there was a problem. He left the keys to the boat back at the house about 80 miles away.

Oh, and my first rifle a CVA Kentucky which I still have. It has been the most reliable shooter I have ever owned.

 

[JoJoLesh]

I agree more effort = more fun.

I have pretty much given up cartridge guns as "easy mode".

 

[vezePilot]

I put another six rounds through my Traditions Kentucky today. Starting to have problems with this first flint that I have fitted. Had 3 or 4 hangfires. I'm looking forward to receiving some T/C flints which appear to be smaller than the 5/8" English that I have.

Today I was shooting at a range of 100 yards, using a bench rest, and didn't do as well as I should have. My first shot was very much better than all the rest. Pushing the ramrod to load the fourth shot was difficult. Perhaps I need to swab after every shot. Maybe switch from Goex to Swiss powder ...

 

[JoJoLesh]

Now I clean after every shot.
Really it takes less overall time because I can just use one patch, both sides.

Shoot.
Clean (damp patch, down&back, flip, down&back)
Load
Shoot

Consistent process every time.

Before (and sometimes still), I would shoot multiple before cleaning, but cleaning took more patches, and my accuracy would go to hell, and reloading would be more difficult.

Also, I wouldn't buy flints from Traditions. I had to sharpen theirs every 10 shots or so. Last time I bought from 'Track of the Wolf', and my first flint went 20 shots without sharpening it. I think touching it up was easier too, but maybe my skills have just increased.

Hangfires, for me, are most often caused by getting powder in the touchhole. I take precautions to keep powder out of there. Sometimes I get a flash in the pan but rarely hang fires. Most of the time, my lock time is tiny.

 

[Mulebrain]

I have only ever shot .490 balls in all my .50cal, including the Kentucky. I have never swabbed between shots, and I can run all day

 

[SDSmlf]

I'm looking forward to receiving some T/C flints which appear to be smaller than the 5/8" English that I have.

I have not had any luck with TC cut or sawn flints. Seem to break down in half a dozen shots or so if they work at all. Much better flint life and performance with English and French flints.

 

[vezePilot]

So I guess I'll become a "collector" right away. Apparently I'm going to soon have both a standard and a Deluxe Kentucky Flintlock, from Traditions. The standard one ordered through MidwayUSA, that I have been shooting. And the Deluxe ordered through Muzzle-Loaders.com.

I was notified that Muzzle-Loaders.com finally started a customer service ticket for the rifle lost in shipment two weeks ago. That rifle was ordered on the 8th of Sept, and lost (stolen) at UPS in Denver a few days later. I requested that the order be cancelled ... but that is not the way they handle something like this. I was just about to email them and say just send a replacement, and that is what they would rather do. I can spring for it, and they are probably having difficulties like most companies.

As it turns out, I will have the both of them. Of course the deluxe is the one with Double Set Triggers and a patchbox in the stock.

I was also looking at locks from L&R that are replacements for the low-end locks on these Traditions Kentucky rifles ... hmm