What's the attraction (to percussion)?

[rich pierce]

Sort of mirroring the discussion on the flintlock rifle forum. Why do you choose to own and shoot a percussion rifle?
Choose from these, add your own:

• 
  Fast reliable ignition
  Factory guns available for a reasonable price
  I like the historical period when percussion guns were made
  Dang flinters give me fits

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Probably because I shot C&B revolvers for so long. I was familiar with caps. I didn't even think harder or easier.

The second reason is there's aren't a lot of left hand choices.

With that said. When I build one and can choose what I want. It will probably be a flinter.

 

[goody]

New to this BP stuff.Talking to people I know,and taking in as much info as I can from this forum,for me personally,I have to learn how to crawl before I can walk.Just built my first gun,the GPR percussion.I would like to build the GPR pistol next to go with the gun;but after that,flinter all the way.

 

[playfarmers]

I like the reliable ignition in poor weather, and we have a lot of that during our deer season. I did have a Austin & Halleck mountain rifle in flint and liked it, but the 9+ lbs was too much for my arthritic shoulders to carry. I could see getting a Lyman Deerstalker in flint, if the deal was right. Maybe for my retirement present in a few years.

 

[Ron_T.]

Heyyyyyyy Rich...

I use your excellent flints in my Long Rifle, but I got a couple of "bargains" in two different CVA Hawken percussion cap rifles that I just couldn't pass up.

The first one was a standard, .50 caliber, older 7¼ pound CVA Hawken with a 28" barrel I bought for just $25 due to the surface rust on the blued barrel. The wood was in excellent shape, but the barrel looked "bad" on the outside, fine on the inside.

A "gentle" application of some WD40 sprayed on some XXXX steel wool and a little light rubbing produced a like-new barrel with the bluing still on it that looked just fine. With the first light target load, it shot tight "clover-leafs" at 25 yards off the bench.

I began thinking "target rifle" for use at our local BP Club's monthly shoots when I noticed how "simple" the Hawken caplock seemed to be to shoot compared to the Pennsylvania Long rifle flinter I had been shooting for the past year.

A few weeks later, I was offered a fine looking CVA Hawken Carbine for $100 with a 26-inch barrel weighing just 6½ pounds in .50 caliber which had one small rust spot on the breech-end of the barrel which the WD40 & the XXXX steel wool took care of handily, but otherwise, was in excellent condition inside and out. The wood didn't have any marks or scratches on it. In fact, the wood on BOTH rifles was in excellent, unmarked condition.

I viewed this short, light .50 caliber rifle as my deer hunting rifle that would be handy in the woods and easy to carry all day. At this point, I'm not sure just how accurate it is, but its previous owner said it was "very accurate"... we'll see.

Both rifles feature double-set triggers, 1:48 twists, .50 caliber (same as my Penn. Long Rifle) and are in nice condition, but very plain.

I'm not completely "forgetting" about my Long Rifle flinter, but I must say that these caplocks SEEM so much less "trouble" to shoot... less fuss and muss and not so "touchy" as the flinter.

However, I must admit that I haven't had THAT much of a problem getting fairly quick ignition and decent groups with my "Shenandoah" Long Rifle, but somehow, the finter just seems like a LOT more trouble to shoot... and with more "attention" necessary due to the type of ignition system it has (flint) versus percussion cap.

I doubt that I'll completely "go away" from the flinter, but I must admit the percussion cap rifles are just EASIER to cope with and shoot... and definitely more likely to go "boom" when I pull the trigger.

I guess I might conclude that the flintlock rifle has "tradition & nostalgia" on its side while the percussion cap rifles have "practicality & reliability" on their side.

You asked "why"... so this is jus' my 2¢...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

 

[Josh Smith]

Well Sir, it is mainly due to being left handed.

To prevent my right arm from being cooked, I need a lefty flinter due to the ensuing stream of plasma, upon ignition, exiting in the direction of the lock.

I have not yet seen a good quality, affordable left-hander's flintlock rifle for sale.

I plan to snatch up any such, funds providing, as I begin employment again next week.

Josh

 

[shootrj2003]

I like to still hunt,the wetter it is the better it is -short of a pouring rain-so my self says ,self,use yer capper in wet weather! but its all up in te air when I get a .54 flint Hawkin -like rifle.I do hunt squirrels with a flint right now but I can take a chance on muffing up on a squirrel!

 

[rdillion]

I like the fact that mine go boom every time I pull the trigger and although I enjoy shooting my flintlock it does give me fits. :surrender: Seems as if it some problem all of the time. :cursing: My main interest is the Civil War period and the period after when the percussion Southern Mountain rifles were used. :hatsoff:

 

[August West]

Reliability, cost and lock time. I love to hunt and most of my shooting is geared around that, what I love to hunt most is birds. Not any flint doubles in my pay grade that I know of and a few days in the field with my tulle makes me want to break it over a rock. A fast low gambel quail in some brush and your lock better be tuned to perfection and your timing and swing spot on, or maybe I just suck. :idunno: :grin: Chris

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Rich,
The first rifle I bought was a capper and I'm still shooting it. BUT, the flint bug has bitten me. I borrowed a flinter to use at the last rendezvous and I'm building my own. :surrender: GW

 

[shootemup]

Just remember, you asked. :wink:

While I do prefer flintlocks, I still have and enjoy several percussion guns.

One is a Dixie squirrel rifle in .32 that I just haven't gotten around to switching over to flintlock yet.

Another is a Pedersoli double in 12-gauge. I do enjoy a double, but haven't gotten the bug bad enough to drop 5 grand for a double flinter yet.

I have a couple of decent Hawkens, but have never used them the way I thought I would when I ordered them. One of them was built from a TOTW Bridger kit and has a competition grade barrel (Goodien?).

My other percussion guns are T/C's I've had for a long time, for the most part. They have sentimental value.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[Kentuckywindage]

easier to shoot the sub powders! :rotf:

 

[Richard Brinkman]

I wanted to try my hand at shooting conicals, long heavy ones as in long range muzzleloader stuff. The flintlock just didn't seem right and might be a bit dangerous with all the added pressure and a open vent on the side. So I chose a underhammer lock, kind of different unique if you will. Only a couple moving parts besides the springs. And I can easily switch barrels which allowed me to recycle some old barrels laying around the shop which has worked out very well. Still love my flinters though just ain't nothing as pretty as a long barreled gracefull flinter. Just a joy to hold and shoot and I do feel something special about them when walking around the woods.

 

[lockjaw]

...because after you shoot flint for a while, you are a better shot w/ perc... :haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[John Hender]

I've shot percussion rifles for thirty years inc .58 Enfields, .54 Hawken and a terrible early .45 Kentucky kit gun and enjoyed every minute of it. I always believed the stories about flinters being unreliable, finicky and difficult to master. A couple of years ago I bit the bullet, purchase a quality custom Pennsylvania flintlock and, with some knowledge about setting the flint up properly, getting the priming right and getting the right load, it is super reliable and I just love shooting it. This Forum has helped a lot. Nowadays my choice is all about the era that I feel like jumping into. ie enjoy them both.

 

[canemminor]

I have been shooting percussion guns since I was 15 years old. I have tried flint guns but have not been able to afford one of decent quality. I had one that while reliable, had such a slow hammer fall that I could not get used to it. For the time being I will stay percussion. I would like to someday get a nice NW trade gun or similar type in flint.

 

[bwhoffman]

Former hardcore trap shooter here...

two words...

BAD FLINCH


the perfect rocklock for me would be one with a release trigger!
that would be heaven!

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Rich,

I'm an award-winning competitive percussion shooter at three different clubs. Plus I really enjoy my Cap & Ball revolvers, winning competitions with them as well.

I enjoy the percussion time period. I've been around lots of flinters that don't work right. Some friends of mine have really fine flinters with fast tuned locks, but the attraction is never there......

I'm the type of guy who, if given a chance, would bring a 1836 Paterson revolver to a pre-1840 Rondy! :idunno:

I HAVE a 12 ga. BT-99 Trap Gun with a release trigger that I'm mildly uncomfortable with :haha: cause my son shoots it better than I do :shocked2: .

Dave

 

[rawhide]

well when I got into muzzleloaders that was all I could aford was a cap lock. the pawn shop were I bought my first gun had both a cva sport hawken and a st. luis flinter. I bought the sport hawken for I think it was 80 bucks. the flinter they wanted close to 400 at the time. lot of chash for a boy of 20. well now I have 4 cap locks witch are fun to shoot and 1 flintlock that I love just hate the weather here it rains to much to shoot it as often as I'd like.

 

[MikeChapin]

Most of my rifles are flint but I still shoot two percussion rifles. One, a Santa Fe Hawken, is what I use for those events where I will have to do some long range shooting. I know where to hold the sights for up to 200 yards. It is also the only rifle I have shot a 50 with on the 25 yard 6 bull.

The other is a modified CVA Mountain Rifle. It is still a very accurate rifle after 30+ years of heavy use both hunting and competition. This rifle has a lot of sentimental value. I use it whenever the mood strikes me and it still brings home the bacon.