What's the attraction (to percussion)?

[Pete Gaimari]

I forgot to say.



Because my name is Capper. :grin:

 

[David W.]

My first smoke pole was from a T/C kit. Several people saw it and liked the finish work I did on it. I went through three more kits and had to sell them all. I continued to stick with percussion until I saw someone shooting a flinter at a range. I asked several questions because he was not getting the poof.....boom I thought was inherant to flintlocks. I told him I like the look of a flintlock but was afraid to buy one because of the alleged unreliability. He said," that's why I have a cows knee and use a little beeswax to seal the pan when I take it out hunting. He let me shoot it a couple of times and while I still shoot cappers, like on my .36 Bedford for squirrel, I only like flinters now. I have about 1000 RWS caps sitting, going stale!

 

[TFoley]

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

1. I don't know anybody who has a flintlock.

2. I shoot longer ranges than flintlocks are customarily shot at - starting at 100yards and going out to 1200yards.

3. Availability and storage of BP - not that easy to find where I live, and my home insurance company don't like it on the premises.

That said, as my recent posts would suggest, I'd like one, but our 50 and 100 yard and longer ranges are not cleared for standing AND shooting, either, so it makes rather a mockery of owning one.

No 'hunting' with one here in UK, either - most don't make even 3/4 of the minimum muzzle energy required to take deer here in UK.

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[crockett]

I've sort of wondered if there isn't a little snobbery associated with flintlocks, that is- those that shoot flintlocks are a cut above the dummies that have to use percussion caps. That may be true since I myself am a percussion cap user and I've shunned the flintlocks because I've read that they can be hard to make shoot correctly and the cheap flintlocks are junk. In other words if you want to shoot a flintlock be prepared to spend a lot more money than is the case with a percussion system.
All that said, a flintlock is still something on my "to do" list. The next rifle I build will probably be a flintlock.

 

[hanshi]

Okay, I'm a diehard flint shooter; but I own and shoot percussion as well. My first rifle was percussion and I still own and occasionally shoot that 45 year old rifle. I've killed lots of deer with cap locks with nary a problem. I have two I especially like: a .32 Crockett and a US M1841 "Mississippi" rifle. I've had the Crockett long enough that it didn't cost that much when I bought it. The Mississippi rifle I bought from a company that had them listed at about 60% MSR. the MS rifle is a gem with fit & finish rivaling many custom guns. The Crockett is a joy to use. I made cap holders for both rifles.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I shoot percussion most of the time for the following reasons. 1. They were the first bp guns I ever fired and I felt comfortable with them. 2. They are less sensitive to rain. 3. And formost I am knapping impared!And buying flints gets costly, even buying from you! :surrender:

 

[roundball]

"...I've shunned the flintlocks because I've read that they can be hard to make shoot correctly and the cheap flintlocks are junk..."

Not true at all...taking up Flintlocks is no different than taking up something like SCUBA diving...its a new, foreign undertaking, need to do a bit of reading to help get up to speed, a couple range trips and you're on your way.
Once I tried one and discovered all the old wives tales were just that, I gradually sold off all my caplocks to finance more Flintlocks.

"...if you want to shoot a flintlock be prepared to spend a lot more money than is the case with a percussion system..."

Nothing could be further from the truth...I used TC Hawken caplocks in various calibers and gauges for 8 years, then TC Hawken Flintlocks for 10 years...I think the Flint lock assembly cost $15 more than the cap lock assembly, everything else was identical.

They both use the same blackpowder and its far less expensive than BP subs;

And 100 shots from a tin of 100 caps costs more than 100 shots from 1-2 flints.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

And 100 shots from a tin of 100 caps costs more than 100 shots from 1-2 flints.

True, but they all fire. :blah:

 

[David W.]

And 100 shots from a tin of 100 caps costs more than 100 shots from 1-2 flints.

True, but they all fire. :blah:

Well, most of the time. It helps a hole heap if one puts the powder in BEFORE the ball! :shake:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Flintlock humor. :grin:

 

[roundball]

And 100 shots from a tin of 100 caps costs more than 100 shots from 1-2 flints.

True, but they all fire. :blah:

Actually they don't...and after having years of both under the same year round shooting / hunting conditions, for reliability sake alone if I could only have one muzzleloader it would definitely be a Flintlock, not a caplock.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I don't know how many thousands of caps i've fired.

Never had one that didn't fire.

Can anybody say that about a flint?

 

[roundball]

I don't know how many thousands of caps i've fired.

Never had one that didn't fire.

Can anybody say that about a flint?

Assuming your memory is clear you must be living under a star then...I've had the priming material fall right out of caps and it be nothing but an empty metal cup...my Flintlocks have all been more reliable than caplocks...missed a nice 6 pointer one time with a caplock, never missed any head of game with a Flintlock, so enough said for me.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

I shoot percussion guns because that`s what I happen to have. I`ve been using the same 3 factory built caplocks for the last 25yrs or so.

High on my want list is a flintlock fusil or Northwest trade gun though. I just have a hard time with the price tags on a quality rocklock.

 

[Zonie]

I've never figured out why when someone asks a Percussion question about Percussion Rifles on the Percussion Forum there are folks who start defending Flintlocks in the Topic.
I rarely see a Percussion shooter posting about the Percussion systems improvements over the Flintlock on the Flintlock Forum.

Anyway, I shoot both Percussion and Flintlocks.

That said, for me , I find the Percussion easier to shoot accuratly. When I'm shooting for my best groups I use a Percussion rifle.

The slightly faster ignition time and the absence of having a flash of flame right in front of my right eye seems to improve my shooting.

 

[Rogue River]

Well I have news for you! 2 years ago a nice buck at about 40 yards angled away from me and looking the other way and I had a solid rest and click :shocked2: . Gave me the look and was gone! I pulled the cap and looked at it, it was clean, no boom boom stuff in it! Brand new tin! :cursing:

 

[August West]

Well I have news for you! 2 years ago a nice buck at about 40 yards angled away from me and looking the other way and I had a solid rest and click :shocked2: . Gave me the look and was gone! I pulled the cap and looked at it, it was clean, no boom boom stuff in it! Brand new tin! :cursing:

So if you were shooting a flint it would have went boom for sure? Come on, this thread is about percussion guns and why we shoot them not a debate on the merits of flint vs percussion. Chris

 

[gearheart]

I shoot righty guns left handed. PIA for sure but cost is a factor. Watching the hammer is fun enough. I'd rather not have fire works going off in front of my eyes.

 

[gifford]

I've had two 'no red stuff' recently. I've taken to examining the caps more carefully since then. It was out of new CCI tin, it happens. Flintlocks klach. Part of the game. g

 

[zampilot]

Well, it's a bit easier than flintlock, much easier than matchlock, I'd say it's simply an advancement of technology, actually a large step forward historicly. Personally I'll take either flint or cap, they both work, and I can show off in front of my "what primer does that take?" InLine Buddy. :thumbsup: