Who wrote it?

[wild_willie_10]

Who wrote the most definite book on flintlock muzzleloaders? I recently purchased on of the last Austin-Halleck flintlock mountain rifles. I also have a percussion modle. Now with being said, how do make this flinter shoot. I get
(1) no psst
(2) a half hearted psst
(3) a psst with long wait

I've polished the charge pan, top and bottom, polished all the items that help the psst, tried 3/4 primerwork bp powder, 1/2 primer bp powder, 1/4 primer bp powder, tried several types of flints and got great sparkes, tried several types of primer configerations. But no consistant speedy primer pan ignition. When you ask some one what to do, you get 50 types of remedies. So all this brings me to a need of a book. First, I'm 55 years old, shot a mulitude of percussion rifles, but this is the most inconsistan action I've come tackled. SO, WHO CAN HELP FIND A BOOK?

 

[Halftail]

The Black Powder Notebook by Sam Fadala.I've got it somewhere but I can't remember if it covers alot about Flintlocks.If it's any good to ya I'd be more than glad to Give it to ya.
Probably better than that if you ask enough questions here in this section you'll probably come up with the right answers.

 

[arquebus]

No book recommendations, but try the following link to a very good article by Ross Seyfried on getting a flintlock to work reliably. [url] http://www.98.net/ibha/flint1.htm#top[/url]

 

[nchawkeye]

Ziggy..You don't need a book...You are at the right place....

1) Make sure you are using real black powder...NO subs....And make sure it is still good...

2) Take the lock off the gun, prime the pan and see if the lock ignites the priming charge...If it does, there is nothing wrong with the lock...Or the powder...

3) Is the touchhole coned from the inside...If not, it needs to be, replace it...

4) Is the touchhole in the right position in relationship to the pan of the lock...It should be HIGH...The frizzen should cover the hole when it is shut....If you draw a line along the top of the pan, it should go through the middle of the touchhole....If it is being covered by powder, the powder has to burn down to that level to ignite the main charge....

You can fix by installing a new liner (undrilled) (or making one) and drill the hole offset to be in the correct position...

5) What size touchole does your gun have??? Too small and you don't always get the flash of powder into the main charge...Too large, and you will have your main charge trickling out...If my memory is correct, somewhere around 1/16 to 5/64 is about right...

IF your lock does not ignite the powder, let us know...We can get into what needs to be done there...

That's really all there is to it....

 

[George F.]

There are a few reasons why it won't go off.
1. Obvious, no powder charge.
2. Touch hole obstruction.
3. Wrong powder, Flinlocks really need geniune Black Powder... no substitutes.
4. If the pan charge isn't going off...
a. Dull flint.
b. Frizzen not hard, check to see if a file will cut/touch the frizzen face.
c.Filling the pan with to much powder, only enough to fill the bottom, not the entire pan cavity.
d. Wrong cock to frizzen angle.
e. Touch hole too high or too low in relation to the top of the pan. The hole should be located fore and aft in the center of the pan, and vertically should be at the top of the pan, not lower into the pan, and not higher than 1/16" above the top of the pan for larger than .50 cal.
f. Hooked breechs, the flame channel has to be free of gunk.
g. The frizzen can be too hard, the results would be broken flints.
There probably some I missed, but this would be a starting point. ...George F.

 

[Rebel]

If the vent hole is 1/16", you are using REAL black powder and the pan prime is igniting then maybe the vent liner is too long and blocking the powder from getting in to the patent breech. It should only be as long as the barrel is thick.

 

[paulvallandigham]

No book, but you can read my article on Tuning a Flintlock, at
[url] www.chuckhawks.com/flintlocks.htm[/url]

and it will give you some clues to what you are not doing. From what you have said here, You are forgetting to open a hole in the main charge by running a vent pick into the touchhole , so that the heat from your burning prime will quickly ignite many granules of powder at once. I like the vent to be above the top of the pan, and not dividing the top line of the pan. The heat of any flame is on the top, and not on the bottom. The higher that vent is on the flat, the quicker the ignition, simply because the vent is closer to the hottest part of the flame!

Paul

 

[renovato]

I have the A/H Mountain Rifle in flint also. What I found to help make ignition quick was to use half a pan of powder, set away from the vent. I also drilled the vent to .070 and slightly coned the outside as the members here suggested. This really did improve ignition times to the point of being almost instant. I haven't polished or deepened the pan yet, but I intend to. Good luck and let us know what you find that works for you. It's helpful for others who have the same questions.

 

[Many Klatch]

One thing that wasn't mentioned in the other excellent replies to your question. Do the sparks from the flint land in the pan? Sparks that go everywhere else but the pan aren't much help.

If the sparks don't land in the pan, you may have to bend the Cock.

Many Klatch

 

[tom hargrove]

i had an a/h that did the same thing what i found was that when you dump in the main charge turn the rifle to the lock side and smack the stock afew times this will deposit powder closer to the vent as the powder has to flow through sort of a chanel in the breech plug face. anyway good luck.