Will a flintlock spark in very cold weather?

[Danny Ross]

I have read that when they first started hunting polar bears with modern fire arms the guides always carried Flintlocks BECAUSE they knew IT would fire. You figure how cold it gets in the arctic that shows temp has nothing to do with a flinter going off. Moister would affect it more than cold and the colder it gets usually the dryer it gets. DANNY

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've fired mine down to -10°F (-23°C) and it worked fine. No moisture in the air to gum you up at those temperatures!

Our m/l season is after the regular season in NY - the latter part of December. It can be a bit short of fun cold out.

 

[pargent]

A well known fact is that well into the percussion age flintlocks were the gun chosen by many savy Artic Explorers .

 

[cynthialee]

Or, do you feel it when you are shot???

yes!
I took a .22 to the leg once. Felt like a hornet at first, then the real pain set in.

 

[nit wit]

20 below smugglers notch primitive biathlon.No problem.
Nit Wit

 

[rr11]

I agree got hit by a rattler once but he did not get through my boot. I still made my best ever 100 yard dash.

 

[Spikebuck]

I think that's around -5 Fahrenheit. I have had no problems with my flinter going off in below zero Fahrenheit temperatures. I squirrel hunt quite a bit in January/February in Minnesota with a flinter, including below zero F weather, and it goes off every time. I don't use any heavy greases/oils on the lock internals. I use mink oil lube on my felt wads.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

At absolute zero, they won't fire. At the coldest natural temperature ever recorded on earth, maybe not. At usual still huntable weather temps, yes. Although as pointed out, they can be stumped by thick lubricants and other problems.

Coldest ever that I fired a flinter, -11 degrees F and no problem. Despite the fact that it was snowing heavily and there was snow accumulating on the gun. (I am planning to build an enclosed deer tower so I no longer subject myself to such temperatures when hunting)

 

[tenngun]

It was cold enough to put ice in my Jack Daniel's in the wind rivers one winter, when I drew a bead on a fat little doe. Sparked fine but the sparks just laid in the powder and glowed, frozen solid they were. Quick like I scoped them out and put them in my mouth till they warmed up then I sipt them in to the pan. Had fresh tenderloin on the broil that night. :haha:

 

[thecapgunkid]

We used to do three day trips to Rogers Rock on Lake George in January and February, had the temps go down to around -5 and did not have a problem. I judge unless the steel freezes, if you can imagine that, it'll spark.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Yes, and it is an intensely burning feeling for quite awhile afterwards, even if the bullet goes all the way through you. I do not recommend the experience.

 

[Zonie]

I suppose some of you have been wondering where's ole' Zonie with all of his engineering manure on this subject? :rotf:

OK. Here goes.

When the sharp edge of the flint hits the hardened high carbon steel frizzen it cuts right into it.

Hardened steel, being what it is doesn't like this so right at the edges of the cut it melts. We're talking temperatures well over 2000 degrees F here.
In addition to the melted steel, the carbon that is in the melted iron rapidly combines with the oxygen in the air around it creating carbon dioxide and a hell of a lot of heat. White hot! Well over 3000 degrees F. sparks flying everywhere.

The molten iron and the white hot sparks soon find the black powder in the pan and because black powder will start to burn when 3000+ degree F sparks hits it, POOF! It ignites.

I know temperatures below 0 F. are cold but when all is said and done it's nothing when compared to what is going on in the pan.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

It was cold enough to put ice in my Jack Daniel's in the wind rivers one winter, when I drew a bead on a fat little doe. Sparked fine but the sparks just laid in the powder and glowed, frozen solid they were. Quick like I scoped them out and put them in my mouth till they warmed up then I sipt them in to the pan. Had fresh tenderloin on the broil that night. :haha:

Loved that Tenngun. Even though the Wind River Range may be far from the North Woods, that is a tall tale in the tradition of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Thanks!
Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:

 

[Jim Vatt]

I spent three years in Alaska and much preferred the dry cold sub zero winter days for the flinter as opposed to the typical cool, rainy days of spring/early summer.

 

[Spikebuck]

Thanks, Zonie.

I always enjoy learning the "engineering manure" from those on this site with such knowledge. I had no idea those kinds of temperatures were being created in the thousandths of a second that it takes to fire the powder in the pan.

 

[Stumpkiller]

And the sweet fire it feels like you're putting your hands into when you start to field dress a deer at -10°F.

 

[MSW]

There are a number of things I hope to never find out. Among them are;

1. Does it hurt to pull your own tooth?
2. Does a snakebite hurt as much as is claimed?
3. Will my flintlock fire at -15 degrees?

#1 depends on how bad the infection is, but I wouldn't recommend it as a recreational activity. beats death by a good bit

#2 absolutely. quite possibly much more than it is claimed, depending on the dramatic ability of the claimant.

#3 if you remembered to load it, it sure will!

(does it hurt to get shot? of course it hurts to get shot ... that's why we try to avoid it!)

 

[Dean2]

We get a lot of cold weather in Alberta so I have had the opportunity to do a lot of shooting in cold weather conditions. Even in -30 F with 80% humidity, which is both rare and awfully flipin cold, they will fire. Just make sure u are using synthetic lube, dry graphite or the like on the lock. Also, many patch lubes gets hinky at -30 so u want to check that out for cold weather shooting too.