Your thoughts? Thinking of getting a flintlock.

[Gene L]

Flintlocks can be finicky...They are more difficult than a percussion gun in almost every aspect.
However! They are also a blast to shoot.. and will make you a better shooter overall.

I strongly suggest finding someone who has one and will let you shoot it.....It will probably be love at first flash...But some people hate them.... :idunno:

I've done some of my best hunting with a flintlock....I shot 32 squirrels one year without a single miss....My personal best. Most were head shots and one was a running shot at 40+ yards...

I'd a bought three powerball tickets (all the same numbers). Then you wouldnt have had to split it so many ways :shocked2: I'd call :bull: but saw my son jump outta truck and draw and fire a .22 pistol from the hip at running squirrel and nailed it in the head so "I wish'd it'd been me! :thumbsup:

So's to not be ff ...........I have a CVA Plainsman flinter. Lock may be crap. Is there a drop in for this gun available? Its like 20 yrs old. I could easily see me going 98% flint if I could get the thing shooting consistently. Some times perfect no delay sometimes delay sometimes no flash.

I think CVA drop-ins are available. Check on the lock-makers' sites.

As for the difference, a cap lock is more reliable since there are fewer variables in shooting one.

A flintlock for me is more fun. There's a slight learning curve, but with a good lock, the dwell time is reduced. Follow up with any gun is important and probably more important with flint.

 

[AZbpBurner]

By the time Dad finished his caplock rifle in 1970, I had already fired more flinters than I can count; all originals from a large family heirloom collection passed down thru generations to an old guy who would shoot them at my range. Dad fired a few, but didn't care for the pan flash, hence his caplock build.

My first few rifles were all cap rifles, accurate and loads of fun to shoot, but today, they spend more time waiting to be fired, while I'm out shooting the flinters.

Concentrate on the sights and follow thru and you won't even notice the pan flash. I like to see the flash, but to do that I need someone to fire it, so I can watch.

They say that proficiency with a flintlock enables to shoot well with anything. I believe it.

A properly set up new flintlock will fire about as quickly as a caplock, and you won't see any difference in accuracy between 2 similar rifles if one is cap & the other flint. Pay attention to set up and loading and you won't have any real issues. I have had caplocks delay firing - due to fouled fire channel. I've had few flints misfire, simply because I pick the touch hole to ensure there's no fouling obstructing it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Flintlocks can be finicky...They are more difficult than a percussion gun in almost every aspect.
However! They are also a blast to shoot.. and will make you a better shooter overall.

I strongly suggest finding someone who has one and will let you shoot it.....It will probably be love at first flash...But some people hate them.... :idunno:

I've done some of my best hunting with a flintlock....I shot 32 squirrels one year without a single miss....My personal best. Most were head shots and one was a running shot at 40+ yards...

I'd a bought three powerball tickets (all the same numbers). Then you wouldnt have had to split it so many ways :shocked2: I'd call :bull: but saw my son jump outta truck and draw and fire a .22 pistol from the hip at running squirrel and nailed it in the head so "I wish'd it'd been me! :thumbsup:

.

True story...
I had two cachunks, But both times I was able to adjust the flint and still shoot the squirrel without moving. So I don't count those as misses because the gun never went off.

The running squirrel took off crossing a clearing from right to left...I was standing next to a fence....so I threw my gun up on a fence post and fired...as the smoke cleared I thought I saw the squirrel dive into a bush.....I waited for a bit but it didn't come out. I walked up to the bush and there he was inside the bush dead...The ball cut both front legs off at the knees...Killed him deader than a door nail. :shocked2:

Got better stories than that but I don't like to brag....story time over...back to the regularly scheduled program. :haha:

 

[nchawkeye]

If you buy the cheaply made, mass produced flintlocks then sure, they can be picky...Most don't even have the proper touchhole nor is it in the right position, so folks have to go through all types of procedures to get the gun to go off...If the gun is that picky, it wasn't made correctly...

I bought my first flinter back in the '70s, have never owned a percussion, have shot a few, they were pickier than my flinters!!!

Keep the touchhole open, flint sharp, use real black powder and keep it dry and you will have no problem!!!

 

[19 16 6]

Had a cap gun once. Big silver DA revolver with white plastic grips. Used to put a roll of that pink paper with the black dots into the thing. I was 9 or 10 years old.
That's it for me & cap Guns & I can tell ya that my flinter is much better.
O.

 

[Walks with fire]

If you buy a flintlock all your percussion guns will never get shot.

 

[Don Steele]

For your first flintlock, the best advice I can offer is to reiterate that this is NOT the time to try to "go cheap".
Some shooters can do just fine with the lower-end flintlock offerings. You might be one of those.
I'm going to recommend that you not be in a hurry to just "own a flintlock". Take your time, try to shoot a few before buying one.
MOST importantly...pay for a quality lock.
Going cheap on the lock can lead to a lot of frustration and could cause you to just give it up.
There are several good options for quality locks. With a sharp flint, and a clean barrel/breechface(Those are things I have to control, regardless of the lock I'm shooting)my Chambers large Siler is indistinguishable from a caplock. Possibly faster.
:thumbsup:

 

[nkbj]

When you go to get into flinters there's a few different approaches. The picture below is a used Traditions Deerhunter, totally reliable, goes bang all the time. So I refinished the stock and stuck a smoothbore barrel on it. Good critter getter.
It that barrel was a rifled small bore it would be a head shooter and a jim dandy paper puncher that handled by comparison about like a bolt action .22 instead a big game hunting rifle.



So,just saying, off the shelf aint necessarily best for your purposes and big expense isn't necessary for not off the shelf.

 

[John V.]

Well the flintlock that I am contemplating and can afford and is within my budget is a Traditions Pennsylvania rifle. I know it is not a custom rifle, but my budget has spoken. I have held this rifle, it aims with ease and feels good in my hands. It is not new , but like new. I have watched several U-tube videos of people shooting them liked them and indicated they experienced good dependability with them for a rifle in the $750-$800 dollar price range.

 

[jethro224]

Have you looked at the Pedersoli Frontier or Cabelas Blue Ridge? Two names / same rifle. Cabelas runs a pretty good sale every now and then. Something like $550. IMHO it's a better rifle. Check 'em out. I'm sure there are Youtube videos.

 

[Onojutta]

A .50 Lyman Trade Rifle got me hooked on flintlocks. Extremely reliable and accurate for a production gun, and very affordable.

 

[Rick Boylan]

I'd suggest looking on gunbroker and finding yourself a good Pedersoli flinter. I found a Kentucky on there for $500 a few years back and it is a great gun. Shoots great and the only FTF I had was when the flint got dull.

 

[Flintlock]

I don't know why, but a flintlock on a half stock Hawken or plains rifle just seems wrong, there probably were some, but a fullstock rifle just seems more historically accurate. The Blue ridge rifles sure are nice, my daughter and my brother each have one and they really work well.

 

[rustyh]

L&R makes a CVA drop in it may match your lock plate.

 

[Onojutta]

I don't know why, but a flintlock on a half stock Hawken or plains rifle just seems wrong, there probably were some, but a fullstock rifle just seems more historically accurate.

Totally agree, and that's what inspired me to build my first longrifle. But the Lyman was an affordable way to get a good quality flintlock rifle to start with.

 

[John V.]

I have to agree with you guys. Full stock just begs flint more than half stock. Just my humble thoughts though.

 

[jamieorr]

A .50 Lyman Trade Rifle got me hooked on flintlocks. Extremely reliable and accurate for a production gun, and very affordable.

Same here. Great shooter, not very hc - I'll fix that with the next one but I'll keep my trade rifle too!

Jamie

 

[AZbpBurner]

When your kids get their first car, do you go out & buy them a Caddie or Mercedes? Of course not. Same applies to your first flinter. Go cheap, you will learn the fundamentals and get a better idea of what you want later.

Limited funds? Look here: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showcat.php/cat/9

Either flinter in the for sale ads would be a great place to begin.

 

[azmntman]

L&R responded to my inquiry and they do have a replacement for the CVA lock but its not a drop in. "requires some internal wood removal to work"

Does this mean around the edges to "drop in" or inside so the trigger works? How tough may this be? For $187.50 in a 20 yr old CVA flinter I may go another direction. I also note my gun has a screw in liner.....should this be replaced or drilled out before I buy a lock? Mine sparks decent? Thoughts?

 

[AZbpBurner]

L&R responded to my inquiry and they do have a replacement for the CVA lock but its not a drop in. "requires some internal wood removal to work"

Does this mean around the edges to "drop in" or inside so the trigger works? How tough may this be? For $187.50 in a 20 yr old CVA flinter I may go another direction. I also note my gun has a screw in liner.....should this be replaced or drilled out before I buy a lock? Mine sparks decent? Thoughts?

Check the touchhole liner hole diameter. .052" to .070" seems to be the best size range for most rifles & factory is somewhere around .050" on many. I've used a #52 drill bit and drilled out most of mine to .064" & they work better (faster ignition) than .050"