Flash guard effect on ignition?

A flinter-specific question.

For those who dont reenact a flash guard is a shield, usually of brass, that attaches to the lock and surrounds the pan, the purpose being to protect everyone to the right of the shooter getting hit by the considerable jet of hot gasses that come out the vent hole during firing. The flash guard deflects this jet.

Anyways... I had only used one firing light blank loads. Had occasion last week hunting from a blind with a buddy to use one again.

The deer outsmarted us that time, but plinking with the flinter afterwards seemed like the flashguard was actually speeding up ignition.

Dunno if anyone else has noticed this.

Birdwatcher

No effect.
But if you think it is faster.....enjoy. :grin:

not sure how it would speed up ignition. if anything i could see it causing ingnition problems after multiple shots due to extra fouling. all that residue that would be blown out of the pan is being blocked in. while some of it would go over the shield i doubt as much would escape.

-matt

No effect.
But if you think it is faster.....enjoy.

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I repeat! :grin:

A properly install guard doesn't do anything other than protect the face of the guy standing next to you on your right when firing. It can, when improperly installed, interfere with the movement of the frizzen.

I have seen locks which apparently had a rather tight frizzen screw that caused slight binding of the frizzen at the pivot point, work better when the guard was installed. The reason though was the loosening of the screw, not the addition of the guard. Perhaps this is what you are experiencing?

LD

I've shot with and without them and, beyond their primary function of protecting the guy next to you, I have seen absolutely no difference in the function of the rifle. To me, they do seem to make loading just a bit more difficult but not enough so that I have any problem using one when there is someone shooting next to me such as at a match. Most, if not all, reenacting groups require their use to protect fellow reenactors from the flash from your pan. They are not an historically correct device. They are a modern safety device that is exempt from the snarls of the HC/PC Nazis. If you are hunting or shooting alone, it is perfectly safe to remove it if you wish.

Matt85 said:

not sure how it would speed up ignition. if anything i could see it causing ignition problems after multiple shots due to extra fouling. all that residue that would be blown out of the pan is being blocked in. while some of it would go over the shield i doubt as much would escape.

-matt

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Not so Matt. You have obviously never used one or perhaps even seen one. They do not make a seal up against the pan. There is enough space between the flashguard and the pan for me to run a water or solvent soaked rag through that space to clean the fouling of the inner face off the guard at the end of the day.

I've no idea how it could possibly help ignition either because the flash that is hitting it is headed in the opposite direction of the touch hole, and is diverted both up and down (primarily up) by the flashguard. Their main function is to keep you from getting burned by the flash from the guy next to you. Without a flashguard, you need to be at least 4 to 5 feet away to keep from getting little black burning specs in your cheek.
Been there...done that...don't recommend it.

As far as historical accuracy goes, I actually posted a couple of pictures here a few years ago of both 18th and early 19th century flintlocks with flashguards that were sent to me by Mike Lea (the pics, not the guns :grin: ). His point was that although they weren't common there were not unheard of either. More historically accurate not to use one because they weren't common, but I don't want to be standing next to you if you're not using one. Again...been there...done that...don't recommend it.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:

I've had no issue with the flash guard and it is a SAFETY thing when your in the ranks at events if you don't have that and a frizzen stall you will NOT fall into the ranks.

Regardless of the effects, they are ugly as sin....IMHO.

At first I thought they had no effect on ignition but the more I used my flintlocks the more Ifound they were a pain to have on my guns .

1. excess ash and soot build up around the pan and in the pan.
2. at times when a slightly wider flint was fitted the flint would hit the gaurd and slow the fall or damage the flint, cause it to loosen prematurely.

3. igninion always sseemed to be slower?

4. incedence of hang fires and pan flash in creased.

My guns now dont have flash gaurds fitted , they are in my shooting box for when I may be forced to use them by the saftey wombles.

The question of a flash guard came up this past weekend and I guess I really don't understand the problem. The shooting line is in front of the loading bench and all that one must do is time your shots so you and your neighbor are not firing simultaneously.

I suppose there could be a problem at a large meet where the shooters are literally standing shoulder to shoulder, but is that ever the case?

In my particular case, I was the only one shooting a flinter and I positioned myself to the far right so only the timer was to my right. I simply payed attention and shot when he was off the line.

On a range it does not matter you can just make sure there is some shield between you and the shooter next to you.For the guys doing military firing by ranks etc. it is a saftey concern to them , they are after all only putting on a display for education, entertainment or commeneration and they should't be injured by doing this .Back in the the day in battle it was a serious activity with the intent to kill or maim the guys standing opposite you so troops didn't give a tinkers cuss about a burnt ear or neck , for a soldier that burn mark was a status symbol a rite of passage.

A flash guard does nothing for or against your rifle. It is just for protection for the other guy. I used them when I was shooting competion. I would shoot entire mafches with no noticable residue build up. It will also protecy your blind while hunting. Sure hate to explain to my wife how that big hole got in the side of my blind :rotf:

I've never seen one on a flintlock, what do they look like? Had a fella just the other day comment on feeling my touch hole gas hit him. He was kind enough to tell me in a civil manor so I could remedy the situation by putting up a target stand between us. I'm also new to flintlock shooting. MD

Putting up a target stand between you and the other shooter was considerate of you.

I often use a portable shield to protect the guy on my right.

Now, I wonder how long it will take before those knot heads with their semi-auto rifles put up something to keep their hot, empty cartridge cases from raining down on me?

That's for sure, I get rained on every time I go to to the range.

Yeah, that is irritating as can be. I saw a gal take a hot pistol case right down her V neck blouse once. Boy was she suffering for a minute while that hot case burned the stuffing out of her. She was embarrassed as could be but all but tore her front off trying to get rid of that hot case.MD

M.D. said:

Yeah, that is irritating as can be. I saw a gal take a hot pistol case right down her V neck blouse once. Boy was she suffering for a minute while that hot case burned the stuffing out of her. She was embarrassed as could be but all but tore her front off trying to get rid of that hot case.MD

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And, I'm sure you were right there to help. :rotf:

...I dunno about the rest of these wise guys, but after careful counting (one-one thousand, two-one thousand, etc.) I noticed the flash guard increased the ignition rate on my Pedersoli by 0.0373 milliseconds... :bull: :grin:

I tried to use one years ago and discovered that here in the PNW the cooler temps and high humidity resulted in a build up of residue in and around the pan. It was so extensive that the frizzen would begin to bind up from the residue getting in between the frizzen pivot and the lugs on the front of the pan to which it was attached. It also made it difficult to wipe the soup that condensed in the pan. I gave up on it and removed it. No more pan fouling problems.

Out here it is considered good manners for flinters to announce "FLINT" before shooting if there are shooter to their right. That's if they aren't standing within an arms length. If they are then you wait until they are done. Shooters here are also aware of the touch hole flash from flinters and when you step to the line they hang back and wait until you are done before taking their place to shoot. If there are novice shooting participating "everyone" is quick to let them know the "danger" of standing to the right of a flinter about to shoot. This is typically done in light hearted joking manner and is considered part of novice muzzleloader's education.