Flint vs Cap

What are the benefits of shooting a flintlock over a percussion cap? I have only shot a flint once or twice in my life, and I'm interested if it would be better to get then another percussion?



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

Ya don't have to mess with those pesky caps :grin: .

steve

Flintlocks are more fun. :grin:


Seriously;
If you shoot in competition, some matches are flint-only.
Some states have flint-only deer seasons.
You can generally coax another shot or 2 out of a worn-out flint. Can't get any more out of an empty cap tin.
You can fit in to more periods at re-enactment events with the right flinter.
Flinters are more fun. :wink:

True, caps can be a pain. How is flint better?



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

From my limited experience, and all other things excluded, such as time periods, matches and such, flinters are just more fulfilling. If you like to become more familiar with your gear and figure things out, you'll love flintlocks. To me, my opinion only, caplocks are boring compared to flintlocks. I also don't try to fit in to HC/PC, I only do it for me, in the woods, where the only judge is game, and critters, so far, don't seem to mind. :wink:

i agree with Silly Goose. it's a personal choice; i for one find shooting flint more fun, but that doesn't mean the next guy is obligated to feel the same way.

give rockbanging a try, then
insert mad scientist laugh here)

Bwahahaha!

another one turned to the dark side.

once rocks banged have you, forever will they dominate your range time!

The same gun, fitted with a flintlock is allways better looking than that fitted with a caplock...
Like already stated above, a caplock is boring compared to a flintlock... People will just pass you if you shoot a caplock, but will stop to look at and admire your flintlock and start a conversation. You allways get big smiles when you let them shoot one.... etc etc etc

Silly Goose stated it well. As for "benefits", this whole ml thing is a matter of trying to emulate, for various personal reasons, the ways of the past. I get more enjoyment and satisfaction from shooting flintlocks than percussion guns. I own and shoot modern guns also. But, really, I just don't feel right walking around outside unless I'm carrying a flintlock rifle or smoothbore. Yer choice.

At $7.99 a 100 for caps vs $21.00 per dozen flints, thats 1.75 apiece that you get 30 to 50 or more per flint. A flint gun is a lot cheaper to shoot. Plus, like the guys have said it's a whole lota fun!! BTW thats Bass Pro Shop prices vs TOTW prices.

Cory said:

How is flint better?

Click to expand...

I certainly can't claim that one is better than the other. It's not that kind of choice.

More or less satisfying to master and use? Now you're on rich turf, but it's a personal choice for each of us.

I agree with Tanka. I have two .54 GPRs, one percussion and one flint. I bought the percussion over 30 years ago. I liked it so much, my wife bought me a .54 GPR flint kit about five years ago. I think the flint version looks a lot better. On the firing line with a percussion, people will walk by and look. Go on line with a flint and you'll draw a crowd. Once you have worked up a good load, a flint is just as accurate as any other rifle, within range limitations. As mentioned, you get more self satisfaction out of a flint and they are so much fun to shoot :thumbsup:

I have a good friend who is a hunter and not a gun guy. He could care less what he has in his hands as long as he is hunting. It could be a ball peen hammer, if it needed to be, and it would not matter to him. He just shakes his head at me every time I pull out my flintlock when we go hunting together. ”˜If you want to shoot a front stuffer why don’t you use a caplock?” asks me still.

Most gun guys, that enjoy shooting for its own sake, gravitate towards the flintlock. There is just something about all that mechanism going off and accurately putting its load where you want it that cannot be communicated

The caplock is more convenient, closer to modern weapons, accurate, and fun. But flintlocks are accurate and more fun and the tradition of thousands of hunts over 400 years around it. And if you have the desire to be a good shot with a firearm nothing does that better than shooting a flintlock, if you have the persistence.

I agree that the look of a flint overall is much more appealing then a cap. I have a .50 GPR cap that I also agree is pretty blah to shoot. (though I love shooting it) Starting out with a flint what would be a good choice? I'd be using it for small game until I get comfortable with my abilities before running down elk possibly bear. Again caps to me are a complete pain in the a$$. Being able to use a flint 30-50 times would save a ton of hassle.

It is a matter of personal choice but flint is just more fun for me. A well made flintlock is very reliable and will rival a percussion in ignition speed. One day a man in our hunting club asked me about building a rifle for him. He made the comment that he wanted a percussion instead of a flintlock because of reliability. I told him that I would shoot my flintlock and each time it fired if he would give me a dollar and every time it misfired I would give him five dollars. I then added I will clean your wallet out. He wouldn't take the bet. On the other hand a poorly made flintlock is nothing but trouble.

Also I hunt down Jack Rabbits during the summer months. Would dry weather and brush cause/be any more of a concern?

Between flint vs. percussion? Nope. Both spew a LOT more flame and embers out the muzzle than the ignition end.

PS - I'm another vote for flints just being more danged fun.

I prefer flinters but make sure you get a good lock. Avoid those tiny imported locks often found on production guns. I do most of my hunting these days with a flintlock and like it has been said I don't have to fumble with those darn caps. It's easy to re-knap a flint in the field or on the line. Personally I don't think those new fangled percussion thingy's are ever going to catch on anyways :grin:

All the above...I used a few different caplocks through the 90's and I shoot a lot year round.
Then got my first Flintlock...after the first few months up the learning curve I took a caplock back to the range...and it was so ho-hum compared to the Flintlock that I quit halfway through the session and went back to the house...just wasn't anything to shooting a caplock for me anymore.
Began a campaign of selling off all the caplocks to replace them with Flintlocks...all I've shot and hunted with for 11-12 years now.

Both of the rifles I have built for myself are caplock. But this winter I am determined to convert them both to flint. I purposely used L&R locks that have a matching flint brother, and that will ease the transfer (I hope). I'll probably do the .32 first so I can hunt snow bunnies with it.

Have 54 rocklocks, and only 3 cussin guns, which are originals. can't remember the last time I pulled the trigger on a cap gun. Just too much fun collecting, building, and shooting flint. Working on three builds for two grandkids, and a wounded Iraq Vet. right now. Got my winter planned. Flint rules.

Bill