Swampman: I respect and welcome all your advice, but on this, I can't let you get away with your statement that lead wraps will break a cock or damage it. I just took my lead wrap off my flint and weighed it: - 52.5 GRAINS. That is 12 percent of an Ounce!-
I did not take my cock off the lock to weigh it, but my .50 Cal. Cochran, rifle-sized lock has a gooseneck cock that has to weigh a couple of ounces. You are trying to tell people that putting 12 percent more weight on the end of the cock is going to break it???? Or damage it?
My personal experience involves shooting this gun with its flint wrap for well over a thousand shots. I don't keep count, so I won't dare go and estimate higher than that. The cock is just fine. No signs of cracks, or crystalization. I make my wraps by using a reject RB that I hammer flat. Then I trim it to the rectangular shape I need, and leave it about 1/32 thick. I cut off anything that does not fit under the jaws, as such ends just get in the way. My 50 ca. balls weigh in at 170 grains, so I am using less than half of the lead available to make the wrap. I noticed this wrap is getting pretty thin, after all the squeezing down it gets when I put in new flints. I may just have to break out another flint wrap from my flint purse ( I keep extra flints, and some flattened balls to make repairs or substitutions in the field)and make another wrap. Lets see: This one lasted 15 years. Maybe the next will be on the gun when they screw me into the ground?
I am also sorry that you are shocked that I don't have to knapp my flints anymore, and that Buckknife read my article on
[url] www.chuckhawks.com/flintlocks.htm,[/url] has followed my advice and obtained similar results. I learned that " trick" from a fine man, and friend, the late Don M. Latter, who was a gun builder, who taught himself to tune flintlocks. I am almost 59 years old, several years older than you, and I joined this forum to learn anything new. Is it really so hard for you to learn something new, and change what you have been doing? I have learned a couple of things from reading your posts, and will be always greatful to you for sharing your knowledge. But I am going to challenge you anytime I think you are shooting from the hip, and really don't know what you are talking about. YOu have too much experience to be saying things that make you look silly, my friend.