Well said and sez it all. Worth repeating.
-
This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.
Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades -
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
"Best" flint position............
- Thread starter Skychief
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Well said and sez it all. Worth repeating.
hanshi
Cannon
Leather is all I use and I like it. And the final position of the flint upon firing seems to me to have more to do with the cock & resulting lock geometry. But if it sparks fine, I don't worry about it.
Another first time I've heard that reply! Lots of tricks and tips to this Flintlock Shooting. Man do I have a lot to learn!
I turn my flint over every 20 shots or so and it works either way. Pointing at the vent is less important than the pan charge going off.
Paul V's article Flintlocks how to shoot them makes this same argument for Lead. But, as others have said, perhaps not best on small locks.
Paul V's article Flintlocks how to shoot them, makes this point as well in favor of lead. However, it may well be that it is not the best for small locks. Maybe a case of one size don't fit all.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/flintlocks-how-to-shoot-them.38886/
As much as I respected Paul V's expertise and wisdom, I just have not found that lead was the best choice for wrapping around a flint. If the lead is thick enough to conform to the flint, then use will batter that lead wrap and loosen up. More flints have been lost by members of my unit using lead wraps than those of us that use leather wraps.
Interesting. IIRC my 1766 Charleville came from Pedersoli with a lead wrap. I wonder if the main springs are too heavy on some of the guns. I haven't measured mine yet, but hope to tomorrow. Actually, I started to do that earlier today, the phone rang and it was my grandson. He was long winded, and by the time I got off the phone it was dark and I decided to do it tomorrow. I'm betting mine is way past 10 pounds.
Mike ,
I remember our comander searching in the bottom of a canoe for a lost flint during the F&I event at Ft de Chartres last fall. He was using lead to hold his flint.
Bill
Yes, but I didn't want to embarrass our commander by identifying that he was the one using a lead wrap and loosing his flint. He might have improved his standings if he hadn't lost his flint. I had given him a new flint, but I didn't check the wrap.
I do know that Chambers will not honor the warranty on his locks if a lead wrap is used. The extra weight and more stress from impact on his fairly small hammers will lead to breakage.
The very robust military locks can withstand the beating of the extra weight from a lead wrap. There is some belief that the lead wrapped flints produce more sparks. A sharp flint wrapped in leather will produce enough spark to reliably fire the gun. What more is needed?
I do know that Chambers will not honor the warranty on his locks if a lead wrap is used. The extra weight and more stress from impact on his fairly small hammers will lead to breakage.
The very robust military locks can withstand the beating of the extra weight from a lead wrap. There is some belief that the lead wrapped flints produce more sparks. A sharp flint wrapped in leather will produce enough spark to reliably fire the gun. What more is needed?
Very decent of you. Commanders don't like to be embarrassed in front of the troops do they? Hard to argue with experience. I won't be shooting as much probably, who knows. I could catch the bug! I will keep the lead that is on the Charleville for now. I'll check it often to see it stays tight. If I find it is loosening, I will try the leather first flint change or maybe sooner if flints are getting loose, need tightening. I already have the leather pieces. Flints are something I don't want to be losing. Also, what happens if you lose a flint, don't realize it, and fire the piece? Seems like damage to cock or frizzen or both.
BTW, I just tried to take some pictures of my 1766, got one shot, battery is dead! Will try again later. I'm going to measure the springs, trigger pull, and disassemble for cleaning, polishing, and lubrication of the lock. I will also treat the lock parts with Militec-1. I swear by that stuff. Makes bare metal slick as snot. Doesn't draw dust or dirt. You can run a semi-auto pistol dry with it and it will function flawlessly. It also highlights the blue on blued guns, ditto the CCH. I know, sacrilege right? It gets worse. Full disclosure, I use Mobil 1 synthetic grease on internals on my BP revolvers. Run like a Swiss watch. I've been waiting for this blizzard weather to do some of these things. Now we are hunkered down, snowed in (I'm going to have to shovel a 3' drift off the driveway, if it doesn't warm enough to melt in the next few days. Luckily only one spot, most of the snow blew into the next county out here! No need to plow anyway. I'm thankful for that!
How you doing in St. Louis? Ice, snow or like us both?
It is easy enough to remember to tighten the flint in its wrap as often as you check for a sharp edge. Be aware that most smooth bores with swamped barrels will shoot low if you hold the bead in the notch formed by the tang bolt. If you hold so that all of the front sight sits above the tang, you should be closer to the center shot. If you had a sight sitting near the tang the front sight would be held slightly above the barrel. You need to think of a different sight picture other than what you would hold for a rifle.
We just have a little snow and cold here in St. Louis. I do want to get out and make some smoke.
We just have a little snow and cold here in St. Louis. I do want to get out and make some smoke.
After a few dozen shots I often flip my flint. The reprinted bevel is pointed in a different position.
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2011
- Messages
- 8,777
- Reaction score
- 3,768
Yes,that is true because as the front fractures back the contact edge is actually changing it's impact point on the frizzen by the amount it is raised or lowered by the flake removal. Again that is where pressure flaking has a distinct advantage as you can raise or lower the platform edges by the direction of flaking and still make a rather level row of serrations across the new edge.
A ground level edge is not a strong edge as it crushes from impact rather than releasing a flake and producing a ridged scar which strengthens an edge while still leaving a sharp cutting surface. A serrated edge is less likely to cut a groove in the frizzen face as it is never completely even and flat to the frizzen face it is shearing steel from. This continual change of impact point on the frizzen face extends both the life of the flint as well as the frizzen.
Last edited:
IONBuckaroo
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2012
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 0
What the OP wants is a recommendation for the best flint position.
Since the best flint position may be different for different guns, I like to use a leather wrap and maybe a leather lace or match stick to raise the rear of the (bevel up) flint to adjust for more scraping of the frozen than bashing. The flint should scrape the face of the frozen and the frizzen should remain open on firing. Many threads have been written on this Forum on the balancing of the frozen spring and the polishing of the toe of the frozen as well as the position of the toe on the spring and where the frizzen opens.
The OP needs a good leather (I won't suggest lead since I don't know what lock he has) wrap that is thick and supple. I do cut a notch in the bend so the flint can be moved to the back of the jaws. A small piece of leather thong and a small wooden or larger kitchen sized matchstick should be at hand to get to a striking angle of about 60°. Obviously a sharp flint with an edge the width of the frizzen and held in the jaws so that thw flint doesn't strike the barrel. If a lot of sparks get directed into the pan and the frizzen is resting in the open position, then the best position for the flint has been achieved.
Since the best flint position may be different for different guns, I like to use a leather wrap and maybe a leather lace or match stick to raise the rear of the (bevel up) flint to adjust for more scraping of the frozen than bashing. The flint should scrape the face of the frozen and the frizzen should remain open on firing. Many threads have been written on this Forum on the balancing of the frozen spring and the polishing of the toe of the frozen as well as the position of the toe on the spring and where the frizzen opens.
The OP needs a good leather (I won't suggest lead since I don't know what lock he has) wrap that is thick and supple. I do cut a notch in the bend so the flint can be moved to the back of the jaws. A small piece of leather thong and a small wooden or larger kitchen sized matchstick should be at hand to get to a striking angle of about 60°. Obviously a sharp flint with an edge the width of the frizzen and held in the jaws so that thw flint doesn't strike the barrel. If a lot of sparks get directed into the pan and the frizzen is resting in the open position, then the best position for the flint has been achieved.
