Issue with a flying flint

dave_person said:

Hi,
My first guess without a photo of the lock is that your flint is too big. How long and wide is the flint you are using and what is the model L&R lock?

dave

Click to expand...

That was my guess also.

Years ago, I had the same problem @dave_person mentioned above. My flint didn't fall out, but it did end up at odd angles after shots.

The top one is the one that I have that issue with. The flint fits fine, and I tighten it down as much as I can. I even had someone else tighten it down, and the flint still flew out. You can see how thick the leather is here, and it has a hole cut into the back. There is still plenty of room for a fatter piece if needed. I am going to see about
the top of it, I haven't had the time to check it. I do have more that I can use, but I would like to be able to stop this issue before I lose them all....

Ok this might sound wrong but your leather is to thick, pushing the flint forward try a thin leather and if need be chip the back of the flint so it sits in the middle of the jaws

Or you can shim like this or with a match stick

Thanks!!

I think Trailer nailed it. Leather way to thick. Also, please get another flint that doesn't have so much of a hump on the top/middle.

All good advice so far. Avoid lead in the cock jaws as it will be even more slippery. I'll offer this; make sure the flint is pushed back into the jaws/screw as far as possible. you may even have to use a dab of rubber cement on the top & bottom of the flint.

I would also take a second look at the jaw screw to be sure it is not bottoming out in the lock. The thick leather and the peak on the flint are moving the flint too far forward so the jaws are not holding your flint properly. You need the flat top flints and slightly thinner leather.

When you order flints, be sure to ask for flints that are flat both sides.

I was having trouble getting my flint at the right angle to hit the frizzen. They were eating up my frizzen and wouldn't last long at all. I took a Dremel with a small diamond drum shaped bit and spent about 3 minutes per flint and flattened the tops and kind of included the right angle into the top. Getting better spark and less edge smashing now. They are easy on my frizzen face also. Those cheap diamond bits from Banggood makes short work with flints.

Your flint appears to have a "hump" on its topside?

tdudley said:

The top one is the one that I have that issue with. The flint fits fine, and I tighten it down as much as I can. I even had someone else tighten it down, and the flint still flew out. You can see how thick the leather is here, and it has a hole cut into the back. There is still plenty of room for a fatter piece if needed. I am going to see about
the top of it, I haven't had the time to check it. I do have more that I can use, but I would like to be able to stop this issue before I lose them all....
View attachment 17244

Click to expand...

Flatter flint (less hump) and thinner leather. Here are photos of a L&R lock with two different leather thickness hold the same piece of flint (a no hump flint).

I've always used very thin leather, and have never had trouble with slipping flints...not even the humpty-dumpty ones.

Yup, leather is too thick, especially for the hump on that flint, driving the flint so far forward the jaws can't get a grip on the very top of the flint. The jaws are almost pushing the flint out of the leather, like pinching a wet watermelon seed so it "squirts," out of your fingers.
File, with a diamond file or diamond sharpening stone, or diamond dremel drum, and create a flat top on the flint. A thinner, spongier leather will be good to. I even have good luck with scraps of the crappy Tandy "buckskin tan" leather. I could even send you a little if you p.m. me.

Send her a flint too.

Good leather to use for your flints is to cut the tongues out of your old work boots when you have plum worem out. And your old worn out leather gloves cut the fingers out ofem and use them fur a frizzen stall. Just simply attach a leather shoe string toem and tie it off on the trigger guard somewheres out of the way and there ya go. And sometimes ya have a short flint and need to put a twig, match stick, somthin behind it and against the cock screw to help hold the flint secure. One other thing I like to do is to file me some grooves in the jaws of my cock ,this helps the jaws grip the leather more secure which will also helps hold your flint.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Good day, Gordy

One thing I recently purchased is theses suckers and I love them so far....Bought them off off of eBay and yeah I know they made in China, but just wanted to try them and see how they worked and they were like 11 bucks and free shippin.
Item #280741885070 diamond files. They are the perfect size and you can really sharpen your flints fast with them. They various grits, I have found the 150 and the 240 to be my best likin. I have brought many of my worn out flints back to live. I kept track of one the flints I was filing, I had right at 200 shots before I could no longer use it. Trust me these are a good investment. Really nice to be able to sharpen your flint when you are at a match rather than replacing it.
Good day, Gordy

Rudyard said:

Robert the Bruce & the spider .' If at first you don't succeed try try again '. Stay with leather I wouldn't use lead in any small lock . I wish you every success . Regards Rudyard

Click to expand...

Interesting how different folks feel about lead flint wraps. Personally I use leather strips cut from an old belt.
However, the brand spanking new right out of the box Pedersoli Frontier I bought a short while back came with a lead strip in the jaws, and the "manual" that came with it says to use lead to hold the flint. I didn't, I use and continue to use leather, but even some of the manufacturers recommend lead.

Griz44Mag said:

Interesting how different folks feel about lead flint wraps. Personally I use leather strips cut from an old belt.
However, the brand spanking new right out of the box Pedersoli Frontier I bought a short while back came with a lead strip in the jaws, and the "manual" that came with it says to use lead to hold the flint. I didn't, I use and continue to use leather, but even some of the manufacturers recommend lead.

Click to expand...

Cannot find the reference, but remember reading some lock manufactures voided their warranty if lead was used to hold the flint. Thought was additional weight of the lead stressed components. Not sure I buy that.

Personally, have had much better performance using leather.

Track of the Wolf has some nice flints and a guide to the correct size and shape for the L&R Lock. Stay away from cheap flints. You may also want to loosen up the tightening screw after shooting and a bit of bees wax on the threads will help keep the screw tight while shooting. Good info from readers in this post. I, too am always ready to learn and I'm pushing 70. Good shooting to all.
Bob