Correct Flint size?

[Snake Pleskin]

I just built a GPR flinter and would like to hear from those with experience, what is the proper flint size? I have been on TOW and it appears they recommend a # 5, 5/8 x 3/4? Any one else have any thoughts?

 

[BigAl52]

Mr Snake I use these and they work good for me. I do also have some agate flints that I had from the past. Currently I am using those and have had good success with them. I have shot almost a 100 rounds on one end of the first one I have used. I have the L&R lock so I cant say what life would be like on the stock lock. But as far as size goes it is the same size.

 

[Rifleman1776]

TOW knows what they are doing. Go with their recommendation. If they are wrong they will make good for you. Correct size is the width of the hammer jaws and the flint not quite touching the frizzen when at half cock. In this game, experimentation is often required. But, yours being a factory made rifle, the size needed is well known.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

TOW knows what they are doing. Go with their recommendation. If they are wrong they will make good for you. Correct size is the width of the hammer jaws and the flint not quite touching the frizzen when at half cock. In this game, experimentation is often required. But, yours being a factory made rifle, the size needed is well known.

I have measured and it is a tight fit for the recommend one. IMHO, the GPR lock on half cock does not have a lot of room fore n aft!

 

[springfield art]

I just built a GPR flinter and would like to hear from those with experience, what is the proper flint size? I have been on TOW and it appears they recommend a # 5, 5/8 x 3/4? Any one else have any thoughts?

BTW the Dixie catalog has info on proper flint sizes, and the various dealers can suggest as well.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Snake Pleskin, have you modified your leather flint wrap as @Loyalist Dave shows below?

I agree with Zonie,
The flint angle in the jaws does not look right....
View attachment 46089

First, you can correct some of the "length" of the flint by changing how you load the "leather"....

You can make a hole at the center of the wrap so that when folded in half, there is an opening, allowing the back of the flint to touch the jaw screw. This will not harm the lock.
View attachment 46092

View attachment 46094

THEN because the flints are always unique, sometimes you need to adjust them in the jaws. So what I do is put a shim under the back end of the flint. In a military musket that uses a lead wrap, I put some extra pieces of lead. In a rifle or smoothbore lock where I'm using leather, I put a piece of wood (like a small piece of a small matchstick) under the back end of the flint.

The shim with a lead wrap:

View attachment 46095

What this does is cause the front edge of the flint to "cam down" a bit. I'd suggest you try these two changes in how you load your flint into your lock.

LD

 

[deerstalkert]

SP, my GPR does well with the 5/8x3/4.

 

[TDM]

Snake, for your Investarms you need the 5/8”x3/4” TOW ENG-5. These are for smaller locks, fits Pedersoli too.

The TOW ENG-6 is 3/4”x7/8”. Fits L&Rs and the Kibler Ketland locks.

Oh and notch the back of your flint leathers like @Grenadier1758 says.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

Snake, for your Investarms you need the 5/8”x3/4” TOW ENG-5. These are for smaller locks, fits Pedersoli too.

The TOW ENG-6 is 3/4”x7/8”. Fits L&Rs and the Kibler Ketland locks.

Oh and notch the back of your flint leathers like @Grenadier1758 says.

thanks , yes I will notch the leather first and see how that works.

 

[LSB]

I absolutely hate to disagree with so many experienced flinters who have said the 5/8 inch flint is proper BUT I just built one of the new Pedersoli GPR flint rifle kits and my lock seems to need the 3/4 inch flint. I emailed Lyman while building the kit and they said use 5/8 inch flints. TOTW said 5/8 inch flints were the proper size. However they seemed too small. The 3/4 inch flints I purchased from TOTW fit and function perfectly. Again, I would take this advice with a grain of salt, but I would at least try both sizes before ordering a bunch of flints that might, or might not, be ideal. My free advice is worth what you are paying for it.

 

[TDM]

I absolutely hate to disagree with so many experienced flinters who have said the 5/8 inch flint is proper BUT I just built one of the new Pedersoli GPR flint rifle kits and my lock seems to need the 3/4 inch flint. I emailed Lyman while building the kit and they said use 5/8 inch flints. TOTW said 5/8 inch flints were the proper size. However they seemed too small. The 3/4 inch flints I purchased from TOTW fit and function perfectly. Again, I would take this advice with a grain of salt, but I would at least try both sizes before ordering a bunch of flints that might, or might not, be ideal. My free advice is worth what you are paying for it.

You are correct just like us. 3/4” is the length x 5/8” wide. That is for a Pedersoli or most any smaller rifle lock. The 7/8” long x 3/4” wide is for larger locks.

 

[hanshi]

I've used extra large flints on occasion and if I could get it to work I was satisfied. If a flint happened to be too large and I had nothing smaller I put the flint in and moved to the far side of the frizzen. It looked odd but didn't strike the barrel and that's what I was mainly concerned about. So my thinking is that if a flint works in your lock, then it sho-nuff works.