Flint leather or lead

[FishDFly]

"I don't think back in days of old that they would cut up there belt for a flint holder??"

Why would they cut up a leather belt for a flint holder?? Seems they would have plenty of leather left over from critters killed or butchered for food or possibly worn out leather clothes.

 

[springfield art]

Where do y'all purchase the leather or lead that goes around the flint in the lock jaws. I have been through the TOW catalog and can not find it anywhere?
Any help on sources will be appreciated

Any craft store sells leather sheets for crafts. Michael's craft stores, etc. (A.C Moore is going out of business.) You can hammer out sheets of lead from any cast ball with a heavy hammer; beat into a sheet and trim to size with a snipper. It's soft! Some guys say using the leather is easier on the locks as it transmits less 'stress' than lead, but that's probably not a big issue for most. Any old leather scraps from shoes, belts, etc.

 

[Stumpkiller]

This one's been around many times. Some years back I contacted Jim Chambers and his recommendation was to avoid lead and use leather.

If your lock isn't performing at its best with leather you best find out the problem rather than hit it harder.

 

[FishDFly]

"If your lock isn't performing at its best with leather you best find out the problem rather than hit it harder."

The best advice a person can receive.

 

[FishDFly]

Started thinking, it's 1860 and a fellow is sitting on a log, his flint is loose in the jaws, the jaws will not close any more, it is 50 miles home. He is low on food, lead and leather, has plenty of powder.

Does he reach for a lead ball to smash to hold the flint or reach for a piece of leather clothing to go in the jaws on the lock

Guess call the .www on how to get home right?

 

[Barrie Dale]

My shooting team at my club usually do a cooking day with lead pots to create their own round Balls. Usually a years shooting supply at a time. Neat to see them being made by hand with old dies.

 

[Tom Compton]

Leather.

 

[Ames]

Leather. From last years deer.
And that fellow from the 1860's with the jaws that wont tighten any more should double the leather over and tighten the jaws with the back of his knife.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Toot,
If you decide to try belt leather for a flint pad in your rifle lock, I'd really like to hear about it. It's `way too dang thick for that. A scrap of buckskin works fine, though --- something that gets trimmed off when you're making something else and (Like most of us) gets flung into a "Someday" box instead of thrown out. A Someday box is where you keep odds and ends you may need for something someday. My wife has one in the kitchen, only it's a drawer and she doesn't call it that.
And 1911Tex has a good idea, unless you already have a bucket half full of those sheet lead roof chimneys from when the roof got re-shingled after a hailstorm. Turns out some roofers throw the old ones away, and some of `em sell them for scrap.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Started thinking, it's 1860 and a fellow is sitting on a log, his flint is loose in the jaws, the jaws will not close any more, it is 50 miles home. He is low on food, lead and leather, has plenty of powder.

Does he reach for a lead ball to smash to hold the flint or reach for a piece of leather clothing to go in the jaws on the lock

Guess call the .www on how to get home right?

In 1860 he would likely have percussion caps. In which case he would have more problems than a loose flint if he was out of caps. He would have to decide whether he should cut off a small strip of leather from his moccasin or start walking home. There a number of accounts of travelers with a water soaked non firing gun who had to go several days before they got to a [lace where there were the tools to pull the ball and restore the gun to firing condition

 

[Brokennock]

Started thinking, it's 1860 and a fellow is sitting on a log, his flint is loose in the jaws, the jaws will not close any more, it is 50 miles home. He is low on food, lead and leather, has plenty of powder.

Does he reach for a lead ball to smash to hold the flint or reach for a piece of leather clothing to go in the jaws on the lock

If I'm low on lead too, I will cut leather from something, maybe my shooting bag, maybe deerskin leggings if I'm wearing them instead of wool. (I wonder how heavily felted wool would work for a shot or two in a pinch), something. I would not sacrifice a potentially life savingly lethal projectile for the task.

 

[toot]

Tanglefoot, rite you are. belt leather is indeed too thick to double up for a flint holder. if it is used it has to be skived.

 

[toot]

also I have found out that if lead is used after a time it will become work hardened as brass does when bent repeatedly, and the lead will be very bretial and fall out into two pieces when you adjust your flint. any one experience this.

 

[Tanglefoot]

Yep. Personally, I have both in my possibles sack. Got a little flint wallet in there with 3-4 spare flints, a couple buckskin flint pads, a couple pieces of thin sheet lead. There's also a little tin box with a patch worm, a bullet puller that fits my ramrod, a spare cleaning jag, a couple needles stuck in a bit of cork, and some sinew for emergency repairs. There's a turnscrew in the pouch, but it's got it's own pocket.

 

[olskool]

for lead I have 2 vintage shower bottoms 3ftx 5ft that came from old, old houses. it is already thin enough and soft and works perfect when cut to fit.

 

[MSW]

I took a .50 caliber roundball and squished it with my vise. trim as needed … This works well for me. you might need to 'tinker' with how flat you squish the round ball, or whatever material you use... by the way, don't assume that the flashing material you find at Home Despot is OK to melt and cast as round ball … it's probably OK for flint wrap (I haven't tried it, so I can't say for certain) but I think it's probably too hard to make good balls.

you don't want hard balls … OK - -let's keep it "G" rated ...

by the way, I do remember reading somewhere that some lock makers will not honor warranty if they find you using lead flint wrap... I am given to understand that they believe that the extra weight of the lead overstresses the cock and damages the lock. out of curiosity, I weighted a bunch of my flints, my flint leather wraps and my lead wraps … can't find where I put the data, but I do remember being surprised that the weight of a light flint and a lead wrap was not a great deal more than that of a bigger heavier flint and a leather wrap - you might want to check this out if you own a good scale.

now, go wrap up your flint, tighten you cock jaws, load up that rifle and


Make Good Smoke

 

[Blogman]

I weighted a bunch of my flints, my flint leather wraps and my lead wraps … can't find where I put the data, but I do remember being surprised that the weight of a light flint and a lead wrap was not a great deal more than that of a bigger heavier flint and a leather wrap - you might want to check this out if you own a good scale.

Ditto, did the same when this thread started. Bout the same as a red or black hair width.

 

[springfield art]

Ditto, did the same when this thread started. Bout the same as a red or black hair width.

It might not be so much the weight, as the transmission of the 'shock'...either way, the smart money says to use leather. Clever observation, though!

 

[springfield art]

Ditto, did the same when this thread started. Bout the same as a red or black hair width.

I've always liked red-head women!

 

[Blogman]

I've always liked red-head women!

I am a red-head...
Me ex-wife is a red-head...
We have a daughter that is a red-head (snowballs chance, ya know)...

*now realize why I had a stroke at 50, beard is totally white and jumpy at times*

Oh hell yes, I love red-headed gals, for real.