Flintlocks with Matches

[Dale Allen Raby]

Not sure I have the right classification here, but has anyone ever tried clamping a strike anywhere wooden match into a flintlock cock for use in lieu of a flint? Aside from an excessive hang time, I can see no real reason it could not be made to work.

 

[R Ellis]

AS always let us know how it works

 

[ord sgt]

I imagine the cock striking the battery would shatter the match tip, along with the wood under the tip. The mainspring drives the cock quite fast and with force.
But do keep us undated

 

[TobJohn]

Flintlock and matchlock muzzle-loading combination musket - Probably by George Fisher the Elder Fitted with Vauban style double lock. - Royal Armouries collections

There were several decades where the two systems were combined on one gun, which would put the practicality in question.

 

[Billy-by-gosh]

Tried strike anywhere matches many years back. The mainspring was too powerful, and the matchhead failed to ignite when it struck the steel frizzen on my Siler lock. Oh yes, a single matchstick was definitely too wimpy to withstand the impact, so we tried Elmer's glue to create several small bundles of matches and finally did get one bundle to work! LOL - must have been in the late 70s to early 80s when that took place. Fun stuff, but we gave up on it after that.
H-m-m-m, let's see - it might be possible to use some sturdy Matchlock cord to experiment in the jaws of a flinter - but you'd need to manually open the pan for the lit cord to work...anybody tried it ?? (I suspect the springs will still prove to be too powerful to for the cord to survive the impact with the pan, but...)

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Tried strike anywhere matches many years back. The mainspring was too powerful, and the matchhead failed to ignite when it struck the steel frizzen on my Siler lock. Oh yes, a single matchstick was definitely too wimpy to withstand the impact, so we tried Elmer's glue to create several small bundles of matches and finally did get one bundle to work! LOL - must have been in the late 70s to early 80s when that took place. Fun stuff, but we gave up on it after that.
H-m-m-m, let's see - it might be possible to use some sturdy Matchlock cord to experiment in the jaws of a flinter - but you'd need to manually open the pan for the lit cord to work...anybody tried it ?? (I suspect the springs will still prove to be too powerful to for the cord to survive the impact with the pan, but...)

Interesting idea.

 

[sgtsquid]

It's been done.

Slingshot Channel Matchlock

 

[Pukka Bundook]

The cock needs resistance of the flint against steel otherwise you will likely bugger up the cock or steel.(frizzen these days)

 

[Uncle Miltie]

In the old days the heads of lucifers were sometimes used on percussion guns. Tried it, works sometimes....

 

[RAEDWALD]

In the old days the heads of lucifers were sometimes used on percussion guns. Tried it, works sometimes....

The ‘Khyber’ copies of 0,303” Martinis, Lee Metfords and Lee Enfields were sometimes loaded with reused British 0,303” cartridges. With the primers reused with red match head materials and ground glass. The powder being finely chopped nitrate film stock and the bullets also used and filed smooth and popped back on top. So matches can work. However, I do not recommend one tries the process of the rest of the home recycled 0,303” Afridi reloading.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Best way might be to just touch a lit match to an open, primed pan...

 

[Phil Coffins]

I saw a re-enactor with matches in his 1803 once got to talking with him without touching on his matches. Found out he had never fired a live round and was all about the uniform and such. Nice enough guy but not a muzzleloader.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Best way might be to just touch a lit match to an open, primed pan...

Seen a fellow use a cigarette that way, the wound wasn’t too bad.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Best way might be to just touch a lit match to an open, primed pan...

Touched off a line of powder that way once. Just once. It was starting to get dark and I had my hand too far over the line of powder. Got a nasty flash burn. Cop drove up just in time to see the line of fire burn out and me hopping up and down, swinging my arm and using adult language. My co-worker at once made a hasty retreat, which made the cop think something shady was going on. I explained that we were disposing of some powder that we were not sure off.

Nobody got arrested and my blisters healed eventually. I try to avoid getting my hands near any powder that is about to get lit off these days.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Raedwald/John,
Trouble with these Afridi loads, was they ate everything. I have had a few blocks and chambers completely eaten up on these old Martinis out the northern sandbox.
Had to grind off where the face of the block should have been, and attach a new hardened face. Those matches and stuff were terribly corrosive!