How many shots can you get-When you have a GREAT flint ?

[Grenadier1758]

I was at a shoot one day I was trying to beat on this Flint to get a new edge on it.
Fellow shooter and a friend who was a machinist comes up to me and hands me this little tool.
One edge just little chips, big edge big chips. Just set it right down the edge, tap it easy & it will flake right off.
View attachment 110582
Stainless steel

I call a similar tool a knapping awl. Mine is made from a 16 penny nail. The steel in the nail is soft and doesn't draw sparks. The knapping awl can be made from a brass rod and is equally effective. A knapping awl is really good for when you are knapping the flint while held in the jaws of the hammer.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I have never counted the shots from a flint. I've had flints that shattered on the first shot and I've had flints that were still going strong after a 3 day shoot. you just never know what is going to happen.

 

[bldtrailer]

I use a pressure flaker to put the edge back (home made from copper and antler.) When needed In the jaws a brass "nail" with a step down tapped with my short starter, also home made (drill press&file) and now make my own flints from goerge town flint never counted the shots ,but seems to out last english/french store bought

 

[tdoyka]

years ago, i had a german agate flint that just luvs to make sparks. i'd guess that it would go 200 times and up? i had to replace the frizzen because the agate was too hard.

 

[hanshi]

When I knapp in the jaws I always hold the cock back out of battery with the middle finger while holding the index finger just under the flint edge. That way there's no chance of any damage whatsoever.

 

[Lonewalker]

GREAT THREAD !!
I seem I'm average around 50ish, my nap skills are not as they should be.
I did have one sawn factory flint go over 100 at some point though.

 

[#blackpowderbill]

How about the inside of the lock plate. Slick as glass ,looks like polished chrome or do you prefer a cross hatch, jeweled?

I prefer a cross hatch or jeweled to hold the lube in place.
When I get a lock that has a slick plate it gets a light rub with light wet dry paper.

Since it gets so hot here in GA I'll put a few drops of chainsaw bar oil on.

Prior to retirement I had access to a vendor that mixed lubricants for equipment. Had access to a lab for testing also to make sure what was in the oils was what we got.

 

[DuncNZ]

The old commercial flint knappers didn't use pressure to set the face off a gunflint , they used percussion in the form of a hammer with a thin carefully tempered head about 1" wide made from a 9" flat file drawn out , the hammer face used to wear out in the middle and had to be filed,, usually in two weeks to keep it square . A good worker could make about 8 gun flints a minute and keep it up for hours .

I was at a shoot one day I was trying to beat on this Flint to get a new edge on it.
Fellow shooter and a friend who was a machinist comes up to me and hands me this little tool.
One edge just little chips, big edge big chips. Just set it right down the edge, tap it easy & it will flake right off.
View attachment 110582
Stainless steel

This is especially important when one is in a timed shoot .

 

[DuncNZ]

Shooting for money are you mate?

I used to , I put myself through University and purchased my first car shooting red deer and hares for money . I have shot rabbits professionally , farm animals to post mortem, I used to cover my clay target expenses winning sweep money ,and the last job I had before I retired was shooting pest birds in a 700 acre vineyard , average of 250 shot shells per day 7 days a week 12 hours a day for 70 days a year . What all that adds up to is a Titanium right shoulder .

 

[DuncNZ]

I use a pressure flaker to put the edge back (home made from copper and antler.) When needed In the jaws a brass "nail" with a step down tapped with my short starter, also home made (drill press&file) and now make my own flints from goerge town flint never counted the shots ,but seems to out last english/french store boughtView attachment 110628View attachment 110629View attachment 110630View attachment 110631View attachment 110633

The Lyman gunsmiths hammer has a brass punch inside the shaft , all you need to do is file a notch in one end

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Anywhere from 15 to 25 shots depending on gun. I did get 70+ shots from an English flint in Pennsylvania back in October using it on a Lymans GPR.

 

[johnfrommd]

IMHO, three of the most important issues with a flintlock are the mainspring pressure, frizzen spring pressure and frizzen temper. It takes time using and tuning a flintlock to get all three in perfect sync but, when you do, you have a gun that fires the same way every time. Sparks are hotter and flints last longer on well tuned locks.

 

[DuncNZ]

IMHO, three of the most important issues with a flintlock are the mainspring pressure, frizzen spring pressure and frizzen temper. It takes time using and tuning a flintlock to get all three in perfect sync but, when you do, you have a gun that fires the same way every time. Sparks are hotter and flints last longer on well tuned locks.

Frizzen face angle is also important , as is flint angle and where it hits the frizzen

 

[Coinneach]

Probably more the case of a great lock, Who made it?

Sadly I have to admit that I'm a tinkerer, when I get a new FL its my obsession to strip the Lock down and tune it up, all wearing surfaces are polished to almost mirror finish, then oiled.
I never pare down the main spring, instead I weaken it in stages leaving it compressed in the removed Lock on full cock over night, then uncocking it every morning and re-cocking it every night until I can test it with a wooden "flint".
My test MO is simple, the cocked hammer kicks the Frizzen open fast, fully and effectively sans a "violent" strike.
Once I'm happy with the final outcome I find theres no problem with ignition or prematurely worn out Flints.
Sure it takes patience and time, but thats what ML is all about; for whenever we choose its back to a far different value of "time" itself.

 

[Coinneach]

There are three things any man will exaggerate.
How many girls he can get, how much money he makes, and how many shots he can get out of one flint.

And there are two things a good Man should never reveal, the Women he's enjoyed Loving, and the Men he's bested.

 

[Coinneach]

The term' skinflint 'derives from you fellows . There was a parralel term "Not worth a gun flint "& I believe' Tinhorn' refers to some City shooters metal powder Flask rather than the Rustics Cow horn flask .Iv'e never known anyone get such shooting from one flint . & Iv.e been around flintlocks a long time . Rudyard

I tend to agree

 

[Coinneach]

The term' skinflint 'derives from you fellows . There was a parralel term "Not worth a gun flint "& I believe' Tinhorn' refers to some City shooters metal powder Flask rather than the Rustics Cow horn flask .Iv'e never known anyone get such shooting from one flint . & Iv.e been around flintlocks a long time . Rudyard

Yep I'm thinking that some of the fellas here have started their Christmas drinking a tad early !

 

[M. De Land]

Probably more the case of a great lock, Who made it?

Great point!

 

[M. De Land]

View attachment 110215

As of Dec. 20,2021 I am creeping up on 200 shots. However the flint is getting to short to hit the frizzen consistently. So a chunk of wood will be placed behind it to see if it will go over 200 shots.

Do you pressure flake the edge or use one of the percussion devices ?

 

[Pete G]

Good flint + good lock = 100+