How many shots to a flint?

[m-g willy]

Another couple of questions.
I noticed that some locks are harder on flints than others.
So what make of lock do you have and how many shots do you get with what kind of flint before you have to touch up the edge?

 

[Trench]

This question has been asked before, and it looks like you can get anywhere from 1 to 100 shots per flint. :grin:

Seriously, it's all dependant on the hardness of the individual flint, mainspring strength, frizzen spring strength, how well the flint is placed in the jaws, and striking angle.

I've been lightening my frizzen springs to extend flint life. I'm probably averaging around 35 shots per flint. I'd say I'm knapping around 20 shots right now. A lot of members report getting at least 50 shots in their situations and sometimes more.

I'm using a Large Siler and a Pedersoli Frontier Rifle lock.

 

[paulvallandigham]

With a well tuned lock, and an English flint, you should be able to get 80-120 shots per flint. You do have to adjust the flint forward in the jaws about every 25-30 shots, and wedge the flint forward in the cock with a twig of the appropriate size, but doing that should give you extended life on the flint, provided that lock is tuned correctly.

That means a Mainspring with about 10-15 lbs. of tension on it at full cock; and a frizzen that pops open with no more than 3 lbs. of pressure to the top of the frizzen. And, your flint needs to strike the face of the frizzen about 60-66 % of the distance up from the bottom of the frizzen when its closed, and at a 60 Degree angle of Impact. Setting the lock with those angles and characteristics will allow the flint to knapp off a bit of the edge with each strike against the frizzen, giving you a new EDGE each time you pull the trigger.

 

[m-g willy]

Thanks for the replies.
I never gave any thought to frizzen spring pressure.
It looks like I will be slimming down my spring a bit.

 

[jbtusa]

With a 25 year old L & R lock, I get between 50-100 shots per flint as a routine. The frizzen is just fine still.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

After about 2000 shots with the 45 cal Frontier rifle, I average about 65 shots per flint ... there are sometimes beter (up to 120 shots) and somethimes bad flints (les than 10 shots) ....

 

[ebiggs1]

Without going to all the trouble of messing with your lock, I have noticed all flints are not created equal. I probably never get less than 20 and I have got 90+ shots from the same untoched lock. It helps to find flints that don't have big iregularities in them, such as big bumps. It makes it harder to hold the flint in the jaws. I also don't think flints need to be as sharp as some folks do. They can't be blunt but you don't need to be able to shave with one either. The main thing is use real flints, they are much eaiser.

 

[matt denison]

M-G,

What lock is on your gun, how many shots are YOU getting from a flint and why do you feel that you must slim down your frizzen spring?

If your lock is sparking good, and it is reliable and you are getting reasonable flint life then don't fool with it. Spring balance is critical to having a lock that is reliable. A weak frizzen spring can cause problems.

1. fewer sparks 'cause the frizzen slaps over before the flint finishes its scrape down the frizzen

2. rebounding, which is one of the most frustrating problems to correct. A rebounding frizzen will smash more flints than you will ever save by lightening the frizzen spring. Be careful. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Flints are cheap compared to paying a smith to correct a problem or buying a replacement frizzen spring. Buy lots of them, carry a few in your bag.

:v

Mr. L. Dog

 

[paulvallandigham]

Rebounding frizzens are rarely the problem people make them out to be. For Flintlock Target shooters who shoot off a bench rest, the Frizzen Spring is removed entirely! Instead, they put a small leather washer between the frizzen and the barrel, using a hole through the leather to fit the screw/pin that is the pivot for the frizzen.

Also, you can either heat up and bend up the TOE of the frizzen, or simply take a file to the underside of that toe, to remove metal, so that the entire frizzen flips OPEN FURTHER when the gun is fired. The Toe is basically a Decoration, serving only as a "stop" for the frizzen when its opened. There is a LOT of metal on those frizzen toes. Removing 2/3 of the thickness of the toe to allow the frizzen to open further, and therefore tip the weight of the frizzen further forward, is NOT going to hurt the function of the frizzen at all.

The Frizzen should move freely on its pivot, but you don't need or want "slop"- sideplay-- or "rattle"( too large a hole in the frizzen for the size of the screw shaft or pin on which it pivots). If any of those conditions exist, address them individually. Don't allow that frizzen spring to put resistance against that frizzen cam in the MISTAKEN belief that this cures everything!

Unless your angle of impact, and height of impact are correct, changing the weight of tension on the frizzen is not going to be much help. It helps some, to be sure, but you still will be eating flints if the geometry of the lock is wrong. If you have any questions on how to do this tuning, send me a PT and I will help you through it. :thumbsup:

 

[m-g willy]

Thanks for all the input!
My lock is the Traditions PA. rifle.
I get around 15 on a good day before having to knapp the flint.
Sometimes only 2-3 before the edge is completly gone!

 

[tg]

"I get around 15 on a good day before having to knapp the flint.
Sometimes only 2-3 before the edge is completly gone!"

You need some serious lock work IMHO, or you have Obsidian instead of flint.Things should be much better than you indicate.



I have not really counted in the last few years but I guess it would be 20-30 shots till knao time then at least that many more, another knap and a few more shots, the Chambers lock gets a few more than the Davis lock but the Davis does very well, I had a friend who is very good with locks tune it for me as I make no claims to be the "complete" gunsmith, more of a novice gunstocker.

 

[ebiggs1]

Go to the Forum "Shooting Accessories" and see my thread "Flat flints at last". This was a problem and it will reduce your flint life if you don't keep your flint stationary in the jaws.
EB

 

[silent sniper]

my davis lock has been shot almost 200 times sense i got it and right now im only on my 2nd flint. my lock is tuned and it does very well.