Less interest in my caplocks

[Eric Krewson]

I am an archery guy who gravitated to all wood bows 20 years ago and have made over 150 so far, all my bows have a personality. I owned a bunch of fiberglass laminated bows but they were more cookie cutter similar without a personality.

I found the same with my flintlocks compared to my percussion guns, the flintlocks all have an individual unique personality that draws me to them.

 

[The O'Dea]

You all are missing a very important point :cursing: Many of us on the forum are more interested in certain era. Maybe not by many of the comments that I have read. So I will speak only of my interests.My era starts in 1846, and end in the late 50's in the western part of the country (New Mexico/Arizona. I carry a flint musket and pistol,Mex war period, and end up with my M1841 'Windsor' rifle, and Colts revolving pistol. I have never carried a flint rifle of a small caliber. No good out here, won't stop a ****** off rabbit.
As a professional iterpretative historian trained by the NPS I see things more in an historical content. Enough, I hope you see where I am going with this. Way too early in the morning, and this is getting way to complicated with out my moring cup of Irish coffee/Bushmills

-The Irish Mick
(I think)
Arizona territory

 

[tenngun]

For sure you need a gun that fits your time, I’m cr 1810-20 ozarks so any precision would be to early. Just the same a dog lock or a club/ ore butt is to late. I do have a Tulle, but as I’m 60 I would have been born about 1750-60 I could have had access to one. My story is my pa took it off a Frenchy during the last war under the king. I got me a rifle gun after the revolution and this here one in Tennessee before I crossed the river.
Flint guns would have still been seen in mid 1840s in the western new Mexico territory, however caps would be the go to gun. Owning a flint at that time would have ”˜old fasion’at the very least.
As for bore size, well a .45 would be a might light for bear,and elk. With muleies I would want fifty yards or less. As for jackalopes and smaller it would put meat in the pot. However unlikely a boy beyond the pale would be to have a game and small game rifle.
I can’t think of a reasonable story that would get a large bore eastern style flintlock in to your area at your time.
To be hc a cap is your gun, but I doubt there are few places you would find where a pre hc flinter wouldn’t serve your needs.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I have never carried a flint rifle of a small caliber. No good out here, won't stop a ****** off rabbit.


-The Irish Mick
(I think)
Arizona territory

You must have some seriously insane bunnies out your way!
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/04/3c/56/043c569014bc18544f5544d55296c6bb.jpg

 

[Feltwad]

I have never carried a flint rifle of a small caliber. No good out here, won't stop a ****** off rabbit.


-The Irish Mick
(I think)
Arizona territory

You must have some seriously insane bunnies out your way!
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/04/3c/56/043c569014bc18544f5544d55296c6bb.jpg[/quote]
Well some prefer the flintlock and others the percussion lock with different opining's so lets call it a draw
:v
Feltwad

 

[tenngun]

Maybe tie, or 6 of one half a dozen it the other. We don’t want to yell ”˜Draw’ at a bunch of bewhiskered buckskin clad leather stockings , armed to the teeth :rotf:

 

[excess650]

Henry Leman had contracts (indian trade)for both percussion and flintlocks into the 1860s. Leman's "Master", Melchoir Fordney was building flintlocks up until the time of his death in 1846, so flintlocks were being produced through the precussion period and into the early cartridge period.

 

[azmntman]

...and they are still being made today! Some just likem more better.

 

[The O'Dea]

Yes,flintlocks were still being manufactured well into the cartridge era, but I do not think that you all were aware that those flintlocks were being manufactured for the African trade :rotf:
Read you African history.

-The Irish Mick
Arizona Territory

 

[The O'Dea]

addendum.
The English were great ones for keeping their native Indian troops served out with inferior weapons. Lessons learned from the Indian Mutiny of 1857.Belgum ,France, England, Germany, did the same in their territories in Africa.
So much for the idea of carrying a flintlock when you coulda carrying a Winchester :thumbsup:
Next..................

-Himself
Arizona Territory

 

[tenngun]

All the guns aboard the steamship Arabia in 1850s were percussion. There were barrels of gunflints. We know of at least one flintlock used at Gettysburg.
I think the odds of loosing all your caps vs loosing all your flints and picking up a rock off the ground are about the same as being hit with lighting while you were being attacked by a grizzly bear while being chased by HBC and Mexicans at the same time.
While cap replaced rocks quickly rocks never went completely out of style or at least out of use.

 

[Eterry]

My only observation is that posting your op on the flintlock section is like going to a Marilyn Monroe convention and saying... you know, I have less interest in redheads... :grin:

 

[Nessmuck56]

I perk coffee...shoot an English Yew Selfbow...Shave with a Straight Razor...and have not shot a cap lock in 30 years...My new addiction for the last 3 years is the Smoothy.

 

[54ball]

My only observation is that posting your op on the flintlock section is like going to a Marilyn Monroe convention and saying... you know, I have less interest in redheads... :grin:

You do know, Norma Gene was a natural red head.

 

[Tom Compton]

I perk coffee...shoot an English Yew Selfbow...Shave with a Straight Razor...and have not shot a cap lock in 30 years...My new addiction for the last 3 years is the Smoothy.

Hmmm, I don't drink coffee anymore, my self bow is hickory and I don't shave -- BUT I use a straight razor patch knife and flirting with getting a NE Trade Gun Flintlock of course. :thumbsup:

I guess that makes us cousins?

 

[Eterry]

Wow, I had no idea she was a Redhead.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Feltwad,
Nice rack of flint guns!!! I agree with you although I much prefer to shoot flint. There are good reasons why most military units and sportsmen converted to percussion within 2 decades. They were a technical improvement, particularly when they got away from drums and used breeches designed for percussion from the get go. It wasn't fashion that drove the change, it was experience, testing, and hard evidence. However, with respect to reliable and fast flint ignition, I have now shot almost 500 rounds from this rifle and have not had a single hang fire, misfire, or flash in the pan even after wearing the flints down to nubs. It never fails to shoot. It has a Chamber's round-faced English lock (1750s style) that I tuned. All of my flintlocks perform very well but not as well as this one.

dave

 

[tenngun]

The difference is we are playing with toys, they had to depend on them for life. Most of us are ”˜gun nuts’. We play with our guns, we read gun books, we look at sites like this one, we take our guns out and fiddle with them.
Many back then thought no more about their guns then their cooking pot. They didn’t fiddle with them.
For military, if a company suffered 3% misfires, vs a company armed with percussion muskets suffered a 1% misfire rate they the 1% missfired won, a good general couldn’t overlook that.
A pioneer might stick his gun under his seat and not think about it till needed. I would venture that most of us today do better with their flinters then the avarage Joe back then.
Joe Meek or Simon Kenton no doubt got rare misfires, while Bob the butcher who chased the red coats out of Massachusetts may have suffered a lot of misfires that Bill the butcher didn’t get at Northfield a century later.

 

[Pete44ru]

FWIW, both my flintlocks (A&H Mountain Rifle's) gave me virtually instantaneous ignition - MUCH faster than any caplock I've ever owned/fired. :shocked2:

My sole issue with them was their (heavy) weight - 9-1/2lbs with the issue 1"x32" .50cal barrels. :nono:

I'm no longer into Olympic-style weightlifting. :idunno:

 

[tenngun]

I made a Leman style full stock with a 2 inch 35 inch barrel in 54 cal. It had that paper thin but plate, well I exaggerate I think they are an inch and a 1/4, it weight about like an sit and kicked like a mule.. I traded it.