Newbie seeks advice

[TheSquire]

At the risk of drowning in a sea of replies...I have a very nice TC .50 cal Hawken flintlock, double set triggers, nice brasswork etc. Lovely heavy barrel, nice looking piece, but I find it difficult to get consistent ignition from the flint, it's very unreliable.
So my question is, what do I look for in a good flint? How do I know its set up right?

 

[Ranger1759]

I would check into re-hardening the frizzen...might not be a flint problem at all...

Ranger

 

[David W.]

At the risk of drowning in a sea of replies...I have a very nice TC .50 cal Hawken flintlock, double set triggers, nice brasswork etc. Lovely heavy barrel, nice looking piece, but I find it difficult to get consistent ignition from the flint, it's very unreliable.
So my question is, what do I look for in a good flint? How do I know its set up right?

Welcome to our forum!

Are you using English hand knapped flints, or the commercial cut one's? Sounds like a silly question, being from the correct side of the big pond. You should be using the Fulmers flints.

The flint should strike about 2/3 of the frizzen surface. Whether the bevel is up or down does not matter as much. The flint should be "almost" touching the frizzen.

 

[TheSquire]

re-hardening the frizzen?

That sounds difficult ...

 

[TheSquire]

I'm using the ones I have got. From your post I assume they are commercial cut ones. I am a total novice here, what do you mean by Fulmer's flints? Is that a place or a supplier?
(Please excuse my lack of knowledge, as I said I am a total novice)

 

[David W.]

I'm using the ones I have got. From your post I assume they are commercial cut ones. I am a total novice here, what do you mean by Fulmer's flints? Is that a place or a supplier?
(Please excuse my lack of knowledge, as I said I am a total novice)

Excuse me, I meant Tom Fuller. Commercial flints are cut on a saw and are flat top and bottom with straight beveled edged. These usually do not throw good sparks. Hand knapped flints are much better. I do not know how to direct you to the Fuller flints, I only know how to order them from places like Track of the Wolf, here in the US.

 

[TheSquire]

Thanks for that, very helpful. I can hopefully look for hand knapped flints over here.
From bitter experience US gunshops / dealers rarely want to send anything to the UK. Most don't even respond to email, but that may just be their level of customer service.....UK dealers can be just as bad!

 

[David W.]

From bitter experience US gunshops / dealers rarely want to send anything to the UK.

With all due respect, it may be in part to UK gun laws.

I heard Tom Fuller retired. If you find a cache, I would suggest buying several. You can also check to see if you can finf French amber flints. However, they are not as good as the English black flint. On one other note, we have a very good flint knapper here by the name of Rich Peirce. His flints are reasonably priced, but I do not know how much shipping to the UK. He is a member of our forum. He is recovering from a broken shoulder, but should be back in business soon.

You also need to see what width you need for your rifle. Measure the width of the frizzen at its widest point. I'm going to guess it will be 5/8", but I'm not going to swear to it.

 

[Pete44ru]

While I'm no kind of expert, in a 50cal, I would recommend using either FFg or FFFg loose blackpowder - in case you're using something else that's leading to spotty ignition.

I use FFFg, with a little bit of the same in the pan - since I've chosen not to carry around two different grades of powder (coarser for the main charge, finer for the prime).

If your flint is dropping any sparks at all, the pan charge should ignite the main charge, provided that the vent hole isn't covered with the priming charge - IOW, don't fill the entire pan with the prime, half should be enough.

Until you get things sorted out, I would also recommend a vent pick, used between shots to clear the spark channel.

 

[David W.]

While I'm no kind of expert, in a 50cal, I would recommend using either FFg or FFFg loose blackpowder - in case you're using something else that's leading to spotty ignition.

I use FFFg, with a little bit of the same in the pan - since I've chosen not to carry around two different grades of powder (coarser for the main charge, finer for the prime).

If your flint is dropping any sparks at all, the pan charge should ignite the main charge, provided that the vent hole isn't covered with the priming charge - IOW, don't fill the entire pan with the prime, half should be enough.

Until you get things sorted out, I would also recommend a vent pick, used between shots to clear the spark channel.

Good advise. I failed to ask what you are using for powder.

 

[TheSquire]

From bitter experience US gunshops / dealers rarely want to send anything to the UK.

With all due respect, it may be in part to UK gun laws.

Yes I think you are probably right, I just get frustrated with no reply at all...

I will try to get some black flint once I know exactly what size I need and fit it in the manner you suggest. I use medium powder as the main charge and fine in the pan, I am not sure how that equates to the F grading system. When I get a good spark it ignites its the lack of spark that is frustrating as I really like the rifle and want it to be as good as you guys make it sound!!!!

 

[David W.]

Hang in there! Shooting a flintlock requires a learning curve. That's why we like them, the extra challenge, you know.

 

[Dphar]

From bitter experience US gunshops / dealers rarely want to send anything to the UK.

With all due respect, it may be in part to UK gun laws.

Yes I think you are probably right, I just get frustrated with no reply at all...

I will try to get some black flint once I know exactly what size I need and fit it in the manner you suggest. I use medium powder as the main charge and fine in the pan, I am not sure how that equates to the F grading system. When I get a good spark it ignites its the lack of spark that is frustrating as I really like the rifle and want it to be as good as you guys make it sound!!!!

Try heating the frizzen in an oven preheated to 375F checked with at least one oven thermometer, for 1 hour then allow to cool in the oven. Degrease and suspend from one of the upper racks. This will often improve spark if the frizzen is too hard.
Too hard will result in the flint not tearing metal from the frizzen properly. DO NOT OVER HEAT.
much over 380 F and the frizzen may get too soft.

Dan

 

[TheSquire]

Hang in there! Shooting a flintlock requires a learning curve. That's why we like them, the extra challenge, you know.

I'll get there in the end! :thumbsup:

 

[Many Klatch]

Tom Fuller was the main source for English Flints that we buy on this side of the pond. He retired but his business is being carried on by his assistant. I found this link to another English flintknapper after a brief Google of Tom Fuller's name. http://www.beyond2000bc.co.uk/gunflints.html you might try contacting him. The sawn flints that Thompson Center sells are barely functional.

Many Klatch

 

[Stophel]

Shipping anything to the UK is a hassle. It's expensive, and there's lots of paperwork to fool with (they have import tariffs, so a value must be declared and the recipient must pay a tax).

 

[tg]

I think that with just a bit of local research you could find some nice chunks of flint in your back yard and knock off some spalls yourself and do fine, you can often get three sides per piece, I ythink yopy can find some method references on-line or buy some how to literature pretty reasonable, there are all sorts of guys here who would give their firts born for a barrel of nice English flint nodules, the shipping is just real prohibitive from there to here for unfinished raw material.I would look into the hardness of your frizzen also, with the proper metalurgy and geometry even so-so flints can toss a fair spark,Good luck with your quest and enjoy the journey.

 

[ebiggs1]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
First don't do anything to the frizzen. Leave it as is for now.

This is a good startign place for your real flint.

This where it should end up.

This is ffffg prime in the pan.

This is a picture of two locks. Do you notice the difference in the hammer cocks from the top to bottom? The top is a new style lock and the bottom is an old style lock. The old style lock works OK but not as well as the new one does.

I like:
70 grs of fffg GOEX in the main load.
ffff GOEX as a prime.
490 Hornady round ball
.018 pillow tickig patcg with Bore Butter lube.

I am assuming you are using real black powder? Get some real flints and it will shoot every time.

 

[sc45-70]

Is your flint sharp!
Drag it across your thumb nail and see if it will shave some nail. Be careful not to cut yourself!
The sharper the flint the better it will spark!

 

[MikeChapin]

You have been given good advice. The only thing I would add is to check the hammer on your lock. The older style hammers did not function as well as the newer ones do. In ebiggs message he had a series of photos. The last photo has a picture of an older style hammer. The one above it has the newer style.

I know several people who sent their lock to T/C and had the newer hammers installed for free. You might check with T/C first to see if the new owners will do this.