Rocks are more reliable than caps

[59sharps]

Maryanne or Ginger…

Definitely Maryanne

 

[doubleset]

This site probably contains more purist shooters than most that I look at or feel I'm a part of. With that said, I enjoy those that take life as it comes and those that don't leave room for discussion. ...

I'm totally with you on that. For me, a lot of the enjoyment is the learning and the tinkering, the diagnosing, and the improving. It's been that way with a number of things including motorcycles and musical instruments. Even if I could afford a $5,000 rifle (well, I guess I probably could ), I wouldn't buy one, because that (including the superior quality of it) wouldn't be what I enjoy. But I applaud people who can, and who enjoy it. I do seem to put a lot of money into tools and experimentation. During our motorcycle-riding years, my wife sometimes complained that I seemed to like spending a lot more time on the mechanics than on getting out on the track and riding -- whereas all she cared about was hitting the track, and everything else was in service to that.

I have my interests and my preferences, I enjoy discussing and debating alternatives, and I believe (rationally, I hope) that some things are better than others; but I don't think that people who have other interests and preferences (at least in terms of BP shooting ) are either lacking in smarts, are ignorant, or are morally defective.

 

[mmb617]

Huh, flintlock shooters start as percussion shooters first.

Have a new person start with a flintlock and they will be a babbling idiot.

Well at least now I know why I'm a babbling idiot.

A year ago I'd never shot any kind of black powder gun. I wanted to give it a try and knowing that caps were pretty much unavailable at the time I bought a flintlock as my first muzzleloader. To make matters even worse I bought a cheap one, a Traditions Deerhunter.

The short version of this story is that I now own 5 flintlocks, all cheapies, and shoot them a couple times a week as I enjoy them immensely. I can't compare them to cap guns as I've still never shot one of those.

I may well be an idiot but I try to keep the babbling to a minimum.

 

[Richard Dittman]

I see it time and again. At our monthly shoot yesterday, pretty much every cap lock shooter were having problems getting their rifles to fire, while the flintlock shooters went merrily on our way shooting targets. I've seen the same thing at shoots for years.
Why do people stick with cap locks, when flintlocks are so much more reliable?

Boy I’m not sure where you are shooting, but at our monthly shoots I see a lot more flinders having trouble igniting their load than the cap ones.

 

[Packrat]

Flintlocks have more "Romanticism" To them than the percussion. For the first time, Novice, the flash in the an is the biggest problem, for good accuracy you must develop good follow through, when the pan flashed many shooters feel the ball is on the way and follow through is not needed,
That's why you miss your shot. Practice, practice

 

[Woody Morgan]

Well at least now I know why I'm a babbling idiot.

A year ago I'd never shot any kind of black powder gun. I wanted to give it a try and knowing that caps were pretty much unavailable at the time I bought a flintlock as my first muzzleloader. To make matters even worse I bought a cheap one, a Traditions Deerhunter.

The short version of this story is that I now own 5 flintlocks, all cheapies, and shoot them a couple times a week as I enjoy them immensely. I can't compare them to cap guns as I've still never shot one of those.

I may well be an idiot but I try to keep the babbling to a minimum.

This is almost me word for word including the Deerhunter which is actually more accurate than I can shoot.
I like both for their own features...flinters cuz they're so cool, percussion cuz they're easier to deal with, imo.
Got plenty of supplies to shoot whichever floats my boat that day although I'll admit, the Pedersoli percussion 20g SxS always goes along.

wm

 

[waksupi]

I see this wasn't the first time the topic had been brought up here.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/percussion-or-flint.96518/

 

[FishDFly]

Nope, and will not be the last either.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Why do people stick with cap locks, when flintlocks are so much more reliable?

John Moses Browning once said" They never made a new gun better, only faster."

Faster to load, not as reliable. Guess he was right

 

[tenngun]

How else can a rocklocker assert his obvious undisputed superiority other than asserting his self appointed obvious superiority?….
Flinchlockers often indulge themselves in delusions of grandeur… I always let em.

Hey hey I resemble that remark

 

[Stykbow]

John Moses Browning once said" They never made a new gun better, only faster."

Faster to load, not as reliable. Guess he was right

Or wrong at least once.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Definitely Maryanne

Maryanne is a caplock certainly less finicky then that Ginger Flintlock....

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I dont always shoot flintlocks...but when I do I use Pyrodex......

 

[oldwood]

I know ,it's my fault. I always hated to have to shoot a couple caps off before loading my home built perc. squirrel rifle. If I shot a cap or two in the morning on the way out the door , I wake my night nurse wife.. WOW , PIzzed. If I do it outside before light , neighbors Pizzed. If I do it when I get to the place I hunt , farmer pizzed. . If I stand the rifle muzzle down , ignition is still uncertain. Went to flint , no more problems.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I miss the 1500 + argumentative posts in The Civil War Section...Ah! the good ole days......

 

[FishDFly]

Yep.

They shoot horses don't they?

 

[Crew Chief]

I started following this thread until about the 3rd page of responses. Here we are on the 7th page. Judging from the remarks, there is no consensus about reliability and some of you all just like to poke the fire ant mound.

I feel I am still learning about both ignition systems and I started with percussion back in the early 80s. My first rifle was a .45 caliber CVA. It never failed to fire but it was not accurate either so I sold it and bought a T/C Hawken kit in .45 caliber percussion. Loved it and shot a deer with it. Sold it to help pay for a Shiloh Sharps I had ordered. I didn't shoot the front stuffers for a while. Now I am back and bought a used .50 caliber Lyman GPR in percussion early part of last year. Really like the rifle and just about got the right load worked up for hunting. I got a hankering for a flintlock just to find out what all the fuss was about. I bought a used Lyman GPR .50 flintlock that did not seem to have been shot a lot. I got a lot of good advice on this forum about flintlocks and the advice worked. Most of the ignition problems I have had with the flintlock have been my fault. There is more of a learning curve with a flintlock than percussion. All this being said, I love both kinds of ignition systems and both have their historical value if you are into that sort of thing. Lyman GPRs are a close copy of the Hawken rifles of old. I know that the Hawken Bros. didn't make many flintlocks in the Plains rifle but there were some. They made more percussions than flintlocks. My experience with the flintlock flash in the pan or delayed ignition was my fault for not being more attentive to procedures for loading the rifle. Yes, I even loaded the ball without a powder charge. I never did that with percussions. I guess I got distracted. I am still learning and getting more comfortable with the flintlock. Heck, I even took a deer with it this winter season. I plan to buy a .36 caliber for some squirrel hunting. Will it be a flintlock or percussion? I don't know yet. I do have a custom made .54 caliber Hawken style percussion being built by John Bergmann. Hope to get it in time for an elk hunt in New Mexico this season.

You all have fun with this discussion. I am going to bed.

 

[FlintRock]

I wonder if threads like this are why Spence, and many other big contributors I’ve read about from days past are no longer here.

 

[billraby]

I like flintlocks more. Don't really care if they work better or not.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I wonder if threads like this are why Spence, and many other big contributors I’ve read about from days past are no longer here.

It all depends on what you're looking for. This is kind of like the newspaper, if you don't like the discussion you can always turn the page. I spend a lot of time here, because I seem to have a lot of time. My dear wife says I don't have as much time as I think, but I am enjoying what's left of it. We have all kinds here, but if yours isn't present, please don't hold that against us that are here to learn and enjoy what's left.
Squint