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Rocks will make a workable flint

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One things for sure, you are MUCH more likely to be able to “hunt up” a rock to be used in place of a flint (or better yet, find a flint) then find percussion caps laying on the ground.

Once the great ammo shortage of 2020 hit and good brands of percussion caps have disappeared from store shelves, I am all but done with the cap lock rifles. Flints don’t have that sort of kink in the supply chain and can even be knapped yourself.

Flintlocks are more enjoyable for me and I’m finally coming around to them and seeing why so many prefer them over the cap guns.
 
In Missouri there is a lot of suitable rock that could be used and is used for making gunflints. In other places suitable knappable rock of sufficient toughness and hardness would be hard to find. This is why Missouri “Burlington” chert was traded wide and far by river. If I was in New England it would be difficult to find suitable rock for knapping.
 
I was reading a thread in percussion area {percussion cap in period} and somebody said that you can't flint every place, but you don't need flint. read this attached link.
rocks and minerals that spark for percussion firestarting - PaleoPlanet (tapatalk.com)
There is lots of rocks that make sparks , the trouble as far as use for gun flints is shaping them to work in a cock. Rocks that cannot be knapped because they will not fracture concoidially ( think of a stone or BB hit on glass that knocks our a cone shaped plug) it is hard to make them in a functional shape efficiently.
 
I’m sure lots of boys found chips they could use, I can not knap but have made lots of chips to use. In general I think we tend to over estimate the talents of folks on te frontier. Only a handful of folks could blacksmith, fewer still white smith. Most ladies and lots of men could at least make a simple set of clothing or moccs. And folks could restock a gun or do some repairs on the fly
We see commercial flints, shooting bags, horns, tinware, clothing, black smith in every small townships and most trading post.
They weren’t Jack’s of all trades
 
....as they will make passable round balls, but the problem is shaping them in both cases. Missouri Chert is pretty darn good as a flint. I have several dozens. They sure are pretty in a flint cock white as they are.
 
As a non-match fire maker, flint knapper and flintlock shooter, I am inclined to say yes, you need flint or chert. Lithic materials that exhibit conchoidal fracture and lend themselves to being shaped into gunflints. There is a good reason why English gunflints were shipped to the colonies by the barrel full. Carbon 6 has the track on this one.
 
Near me in Pennsylvania is a rock called Jasper that was used by natives for arrowheads, it works as a gun flint. I haven’t found many other rocks around here that will produce a spark.
 
One things for sure, you are MUCH more likely to be able to “hunt up” a rock to be used in place of a flint (or better yet, find a flint) then find percussion caps laying on the ground.

Once the great ammo shortage of 2020 hit and good brands of percussion caps have disappeared from store shelves, I am all but done with the cap lock rifles. Flints don’t have that sort of kink in the supply chain and can even be knapped yourself.

Flintlocks are more enjoyable for me and I’m finally coming around to them and seeing why so many prefer them over the cap guns.
if we didn't evolve we all would still be driving MODEL T'S & AND MODEL' A'S. why not get a KIT from MANNY A. and make your own from beer & soft drink aluminum cans? he advertises on gun sites & GOOGLE SEARCH MAKING HOME MADE PERCUSSION CAPS. a great guy. and yes I have one of his cap makers. never have to buy percussion caps again, or hunt for them.
 
if we didn't evolve we all would still be driving MODEL T'S & AND MODEL' A'S. why not get a KIT from MANNY A. and make your own from beer & soft drink aluminum cans? he advertises on gun sites & GOOGLE SEARCH MAKING HOME MADE PERCUSSION CAPS. a great guy. and yes I have one of his cap makers. never have to buy percussion caps again, or hunt for them.
I watched a video of the self made caps. Did not seem to make much of a pop.
 

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