UPS Made My Day!

[THBailey]

I have a few cap guns, but my first flinter arrived today. It was on backorder with Midway seemed like forever. I was reading the cautions for the gun, and they said the gun might possibly go off by itself with a charge in the barrel but no primer in the pan. Could somebody smarter than me tell me how this might happen? I want to hunt with this gun and I was thinking when I got back to the truck I could prepare for transport by lifting the frizzen, dump and blow out the priming powder, leave the frizzen up and gently drop the hammer. Do I need to rethink things a bit?

 

[Jumpshot]

When it comes to sparks, if you drop the cock so the flint strikes the frizzen even with an empty pan, there still a chance a spark could bounce into the hole and ignite the main charge in the barrel.

If you're talking about transporting the rifle in your truck loaded, I wouldn't do that even with an empty pan. I'd shoot it or pull the load out before putting it in the truck. But maybe I'm just overly cautious.

 

[Zonie]

The answer is very simple.

When the flint hits the frizzen, it makes a LOT of sparks.

Because the vent hole is always open, it is highly likely that one of those sparks will either fly directly into the vent or it will bounce off of the pan/flint/anything in the area and then go thru the vent hole.

This is why many of us feel the cock should be left in the fired position, or in the half cock position with the frizzen forward whenever you are loading your rifle.

This is also the reason you should never knap the flint on a loaded gun, even if the pan is empty.

Anything that can cause a spark to enter the vent hole when the gun is loaded can cause it to fire.

More than a few of our members have had this happen.

 

[coloradoclyde]

If you're worried....use a hammerstall

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

OP git you a frizzen stall:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/partdetail.aspx/46/1/frizzen-stall-musket

Not sure if this one will fit a Lyman GPR so you might have to shop around or make your own which is easy. It's a clever little leather thing that goes on the frizzen to prevent the flint from striking up a spark. They are historically correct as well.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Most states hunting regulations allow a flint lock with no powder in the pan and the hammer lowered to be considered safe for transportation.

Those of us that consider safety first, want a truly empty gun with no powder or ball when we transport a firearm.

And yes, my flintlock has fired with no powder in the pan. I had just Knapp ed the flint and wanted to verify the sparks. Yup, it sparked very well and the muzzle was pointed in a safe direction.

 

[THBailey]

Looks like what I had in mind. Thanks so much for the advice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we1R502zmHs


I also looked at the agate rock included with my kit, and then looked to Track of the Wolf for flints and found a large and confusing pallet of choices. I would appreciate a recommendation for flints for a hunting gun.

Thanks again folks.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Measure the agate rock that came with the gun. Order the same size black English flint from Track of the Wolf.

 

[Col. Batguano]

If you decide to take on a build from a blank some time, you will realize just how much work has already been done for you to get it to this stage. And, any amount of time you waited for your order to be filled will seem pretty short.

In a soft case (like a gun sock, blanket, etc.) it also might be possible for the cock to get cocked, and the frizzen closed just by grabbing the gun in that region. Once that happens, it's just one more errant touch in the wrong place to send flint to crash against steel. Then you'll have a gun case with a hole in both ends

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

The flints that are great for a Lyman GPR from Track of the Wolf are the black English hand knapped flints, size 5/8"x3/4" or product code FLINT-ENG-5 from them. Get some of their leather flint jaw pads, FLINT-PAD-7 and you will be set!!

PC: Some find it is best to run such flints "bevel up" in a GPR due to the lock geometry.

 

[Black Hand]

I was reading the cautions for the gun, and they said the gun might possibly go off by itself with a charge in the barrel but no primer in the pan. Could somebody smarter than me tell me how this might happen? I want to hunt with this gun and I was thinking when I got back to the truck I could prepare for transport by lifting the frizzen, dump and blow out the priming powder, leave the frizzen up and gently drop the hammer. Do I need to rethink things a bit?

This is how I transport my rifle, as I decided it was wasteful to discharge or pull the charge every time I went hunting.

 

[Gene L]

OP git you a frizzen stall:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/categories/partdetail.aspx/46/1/frizzen-stall-musket

Not sure if this one will fit a Lyman GPR so you might have to shop around or make your own which is easy. It's a clever little leather thing that goes on the frizzen to prevent the flint from striking up a spark. They are historically correct as well.

I made a frizzen stall by cutting the finger tip off an woman's old leather glove.

 

[hanshi]

I've got my favorite rifle to fire on several occasions with NO prime in the pan; and the vent hole is only 1/16". I knapp with either copper or brass so as to produce no sparks. A hammer stall is attached to every one of my rifles and is used when hunting.

 

[nhmoose]

Hammer position does not matter when the frizzen is open , pan swept clean and the touch hole blocked with a feather, round toothpick etc.

Personally my hammer will be down, frizzen open and the touch hole blocked. Hammer stall is moot then or when the frizzen is open.

 

[FishDFly]

Actually, if a person contacts "cutfingers", see the classieds, he can do what a person needs, he is a small business person and is retired and a really nice guy.

 

[FishDFly]

Huh, experience shows up again.

 

[faste350]

I have always kept a small wad of paper towel or clean rag in my bag and lower the hammer/flint down on it, thus shielding the flint edge and blocking the touch hole.

 

[M. De Land]

The vent should be plugged as well as the cock (hammer)lowered to half cock. I do this with a soft iron round nose wire pick of approximate vent diameter.
Leaving the soft wire vent pick installed while loading works well also as it provides a safety while loading (plugging the vent hole) and when pulled after loading leaves a clear vent as well as small void in the powder column to aid ignition.

 

[THBailey]

I was not blessed with patience.

Got the English flints on order also!

Thanks for all the help and advise Gents. :hatsoff:

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Looks really good! Some stain, some Tru-Oil, and it would look great but looks just fine as is. Now go shoot the dang thing!! :thumbsup: