What Constitutes Safe?

[shaman]

With a bolt-action centerfire rifle, if you have a cold chamber, the firearm is completely safe. The world will end before chance causes a round to go up the spout and the primer to fire.

With a caplock, you can remove the cap and have close to the same state.

Now I'm sitting with a Brown Bess musket, and it is nearing the eve of Early ML season here in the Kentuck. I don't have an answer. I'm guessing that if I put powder and ball down the barrel, and don't prime the pan and put a hammerstall over the frizzen, I have achieved the flinters' version of "safe." Howevever, it's better to ask the question than wind up dead.

What do you guys consider safe with a flintlock?

 

[appalichian hunter]

Feather in touch hole, hammer stall on the frizzen and cock resting on the stall.

 

[Brokennock]

Yup, basically what @appalichian hunter said.
Now, I do alter the touch hole plug thing a bit. I always store my flintlocks with the touch hole plugged, so, I dyed the outside end of some of the plugs red. Red plug = charged barrel.

Do keep in mind that it is possible for a flintlock to fire with no prime in the pan, so, the frizzen stall and plugged both are good ideas.

 

[ord sgt]

State game laws vary. NJ says" a loaded barrel without a percussion cap in place is considered safe. Flintlock with the hammer down, no prime in the pan and frizzen open is safe also".

 

[Brokennock]

State game laws vary. NJ says" a loaded barrel without a percussion cap in place is considered safe. Flintlock with the hammer own, no prime in the pan and frizzen open is safe also".

Connecticut law considers those same conditions as "unloaded."
But, as can be attested to, a flintlock can be fired with no prime in the pan, better to take an extra step and plug that flash hole.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Better to be safe than have a accident, also never had this happen, but would think a game warden if he stopped by would appreciate the extra steps once you explained it to him.

 

[deermanok]

What about having the hammer all the forward and the frizzen open?

 

[appalichian hunter]

Why take the chance, Mr. Mruphy has a tendency to pal aound with me at times, and a stall is easy project. If no stall is available, I have used in the past a small acorn, open the frizzen wipe the pan clean place a small acorn in the pan rest the frizzen on the acorn, lower the cock aginst the opened frizzen.

 

[Brokennock]

What about having the hammer all the forward and the frizzen open?

Sure, the gun can't go off from the flint striking the frizzen under these conditions. As long as nothing else is available to introduce spark or flame, you're good. As long as nothing hits the frizzen and flips it closed and nothing drops the flintlock, your good.

But, also, plugging the hole helps seal out moisture.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

There's no chance at all of sparking on leather, so cover the frizzen.

 

[shaman]

Thanks all. This is just what I needed.

 

[foxm1754]

In addition to advice above, if not actively hunting, remove the flint.

 

[hanshi]

Legally (most places) a flintlock is unloaded when the prime has been removed. But that's "legally". Now for "safe" and that's a subjective term. For hunting I carried the rifle primed but with a leather frizzen cover and the cock at half cock. I consider that safe in my hands while roaming the bush. At the range my definition of safe is different. There the gun will be unprimed and with no charge in the bore; that's as safe as you can get with a flintlock. All loading is done immediately prior to the shot.