Doing another one of my experiments. Will a flintlock fire with no prime in the pan?
I think it very unlikely but I can not say with any authority it couldn't happen.
I took my favorite TC flintlock and my newest build, the GPR with the L&R lock on it, and tried more than a dozen strikes each with clean pans (no prime) but loaded and ready to fire. Neither fired in more than the two dozen tries.
However this changes drastically if there is even a few grains lying in the bottom of the pan. With just three or four grains of 3F in the pan it will fire! Although this too is unpredictable and still not likely it must be considered possible. The L&R lock tends to congregate it's granules closer together because it's pan is deeper but more narrow than the TC pan.
Anybody have a flintlock fire with no powder in the pan?
I think it very unlikely but I can not say with any authority it couldn't happen.
I took my favorite TC flintlock and my newest build, the GPR with the L&R lock on it, and tried more than a dozen strikes each with clean pans (no prime) but loaded and ready to fire. Neither fired in more than the two dozen tries.
However this changes drastically if there is even a few grains lying in the bottom of the pan. With just three or four grains of 3F in the pan it will fire! Although this too is unpredictable and still not likely it must be considered possible. The L&R lock tends to congregate it's granules closer together because it's pan is deeper but more narrow than the TC pan.
Anybody have a flintlock fire with no powder in the pan?