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| Davy Crockett Puzzle by Greg Joens |
Fascination with the flintlock started here for most shooters. My interests were stoked by some items found in the 1965 edition of the Shooter's Bible, the official catalog of Stoeger Industries, a major firearms importer of the day. I remember many pleasant hours browsing through the pages of imported and domestic firearms, exploded views, and accessories I didn't even know I needed. It was interesting that there would be a firearms importer and dealer with an inventory so large that a 1" thick, soft-cover catalog would be necessary to document their entire inventory. Two entries caught my eye; the collection of inexpensive European muzzleloaders that were sold specifically for subsistence hunting, and a collection of guns made more for recreational shooting. Amongst the former was a 4-bore flintlock smoothbore musket intended for defense against elephants. Amongst the latter, there was an Intercontinental Kentuckian Rifle. I saw the first at a gun show in Sacramento, I bought the second gun in an antique store in Ross.
Shooting a flintlock on a public range opens one up to a lot of scrutiny. Most people have never seen a muzzle loader in action, let alone a flintlock. Most are surprised by the smoke, and all are repulsed by the smell. But the fascination was always there, and I did my best to put on a good show. Luckily for me, the lock on my rifle was relatively new, and it fired often enough for me to conclude that this could be fun. I was hooked, although I didn't yet know it.
The Kentuckian lost its luster when the bridle, a supporting arm for the frizzen, sheared off from the frequent firing. I attempted to repair the lock, and even considered converting it to percussion. Finally, I gave the rifle away to someone who had one of her own, thinking that she could use my gun for parts. This taught me an important lesson: Quality lasts. Since then, I've acquired over a dozen flinters, and I am still fascinated by them. Perhaps I'm channeling a bit Davy and Dan'l, but no matter, flintlocks are the ultimate in classic firearms. And from this love affair, I offer you some wisps of wisdom.
One important note: Flintlocks need genuine black powder. Pyrodex and other synthetics won't do, so far as I know. Some companies claim they have created a synthetic black powder that can be used in a flintlock, but I haven't tried any. Black powder is just easier to ignite. It is also classified as an explosive, and its sale and possession illegal in some municipalities. Pyrodex is considered "hazardous", and can be sold and stored just like smokeless powder. And in case you didn't know, black powder wasn't named because of its color.
Speaking Of Powder: The subject of priming powder comes up occasionally. Most flinters use 4F, the finest granulation, to prime their locks. For pistols and rifles up to .50 caliber, most use 3F. For muskets and rifles over .54 caliber, 2F, the courses of the most commonly available powder, is the best choice.
If You Hate Geometry, You'll Flunk Flintlocks: Give credit where credit is due: The early makers of flintlocks were masters of lock geometry. Flintlocks can be fussy when it comes to ignition because of the many factors that influence reliable ignition.
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| Can Stock Photo. Click here. |
Flint Edge: Notice that this flint appears rather dull. Sharp flints produce more sparks, the ultimate goal of any lock. Knapping, or chipping the leading edge of an authentic "flint" to a razor edge, is needed in this case. Also, the edge should be aligned with the striking surface of the frizzen.
Flint Thickness: Thinner flints are more desirable than those that resemble a gable roof on a house. The reason lies in the upper jaw of the cock, which clamps the flint down onto the lower jaw, which is an integral (non-moving) part of the cock. If the flint is too tall, it will position the upper jaw such that it may contact the frizzen face before the flint does, literally pushing the frizzen out of the way before the edge of the flint can start sparking.
Allow me to comment on cut agate flints. They have a lot going for them.
- They are consistent in size.
- They are thin enough to minimize any thick-flint issues.
- They are usually double-edged, so you can reverse them when one side gets dull.
The down sides?
- They cannot be knapped, or re-sharpened.
- They are expensive.
But if you're using a modern flintlock, one not intending to duplicate an original antique lock, start with agate flints because, dollars to donuts, that's what they were designed to use.
Leather Pad Thickness: The problem of a tall flint can be mitigated somewhat by using thinner leather between the flint and the cock jaws.
Bevel Up/Bevel Down: The flint's striking angle in relation to the frizzen face may require some experimentation. Most experienced flinters know that some locks, based on lower jaw angle, prefer the flint's bevel to be on top, while other prefer the bevel to be on the bottom. Careful shaving of the flint leather can change the angle too. Old school gunsmiths would heat the neck of the cock red hot and bend/beat in into a better angle. This is a highly specialized endeavor, common employed by experienced gunsmiths in times long ago. So before resorting to something rash, try flipping the flint and see if that helps.
Spring Type And Tension: I believe that we are all overly concerned about lock time and not concerned enough about ignition speed. (These are my terms, by the way.) First, we need to understand that there are two different types of springs used in flintlocks. Leaf springs are used as hammer/cock springs on some locks, and frizzen springs everywhere. Modern locks tend to use coil compression springs than employ a strut of some sort to keep them properly aligned.
I am not advising that you alter your springs in any way unless you have the tools to remove and install the spring properly, and that you have a spare spring in case you mess up. Dixie Gun Works used to sell a variety of leaf hammer and frizzen springs that required some filing before they can be used. If you must reduce the striking force of a leaf spring, remember to keep it cool by dunking it in a cup of water periodically as you grind or you'll lose the spring's proper temper. And if you must grind, reduce the width of the spring, not the thickness. Grinding on the edge is less likely to result in spring failure.
Frizzen Spring Tension: I got this bit of advice from the late Craig Kern, the riflesmith who made custom guns for the Gun Works in Oregon. He told me that a number of shooters remove the frizzen springs from their locks so that the frizzens would provide minimal resistance when contact is made. A sharp flint sliding over a polished frizzen surface gives a fast, light scrape. Since he held several state records using his modified flintlocks, his suggestions shouldn't be taken lightly.
Touch Hole Location: This is a nearly impossible problem to correct. If you look at the left image, you can see a touch hole (vent) liner was installed in the barrel and filed flush with the flat surface of the octagonal barrel. It looks fine, but if you look at the image on the right, you can see that the touchhole is actually above the top of the pan, as seen by the darkened lower portion. This simply means that the mini-firestorm created by the ignition of priming powder cannot reach the touch hole, and it is highly unlikely that the flash in the pan will ignite the main powder charge waiting inside the barrel on the other side of the hole. Ideally, the touch hole should be level with the top of the pan, or very slightly below it.
When loading a properly assembled flintlock, the priming powder should be level in the pan, and just reach the level of the touchhole. When a spark hits this puddle of powder it burns quickly across the surface of the powder where there's plenty of oxygen to speed up the burn.
If your flintlock's touchhole is below the priming powder level, the priming powder must burn down through the powder, acting more like a fuse. This can slow ignition significantly. The dangerous part comes when a shooter experiences a delay (hangfire) and assumes that the priming powder has fully burned, when it is acting like a slow burning fuse, sometimes taking as long as 5 seconds to find the main charge. And yes, it has happened to me!
Now these factors can all have an effect on the reliability of your flintlock, and if you're having troubles with consistent ignition, I'd give this read some thought. My first suggestions in the list are the easiest to apply, and can serve as a non-destructive starting points in your quest for the Holy Grail of muzzle loading, consistent flintlock ignition.
Caution: If you're considering becoming a flinter, spend some time watching an experienced shooter. You can ask for advice on his or her technique, but NEVER WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY SHOOTING. Flintlocks requires a lot of concentration, and safety is first and foremost!
