Early 1800s New England Flintlock from a Traditions Kentucky Rifle kit

[JB67]

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IMO, you NAILED it ! !   

That's DEFINITELY the nicest CVA I've ever laid eyes on, fer sure !   

Congrats ! 

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Thanks! I got a couple of details wrong, like putting a hard edge where I should have a tight radius. But those, IMO, are relatively minor.

I hope others will be inspired to try their hand at a kit. There are so many ways it can be customized.

[JB67]

Looks good! 

How's it shoot? 

Thank you!

I only put 3 balls through paper yesterday at 25 yards, all a few inches apart. I'm not sure if it is me flinching, or the patches, which were shredding a big hole in the middle. Odd, since the same ball & patch is fine in my other Kentucky, but using real black vs 777 in the percussion might be a factor. Bit ignition does not seem to be an issue.

Could be a combination of both with the bore needing to be (what I call "shot in" )... You'll get'er worked out. 

I shot a few rounds yesterday with swaged balls. I realized I had used cast before, and they seemed less accurate when I had used them in the percussion.

The first shot was a spit-lubed cleaning patch, like I always used before. Patch shredded, but accuracy improved. Then I used cleaning patches and slightly thicker cloth patches, greased with a beeswax/ crisco blend, or straight crisco. The cleaning patches held up better, but still shredded a bit. The cloth patches did well. I didn't notice a big difference between lubes, other than the crisco ones seemed to load a bit easier, and I don't need a short starter (partly because the muzzle has a slight "cone" from the factory.)

I just need to work on my hold now. Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

[Ohio Joe]

Looks good! 

How's it shoot? 

Thank you!

I only put 3 balls through paper yesterday at 25 yards, all a few inches apart. I'm not sure if it is me flinching, or the patches, which were shredding a big hole in the middle. Odd, since the same ball & patch is fine in my other Kentucky, but using real black vs 777 in the percussion might be a factor. Bit ignition does not seem to be an issue.

Could be a combination of both with the bore needing to be (what I call "shot in" )... You'll get'er worked out. 

I shot a few rounds yesterday with swaged balls. I realized I had used cast before, and they seemed less accurate when I had used them in the percussion.

The first shot was a spit-lubed cleaning patch, like I always used before. Patch shredded, but accuracy improved. Then I used cleaning patches and slightly thicker cloth patches, greased with a beeswax/ crisco blend, or straight crisco. The cleaning patches held up better, but still shredded a bit. The cloth patches did well. I didn't notice a big difference between lubes, other than the crisco ones seemed to load a bit easier, and I don't need a short starter (partly because the muzzle has a slight "cone" from the factory.)

I just need to work on my hold now. Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

JB67,

I've done some testing with the .433 ball in a .45 GMB (.450 lands / .470 grooves) and I finally found its accuracy using a .020 pillow ticking patch with a beeswax based lube - and no blown patches after that and still able to load without a short starter... Granted, not the greatest accuracy, but all I was looking for during this test was acceptable accuracy... I might have a picture of my last target. I'll post it if I do. 

I typically use a .445 ball & .020 Pillow Ticking spit patch in my .45 cal GMB rifles, but I got the .433 w/ .020 patch to work and be able to load it without the short starter... Yes, one does give up some accuracy.

[Bigsmoke]

Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

You are not supposed to be looking at the lock, look at the sights.  Problem solved.  Practice in a dark garage with just a primed pan.  (Or your living room if the wife is not home.)  Make sure the rifle is not loaded before you try this.  If you do it right, you will not see the pan flash.

[Ohio Joe]

Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

You are not supposed to be looking at the lock, look at the sights.  Problem solved.  Practice in a dark garage with just a primed pan.  (Or your living room if the wife is not home.)  Make sure the rifle is not loaded before you try this.  If you do it right, you will not see the pan flash.

I agree with John, look down your sights only and concentrate on your target picture...

It's not uncommon for first time flintlock shooters to be distracted by the flint ignition - but you just have to shoot your way out of that bad habit of wanting to look over at the ignition of the flintlock in action...

Everybody goes through it... You'll shoot your way out'a that bad habit the more you practice with that flintlock.   

[JB67]

Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

You are not supposed to be looking at the lock, look at the sights.  Problem solved.  Practice in a dark garage with just a primed pan.  (Or your living room if the wife is not home.)  Make sure the rifle is not loaded before you try this.  If you do it right, you will not see the pan flash.

I didn't say I was looking at the lock. Nor did I say I was seeing the flash (which I dont.) I said I was seeing the sparks as the flint struck the frizzen, which is 8" from my eye and an inch to the right, and well within my peripheral vision.

[JB67]

Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

You are not supposed to be looking at the lock, look at the sights.  Problem solved.  Practice in a dark garage with just a primed pan.  (Or your living room if the wife is not home.)  Make sure the rifle is not loaded before you try this.  If you do it right, you will not see the pan flash.

I agree with John, look down your sights only and concentrate on your target picture...

It's not uncommon for first time flintlock shooters to be distracted by the flint ignition - but you just have to shoot your way out of that bad habit of wanting to look over at the ignition of the flintlock in action...

Everybody goes through it... You'll shoot your way out'a that bad habit the more you practice with that flintlock. 

See my reply to John. I'm not watching the ignition, nor looking over to it,  just noticing the frist sparks on the frizzen. Time perception slows behind the trigger, be it flint or percussion, and that instant between pulling the trigger and the ball exiting the barrel can seem like seconds. One notices a lot in that time. Now that  I *realize* I was seeing it, I know I can  ignore it.

[Ohio Joe]

At least you got a good sparking frizzen.

I prime about a half pan, and I can't say I've ever seen any sparks off the frizzen before ignition - but that may be because I prime a half pan of powder and those sparks are hidden in the smoke...

Just a thought.

Probably just lock geometry

[JB67]

At least you got a good sparking frizzen.

I prime about a half pan, and I can't say I've ever seen any sparks off the frizzen before ignition - but that may be because I prime a half pan of powder and those sparks are hidden in the smoke...

Just a thought.

Probably just lock geometry

I just realized, I was also in the shadow of the shooting bench cover. Those sparks are barely noticeable when I work the action out in the open daylight.

[prairie dog]

Seeing the sparks as the flint strikes the frizzen is throwing me off a bit.

You are not supposed to be looking at the lock, look at the sights.  Problem solved.  Practice in a dark garage with just a primed pan.  (Or your living room if the wife is not home.)  Make sure the rifle is not loaded before you try this.  If you do it right, you will not see the pan flash.

I agree with John, look down your sights only and concentrate on your target picture...

It's not uncommon for first time flintlock shooters to be distracted by the flint ignition - but you just have to shoot your way out of that bad habit of wanting to look over at the ignition of the flintlock in action...

Everybody goes through it... You'll shoot your way out'a that bad habit the more you practice with that flintlock. 

Ain't that the truth!  I was distracted by the movement of the cock and frizen.  I had to do a lot of dry fire practice with a wooden "flint" to overcome that.

[Winter Hawk]

I second what Mr. Sells posted.  I dry fire every evening with my chip of wood in the cock jaws; 10 "shots" per night.  It sure helps in ignoring what is happening 8" away from my face!

~Kees~

[Ohio Joe]

At least you got a good sparking frizzen.

I prime about a half pan, and I can't say I've ever seen any sparks off the frizzen before ignition - but that may be because I prime a half pan of powder and those sparks are hidden in the smoke...

Just a thought.

Probably just lock geometry

I just realized, I was also in the shadow of the shooting bench cover. Those sparks are barely noticeable when I work the action out in the open daylight.

That very well could have been the problem... I know the guys that take their flintlocks down to the candle shoot at Rendezvous (that starts at dark) you can really see the eruption (briefly) of the priming powder - so yes, I could see where you may very well notice some showers of sparks in the dark - something you probably wouldn't see during good light conditions... I guess I never really paid any attention to it when shooting in low light myself, and if I did I probably just figured it was part of the flintlock experience. 

[poorboy]

  I like it...I like it a lot. Great job. I wish my hands were as steady as yours cause the patch box fit is on the money.

[JB67]

I like it...I like it a lot. Great job. I wish my hands were as steady as yours cause the patch box fit is on the money.

Thank you very much! 

[PetahW]

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If you concentrate hard on aiming & follow-through after the trigger pull, better accuracy should result - remember: practice makes perfect !   

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