Flintlocks, gotta love em!

[greyhunter]

Just read where Muley went through a test of his mettle, and patience. I don't have an answer for Muleys GPR not lighting off on his first, to be, flintlock deer kill. It didn't work when he needed it to and he is sending it down the road. Felt much the same when my 50 hawken caplock failed to fire with a new Remington cap on the nipple. Sounded like a ballpoint pen click instead of a good crack! The fat bedded doe at twenty yards heard it tho and waved good by. That being said, if you don't have faith in your rifle, it will ruin your hunt and fun. I have both flintlock and caplock rifles as well as a few more that can't be mentioned here. When the last dog is hung, I will have a flinter in my hands. I have had no fires too with my flinter as well as hang fires, on deer no less, that took me two hours to sneak up on. I accept the type ignition it is and for the most part it seldom lets me down, even when left loaded for over a month. I don't mean to preach to the choir or judge anyones type of rifle. Some likes fords some likes chevys. I like carrying one horn of powder and a sharp rock in the lock. The rest is up to me. I do like fords, and flintlocks. Best of luck to you all whichever lock you use.  

[Muley]

It really rubs me the wrong way to give up on anything. Is there a better lock that will fit my gun? Keeping in mind it's a lefty.

[greyhunter]

Maybe someone here will come up with a mfg for you Muley. In the mean time i will explain how I set up a flinter to shoot. I like to get as long a strike as I can on the frizzen. To do that I set the flint in a leather pad in the jaws tightly. I turn the flint so the flat side is up, then close the pan and set the flint where it is just short of touching the frizzen. If the flint is too long, notch the back of it to fit .This gives the most contact with the frizzen during the cocks fall. And imho the most sparks. You have to take the extra time to set the flint square to the frizzen and recheck the tightness of the cock screw after a few shots. If the flint you are using doesn't throw good spark, knapp it or change to a different kind. Some here wipe their frizzen with alcohol before charging their piece, good advice. Pick the vent after charging, and don't pile the pan charge against the vent hole. That last statement will get some argument, to each their own. I think you said you changed to a larger vent, did the same on my gpr, except I just drilled mine. I think the gpr coil spring lock is fast enough,strong enough, and tough enough to leave it in your rifle, and work with the flint/frizzen for a reliable fire. Another thing to remember is to change your pan charge during the day as you hunt, depending on humidity.  When I hunt on stand, I keep a dry strip of cloth closed in the pan, and charge the pan only when I see a deer. Hope this all helps and I haven't stepped on any toes. Just the way I do it, and it works for me.    Good luck and hang in there.

[Hanshi]

I guess I've been fortunate in that I've so far avoided any misfires or hangfires in the field; I've certainly experienced them at the range on occasion.   My success has to be largely a product of my preseason care and set up of the gun.  First I always put in a brand new flint and make sure it is seated and positioned correctly.  The gun is clean and thoroughly bone dry.  Since deer hunting is essentially a one shot affair, I work toward absolute reliability for that first shot.  I don't think in terms of reload & shoot - though haven't had any problems there either.

I agree; confidence in your gun/load is a must.  Any problems should have been picked up on at the range prior to the season.  If they exist they should be corrected.

[Muley]

Just got back from the range. I thought i'd try it one more time.

Brand new Tom Fuller flint. Adjusted perfectly. Every thing clean as a whistle. RMC liner. 4F in the pan. Pillow ticking/.490 ball. 85gr Goex 2F.

1st shot at 50yds fired fine. Well, as fine as a flintlock get for me. Still a slight delay compared to a caplock. 1" high and centered.

2nd shot. Swab bore. Clean pan. Pick liner. Alcohol frizzen, flint, and pan. Load same load. Pick liner again. Fired fine again. 1 1/2" group.

3rd shot exactly the same procedure. Exactly! Flint still nice and sharp. Flash in the pan! Pan went off perfect and I could feel the heat. No clue why the load didn't fire.

4th shot. Cleaned the pan. Picked the liner. Alcohol everything. Flint still sharp. Flash in the pan again.

5th shot. Everything exactly the same as the 4th shot. Flash in the pan.

6th shot. Everything exactly the same again. I'm beginning to wonder if I dry loaded it. This time it fired.

Packed up and came home. Completely baffled why it didn't fire on the 3rd shot. Now it probably would have worked for hunting, because the gun fired the first two shots. Except the slight delay will never be as comfortable as no delay. The problem I have with all this is I want to use the gun for shoots too. That would be twice a month. Compared to just once a year for hunting. Having to take 20-25 shots at a shoot would be total aggravation for me.

Flintlocks are kind of fun when they work. They just don't work enough for me.

I won't even mention trying to keep the powder in the pan while hunting.  

[Muley]

One more thing to try. I'm going to drill out the TH liner to see if I can get faster more reliable ignition.

[Chairslayer]

Hey Muley,, I have a custom .54 virginia that absolutey HATES 2f. 2 shots and it's so fouled I can't get another shot off. I use 90 grns 3f, spit patch and I can shoot all day without cleaning. Just remember to lessen your charge about 15% if you go to 3f.

[Muley]

I agree the 2F is pretty dirty.

[pathfinder]

Guess I should have posted my replie to your other thread here.

 Drilling out the liner and going to 3f may be what's needed. 3f will have a couple of more pieces of the powder closer to the hole than 2f. Will have to re-work your load as far as ball size,patch thickness and amount of powder.....or not!  Good Luck!!!

[jbullard1]

Just my thought
I would try 3f before I drilled the liner, I was having the same issue with my flinter at one time 3f cured it

[Longhunter]

I use 2FF in everything .54 and up and have never had a problem. You don't need to pick the vent every time, sometimes when you run your pick through you may be pushing the powder in the breech back away from the hole.

[Muley]

I use 2FF in everything .54 and up and have never had a problem. You don't need to pick the vent every time, sometimes when you run your pick through you may be pushing the powder in the breech back away from the hole.

I thought the reason was to make a channel in the powder to give the flame more powder to ignite at once. Instead of the few granules that would be up against the liner? (in the chamber)

[Longhunter]

I thought the reason was to make a channel in the powder to give the flame more powder to ignite at once. Instead of the few granules that would be up against the liner? (in the chamber)

Sometimes reasoning works....sometimes it don't..

[Adam Wetherington]

You pick it to clear the crud away that might be obscuring the hole.

[Pete_Sheeran]

I do not own a GPR but I have been hunting 20 years with a flintlock.  Nearly all my flintlocks have flat breach face at the breech.  As a result, it is very important not to get any moisture into the vent if you wipe between shots.  It will foul the powder in front of the vent hole.  Yes, I have had this happen and it is difficult to clear.  Oil in the bore will settle to the breech (when stood muzzle up) and if there is enough and gets into the vent liner it also creates the same powder fowling ignition problem, caplocks or flintlocks.  I use a bottom scraper when cleaning, usually between matches.  Wiping between shots should be with only a slightly damp patch, not a wet patch.  If a wet patch is used, extra care must be taken clear the vent hole of moisture.

There is a learning curve with a flintlock.  I've been there, Good Luck.   Pete