My First Flintlock Rifle has arrived

[dmills]

My new (to me) first flintlock arrived today.  Pedersoli .45 Kentucky.  It is super clean and well maintained.  Barrel looks very good inside.  It came with a flint installed with leather.  Sparks fine.  I pulled the lock and cleaned and oiled it.  I put a screwdriver in the slot of the touch hole but it would not budge under moderate pressure.  It was my plan to it out  and reinstall with anti-seize, but didn't want to go to heavy force.

Should I just leave it alone or try harder to get it out?  

Thanks.

Don.

[ridjrunr]

Jmo Don but just make shure you have a perfect fit with that screwdriver and do yer best to get it out so you can apply the anti seize. But, in my experience that only helps, it doesn't insure it from seizing in the long run. Mine tightened up on me and I was about to re drill and extract with the dreaded easy out( I hate those things). Instead,I heald my soldering gun against it for a couple minutes to heat it up and then got it out with a lot of pressure and the screw driver.
I myself hesitate to remove it at every cleaning, thinking over time the threads will whare and compromise the seal they provide for the firing.
Another thing I noticed with the slotted fhl is that upon firing, that jet of fire and gas WILL burn away whatever is in its way after long repeated use. I can show you some examples of that sometime at the range. For instance, if the slot is straight up and down, it will burn a little void on the edge of the pan which in turn can lead to other problems over time. The blow torch effect will follow that screwdriver slot as it exits.
In fact that is developing right now on my Pedersoli. I am thinking the only way to really avoid this is to install the type of fhl that requires it to be filed down to the surface of the barrel flat after installation.
This is a picture of a lock I bought so that I can convert my Austin and Halleck to flint. Got it from a guy in Canada after looking for a couple of yrs,so I wasn't gonna send it back,but,..it shows what I described to a great extent IMO. I will end up filling this void in and then filing it to shape. Either by welding or soldering.
Didn't mean to ramble but thought you would maybe want to know that's what will develope eventually if that slot is clocked in such a way.

[Captchee]

leave it be . when the flash hole burns out , then replace it and use anti sieze . tell then  no need to mess with it

[dmills]

leave it be . when the flash hole burns out , then replace it and use anti sieze . tell then  no need to mess with it

Leavin' it be.  It seems to be in good condition (from observation only) at this time.  Thanks.

[RobD]

congrats on getting yer rock lock!  keeping her clean 'n' lubed will keep you both happy!

[silverfox]

dmills     For what it's worth if I have a stubborn screw on a gun or any other thing i try to get it to my drill press.  I have a bit that will fit in it and can apply a lot more pressure without the bit slipping.  Don't turn the press on just use hand pressure to turn it or a cheater it you have to. If I can't get it that way it would be best to leave it alone.           Hoyetb

[Ron T.]

leave it be . when the flash hole burns out , then replace it and use anti sieze . tell then  no need to mess with it

************************************************************************

+1

Take Captchee's excellent advice... he's absolutely correct.  I.E., if it ain't "broke", don't fix it !~!~!

The probable reason it's 'way too tight is that the smoke and "crud" from that priming powder burning in the powder pan has gotten into the threads and made them even tighter than the possibly "heavy-handed" person who initially screwed it into the barrel.  Thus it's gonna be "fun" to turn it back out and replace it.

Be SURE to use a screw-driver that EXACTLY fits the slot (width-wide) and try to use a screw-driver which has a blade as long as slot in the part to give you the absolutely BEST "fit" of the screw-driver blade in the screw-slot.  Too narrow a blade on the screw-driver and you're likely to "rip-out" the slot on the part.  Then, you'll have to DRILL out the old, worn-out flash-hole which might ruin the threads.

THEN you'll have to re-thread the hole to screw-in the next threaded part.

As you can see, a poor job of it simply increases your frustration and work-load... and you can see how much MORE you may have to do.  All of this can probably be eliminated IF you use a screw-driver with a proper fitting blade and PUSH the blade HARD into the screw-slot while you're attempting to turn it.  Hopefully, you can "break" the stuck part loose and successfully turn it outta the barrel and replace it ONCE it becomes necessary a year or many years from now depending on how much you shoot and how "hardened" the part is that is concerning you.

Just don't put your other hand just on the other side of the rifle behind the rifle's flash-hole and barrel.  If you do and the screw-driver 'slips"... you might end up with a hole in your other hand with the screw-driver sticking out of it.

Don't ask me how I "know" this about the screw-driver through the hand stuff... 'CAUSE I ain't tellin' !~!~!      


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

[Hanshi]

I confess I've buggered my share of vent liners.  There is no need to remove a liner unless it's burned out or otherwise damaged.  These things outlast most shooters.  And this will NOT be your last flintlock.

[snake eyes]

These things outlast most shooters.

Hanshi,
          That being the case, and in order to obtain immortality,I will not shoot
my F/L ever again :rotf     [/color]

[Ron T.]

Ahhhhhhhhhh, YES... !!!  "Erin Go Brah", indeed, my Irish friend (Snake-Eyes)... and saying you'll not shoot your F/L EVER again just proves you're full of that famous Irish "blarney" !~!~!

I join ye in wishin', "Erin Go Brah" ("Ireland Forever"... [or "Ireland until the end-of-time"]).  Whatta Irish rascal ye truly are  


Strength and Honor...

Ron T.

[Hanshi]

These things outlast most shooters.

Hanshi,
          That being the case, and in order to obtain immortality,I will not shoot
my F/L ever again :rotf    

[Ron T.]

WOW !~!~!