Your TMA Officers and Board of Directors
Support the TMA! ~ Traditional Muzzleloaders ~ The TMA is here for YOU!
*** JOIN in on the TMA 2024 POSTAL MATCH *** it's FREE for ALL !

For TMA related products, please check out the new TMA Store !

The Flintlock Paper

*** Folk Firearms Collective Videos ***



Author Topic: Features of fast flintlocks  (Read 8510 times)

Offline Hawken

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 472
  • "A man's WORD....is his total value!"
  • TMA Member: TMA Member #802 Expiration 05-04-2021
  • Location: LA
"There ain't no freedom...without gunpowder!"

Offline Ohio Joe

  • TMA BoD
  • ****
  • Posts: 7660
  • TMA Founder / Charter Member# 8
  • TMA Member: Founder
  • Location: Nebraska
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2016, 09:04:53 PM »
Good info Hawken!  :lt th
Chadron Fur Trade Days Rendezvous / "Ol' Candle Snuffer"
"Museum of the Fur Trade" Chadron, Nebraska

Offline RonC

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 117
  • TMA Member: 741
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2016, 10:46:51 PM »
Thank you, Hawken!
I have seen that information in pieces here and there, but it is very helpful to have it all in one document.
Ron

Offline Roaddog

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1580
  • TMA Member: TMA Paid Member # 247 Expires 3/15 / 2019
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2016, 09:35:57 AM »
That was eye opening.I think the old Dog lernd some new tricks.Thanke for sharing Hawken. :rt th
Minnesota TMA State Representative

Member #247

Online Uncle Russ

  • TMA Contributing Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7337
  • TMA Founder. Walk softly & carry a big Smoothbore!
  • TMA Member: Founder / Charter Member #004
  • Location: Columbia Basin, Washington State
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2016, 02:23:35 PM »
Hows'about we make this post / link a "stickie"?

Uncle Russ...
It's the many things we don't do that totally sets us apart.
TMA Co-Founder / Charter Member# 4

Offline ridjrunr

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1261
  • Location: KS
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2016, 03:33:03 AM »
Quote from: "RussB"
Hows'about we make this post / link a "stickie"?

Uncle Russ...

Perfect Uncle Russ,great idea
HCH member
NRA member
Fluent in English and sarcasm
TMA Member #313
Expires 10/8/21

Offline Hanshi

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 935
    • http://www.martialartsusa.com
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2017, 02:50:28 PM »
:hairy   Excellent idea!
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Offline Sir Michael

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2754
  • TMA: TMA Store
  • TMA Member: Charter Member #132
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2017, 05:50:06 PM »
A "sticky" to Larry Pletcher's analysis on touch hole location and priming powder positioning should be attached with it.
Sir Michael
Charter Member #132

Offline Winter Hawk

  • TMA Contributing Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2367
  • Location: Chauncey, OH
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2017, 07:40:46 PM »
Quote from: "Sir Michael"
A "sticky" to Larry Pletcher's analysis on touch hole location and priming powder positioning should be attached with it.
Here is  his site:
BlackPowderMag.com | Flintlock Rifles and Black Powder Guns

And further into it, here are his articles (not necessarily the ones from Muzzle Blasts) on vent liners:
Vent Liners | BlackPowderMag.com

~WH~
NMLRA Life
"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse and a good wife." - D. Boone
USN June 1962-Nov. 65, USS Philip, DD-498

Dues paid to 02 Jan. 2025

Online Uncle Russ

  • TMA Contributing Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7337
  • TMA Founder. Walk softly & carry a big Smoothbore!
  • TMA Member: Founder / Charter Member #004
  • Location: Columbia Basin, Washington State
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2017, 08:58:54 PM »
Thanks WH, when you posted the links they become a part of this same "sticky".

Thank you!
 :hairy

Uncle Russ...
It's the many things we don't do that totally sets us apart.
TMA Co-Founder / Charter Member# 4

Offline Ohio Joe

  • TMA BoD
  • ****
  • Posts: 7660
  • TMA Founder / Charter Member# 8
  • TMA Member: Founder
  • Location: Nebraska
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2017, 02:02:06 PM »
Larry Pletcher has done some fine work in flintlock ignition timing. Have always enjoyed following his tests. :lt th
Chadron Fur Trade Days Rendezvous / "Ol' Candle Snuffer"
"Museum of the Fur Trade" Chadron, Nebraska

Offline lefty41

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 47
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2017, 06:49:01 PM »
Thanks Hawken, very good info!
Lefty 41,AKA Jerry Miller
Life member NAHC
TMA member #500, expires 02-16-2017
Member Columbus Muzzle loading Gun Club
Member Bill Moose Muzzle loading Gun Club
Member NMLRA
"In God we trust"

Offline blackpowderbill

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 156
    • BlackPowderBill Blog & Sales
  • TMA Member: Contributing Member
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2018, 10:39:38 AM »
      Like this? :lol sign

Online RobD

  • TMA Admin
  • ****
  • Posts: 3531
  • TMA President & Contributing Member
  • Location: NJ
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2019, 07:49:54 PM »
every gun is at least a bit unique, sorta like humans. 

for the most part, the defacto touch hole diameter is .062" (1/16").  most offshore guns have slotted removable touch hole liners that are well under that diameter and it's more than worthwhile to get you a 1/16" drill bit and SLOWLY drill out the touch hole while it's still screwed in.  you can drill it out fast if you slide down an appropriate size wood dowel, so you don't inadvertently punch through with too much force and drill the barrel innards.  or just remove the liner and drill it.  it will pay to use anti-seize lube (permatex, at all auto stores) on liner threads.  in fact, use anti-seize grease on anything that screws into the barrel - this will pay big dividends years later.

keep the chamber CLEAN and DRY.  the slightest bit of moisture will yield a pan flash or fizzled ignition.  if you use a wet patch for fouling control you must follow with a dry patch or all bets are off.

compact your powder charge. this is particularly important as the chamber area gets built up with caked BP residue.  what does "compact" mean?  it means bouncing the ramrod to send a patched ball down the tube and properly seat it onto the chamber powder.  this will insure that there is no air space 'tween the patched ball and the chamber powder.  pounding on the ramrod may NOT insure there is no air space!  the Best method is "bouncing the rod".  flick the ramrod down on the patched ball - when the rod trampolines upwards, that is the indication that the patched ball is seated and the chamber powder has been properly compacted.



you MUST pick the touch hole after the barrel has been charged and before the pan is filled!  pick DEEP into the touch hole.  this does two really good things - (1) it increases the area (amount) of chamber powder that the ignited pan will heat up for ignition explosion, and (2) it insures that any touch hole crud gets pushed out of the way.  a Great touch hole pick is a piece of ACOUSTIC guitar string, perhaps .040 to .056 gauge.  acoustic strings have a steel core that is wrapped with phosphor bronze wire (non sparking) and that saw-like wrapping digs in well to the compacted chamber powder.

special attention MUST be given to guns with "patent breeches" - this means literally all offshore built guns.  patent breeches mean that there's an ante-chamber behind the real chamber, and its narrow flue will not allow a bore sized cleaning rod to get in there and scrub out the BP residue.  swap out the rod's jag for a small .22 to .38 brush draped with a cleaning patch to get into that ante-chamber, and don't forget a drying patch afterwards!

as to the flint itself, thin "fine" flints (with a single beveled cutting edge) are usually better than fat "common" flints (dual edged).  TOTW will send fine flints if specified in yer order.

flintlock geometry is important for both consistent ignition and the life of the flint itself.  finding the sweet spot for where the flint hits the hammer steel (frizzen) is important and may mean the flint will need to be in the cock jaws bevel down instead of up.  at half cock the flint's edge should be very close to the hammer steel and aimed at least 2/3rds to 3/4ths up.

the difference between using null-B and 3f for pan charging ain't worth a hoot to be concerned about.  finer powder WILL be more susceptible to air moisture than coarser powder, and that could mean no pan flash.  back in the day, most powder was about 1f granulation, and today most folks are scrambling to pan charge with 4f - not needed and maybe should NOT be used!  i use one powder for both tube and pan - 3f - don't matter what bore size, either.  food for thought? ;)

r.
 :*:

PS - it helps to keep the pan, flint, and hammer steel clean 'tween loads, too.







Offline Flinchlock

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 101
  • Oft muß Mann "zum Teufel damit"
    • reenactor.Net
  • TMA Member: TMA Member #819. Membership expiration 11/24/2022
  • Location: Pa, USA
Re: Features of fast flintlocks
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2019, 01:13:00 PM »
Has anyone noticed that the link at the top is now dead?  :Doh!
Marsh Wise
Ah likes flintlocks, but any gun is good -- okay, guns that hurt to shoot aren't good.

Head Village Idiot at www.reenactor.Net and www.romanobritain.org