Leather -or- Lead to Hold Your Flint?

[Ohio Joe]

I stumbled across this a few minutes ago and thought some may enjoy this test result;

https://www.blackpowdermag.com/lead-vs-leather-flint-attachment-study/

[Winter Hawk]

What I remember from w-a-y back, is that the lead holds well for a while of shooting, but then the jaws of the cock need to be tightened because the lead doesn't spring back after compression like leather does.  The result, if the jaws are not tightened regularly during a shoot, is that the flint comes loose with lead.  Otherwise there is no real benefit of leather over lead or vice versa.

Larry's article on testing touch holes is also very enlightening.  Well, all of his articles are!

~Kees~

[Ohio Joe]

What I remember from w-a-y back, is that the lead holds well for a while of shooting, but then the jaws of the cock need to be tightened because the lead doesn't spring back after compression like leather does.  The result, if the jaws are not tightened regularly during a shoot, is that the flint comes loose with lead.  Otherwise there is no real benefit of leather over lead or vice versa.

Larry's article on testing touch holes is also very enlightening.  Well, all of his articles are!

~Kees~

They are enlightening, Kees. 

When Larry says there's no "telling" difference between the shower of sparks from a leather wrapped or lead wrapped flint, one can pretty much take that to the bank. 

[Hank in WV]

I tried lead years ago and got the same results that Kees mentioned. Just couldn't keep flints tight.

[Ohio Joe]

I could see that happening with just using only lead, but when I've used a lead wrap, I also use leather over the lead and have never experienced the jaw screw loosening that I can recall. If it did - it must have not been noticeable to me.

[Winter Hawk]

Joe, that's the point I was trying to make.  The leather has enough "spring back" to keep things nice and tight.  However, lead by itself will squish with each shot and not expand again, so after several shots it is not tight anymore.

If I recall (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), the British troops were issued lead with their flints for the Bess, and the flints were considered good for seven shots.  Since they would have to be knapped after this which would not work in a battlefield situation, the lead held the flint well enough until it had to be changed.  We on the other hand (at least I) expect to leave the flint in the jaws for many more shots than that, knapping the edge when necessary with the rock in the jaws.  That requires leather so it doesn't loosen over time.

Good conversation!

~Kees~

[Doc Nock]

I could see that happening with just using only lead, but when I've used a lead wrap, I also use leather over the lead and have never experienced the jaw screw loosening that I can recall. If it did - it must have not been noticeable to me.

I'm a new kid here so should likely keep my yap shut, but why in the world do both OJ?

When I clean or CLeaned my GPR, I'd remove the lock and hooked breech barrel, the flint and then scrub both with warm water...

Then oil and reassemble...

I don't shoot like you guys apparently do and once early on had the flint loosen on me so I make sure it's "guten tite" as they'd say up in PA Deutch Country

When I knap the flint, I even made strips of harder leather to put behind the flint to keep it forward toward the frizzen as it shortens

[Ohio Joe]

I could see that happening with just using only lead, but when I've used a lead wrap, I also use leather over the lead and have never experienced the jaw screw loosening that I can recall. If it did - it must have not been noticeable to me.

I'm a new kid here so should likely keep my yap shut, but why in the world do both OJ?

When I clean or CLeaned my GPR, I'd remove the lock and hooked breech barrel, the flint and then scrub both with warm water...

Then oil and reassemble...

I don't shoot like you guys apparently do and once early on had the flint loosen on me so I make sure it's "guten tite" as they'd say up in PA Deutch Country

When I knap the flint, I even made strips of harder leather to put behind the flint to keep it forward toward the frizzen as it shortens

Doc, if you need to get your flint in a more downward angle striking the frizzen, I have found thin lead is perfect for this usage, along with the leather.  I find lead is good for shimming.

[Rocklock]

Leather has worked very well for me for almost 50 years. Plenty of old gloves, boots and belts around not to mention trimmings from other projects.

[Doc Nock]

Thank you both for that input...

I'll reiterate... with the cancer and the cane I've done little or no shooting these past 2 years... but the leather has served me well..

I even started to do bevel up so's to get a longer strike on the Frizzen...

Alas, the next owner can do as they see fit

[Uncle Russ]

Leather has worked very well for me for almost 50 years. Plenty of old gloves, boots and belts around not to mention trimmings from other projects.

I suspect I'm much like Rocklock, a lot of "bad" has been said about lead weakening the main spring, back in the old days it seems it was a "trend" or something, of course I had to try it too.
While I'm just fool enough to believe some of these old wives tales, I do go to extremes at times trying to debunk these old tales.
Besides that, there's always been enough leather laying around that I didn't have to beat on a round ball to get it looking the way i thought should to do the job right.

So, mark me down in the Leather column.

BTW; I always enjoy Larry's videos.

Russ...

[Stormrider51]

And then there's the guy who has to be different.  I tried lead a long time ago and had the problem of it compressing enough require periodic tightening.  Leather works but may require a hole to be cut to let the flint be set far enough back for proper fit relative the frizzen.  Then somewhere I read about using buckskin wrapped sideways leaving the rear of the flint exposed.  Buckskin is "tacky" and grips both the flint and the cock well.  Adjustment of the flint front to rear is easy.  I've been using that technique ever since and with good results.
John

[Winter Hawk]

Now that's a good idea!  I'll have to try it.  Thanks for posting it!

~Kees~

[Rocklock]

Yessiree. Ima gonna gotta try that.

[RobD]

I spent more than a fair amount of time trying to like lead wraps and gave up.  Leather is just plain better, for me. 

One thing i did notice in Larry's lock images is the length of some of the leather wraps were a tad too long and could hold spark and smolder the leather.  This has actually happened to me.  The leather wrap should never go beyond the beak of the cock.  This leather smoldering thing can also be an issue for side mounted leather wraps as a lot of leather is exposed to the pan's ignition, which is why I stopped doing that process ... just be careful ... I'd rather be safe than sorry when messing with black powder, especially the fine stuff in the pan.