Cleaning a Flinter

[Minnesota Mike]

Looking for opinions/advice/input regarding removing a lock for cleaning flinter.

Have heard reasonng for both do and don't regarding taking off the lock everytime you clean a flintlock after shooting.

r/
MM

[butterchurn]

I always take mine out, but on some of my guns it probably wouldn't be needed because crud doesn't seem to get down into lock works.

[jbullard1]

I take mine out every time

[Spotted Bull]

I remove mine as well........use a good strong toothbrush to clean it with.

[rollingb]

I take mine off when I clean as well.
The priming fouling can get into the smallest crack, draw moisture and cause rust, if it's ignored.

[mike rumping]

why would you not want to remove it?

[Mitch]

I don't always remove the lock...I often leave my firelocks loaded for extended periods of time(longest stayed loaded for over 8 months-went off no problem)...Most of the time, I just plug touch-hole, fill with water, dump, swab with tow or patch and reload...about once every 5-6 months, I'll do a complete clean-hot water, remove lock, clean EVERYTHING and re-oil...I don't believe there is only one way to maintain your firelock-to each his own system...Mitch

[Hank in WV]

I take mine off every time and throw it into a bucket of water while I clean the barrel.

[Uncle Russ]

I'm with Mitch....I don't remove the lock everytime I shoot my Flinters. But, I do remove it, and clean it, if I spent a day at the range, shot a dozen or so times, or been out in the weather....if I really use the gun, then I really clean it...top to bottom.

I have more problems with my capbusters than I do with my Flinters!  

Uncle Russ...

[Buffler Razz]

If I am on  trek or out camping for a few days I may not remove the lock when I clean my gun. But, once I arrive at home the gun gets a good cleaning including removing the lock for a good wipe down.

[melsdad]

I remove mine everytime I clean. If I am at a 2 day shoot I will only remove it once I get home to do a final cleaning.

[Sir Michael]

Cleaning a flinter is like so many things in this hobby/sport.  Every shooter has a different take on it.  Personally, I've seen too many cases of people who have NEVER taken their lock off to clean (especially cap shooters who can use a tube on their nipple) that have had problems with ignition.  When I've pulled the lock I've found it encrusted with corrosion, crud, powder residue, and who knows what.  A quick cleaning and lubing without taking the lock apart usually gets it working again but what they really needed was a thorough cleaning and polishing.  

Removing the lock at each cleaning if nothing else provides an unobstructed access to the touch hole which you can then remove or not at your discretion especially when your gun does not have a pinned barrel.  

It also provides you with an opportunity to check out the lock and make sure it is in top working order.  Which if you've followed this and other forums requires the tuning of a lock by polishing all of the mating surfaces and points of interference.  After all of this work to make the lock quick and reliable WHY WOULD YOU NOT REMOVE IT DURING EVERY CLEANING TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOT COMPROMISED ALL OF THIS EFFORT??

[mike rumping]

Better said than i did Sir Michael.
Mike

[Wyoming Mike]

If I'm at rendezvous or a multiple day shooting match, I don't pull the lock when cleaning.  I don't want to take a chance of dropping the lock in the dirt in case I get funble fingered.  I use one of those denture brushes with short bristles on one side and longer ones on the other.

If I am cleaning at home I pull the lock.  It is just easier for me to clean it up when it is out of the rifle.  I can also give a quick inspection to see how the guts are doing and give a little extra lube to some of the parts if needed.

I usually take the locks apart every year or so and give everything a good cleaning and lube.  This gets all the little gunkies that get in there over the course of time.

[oomcurt]

As has been said..everyone has thier druthers. So do I. If I do a lot of shooting at a range I pull the lock. If the gun only has one or two shots fired from it as in a hunting situation I do not pull the lock. Why? Well for one reason, say you are hunting for a week as in deer season and are camping....losing a screw then would be more than upsetting. Another reason is that just one or two shots would not create the fouling that is caused when one fires shots at a range...say 25 or even more.

Along with all this...and I have tried this both ways and can see little difference..... At times when cleaning..doesn't matter if it was at a range or hunting...I may not pull the flint...then again I might. On inspection, I have found that the leather holding the flint is not harmed by the water and the metal of the cock both top and bottom where the flint is held is also clean and not rusted or corroded.

Bottom line...thinking back it seems to me that say from the long hunters through the fur trappers...those guns recieved a lot more abuse than anyone today would want to give thier guns, yet, those old guns functioned very well for those folks that used those guns in life and death situations. So...and while I am not in any way advocating sloppy cleaning procedures, I do feel that at times this complete cleaning thing is a bit much.

Just my two cents...
Curt