Best Lock Jaw Material ?

[Loggy]

What do you flinters use in your jaws to hold the flints?

I for many years used leather which is the common material that is supplied with flintlocks when bought.

About 10 years ago i wasnt happy with the amount of spark I was getting and my local gun dealer suggested trying some strip lead in lieu of leather. WOW!!!! What a difference. Holds flints great, doesnt attract moisture, HARDER STRIKE and tremendous sparks. I always use premium agate flints.

The lead is found at roofer supply places & most roofers have scrap. Not as common as it used to be but still plenty around.

 

[Grouse]

You got a picture :?:

 

[Loggy]

You got a picture :?:

Hi Tom.

Will put one up tomorrow. Just got back from Toby Keith Concert & I'm draggin. :lol:

 

[richdeerht]

I'll stick with leather, thanks.

Using lead will slow your lock time. Same size main spring, more inertia mass to rotate. Flintlock match shooters go the other way- they try to lighten the jaw and jaw screw to speed up their locks. You'd be surprised how quickly some of these guns fire. And, they are not holding their flints with lead.

Using lead to hold flint was more common on military type flintlocks. Like a Brown Bess or a Charleville.

 

[Loggy]

Heres is a pic of my TC Firestorm Flintlock with lead strip in jaws. The lead strip is very thin and light with no distinguishable difference in weight as compared to much thicker leather...in fact, depending on flint type & cut a weight differential is always a variable much more in connection with the flint composition/cut itself.

I can only say that based on shooting both leather AND thin lead strip that the lead definitily provides a much harder strike with resultant being a much better spark. You can actually hear the difference (strike sound) in a flint cushioned by leather vs held by lead. You may lose a few split miliseconds of speed but the hit & amount of spark is where its at ...at least in the hunting arena w/ conditions encountered there.

This is just my experience using BOTH materials in my lock jaws on many hunting trips/range visits. It may or not be best for your particular gun or shooting activity ur involved with...competition etc. Flintlock rifles where I experienced a drastic spark shower improvement are the TC Firestorm (Pic Below) and the TC PA Hunter.

Leadfree is ok for some but not me...at least for my Flinters Jaws! Try it..you may like it! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with you Loggy. I use a thin lead strip in my flinter also. BIG difference on sparking, and haven't really noticed any locktime difference between leather and lead.

 

[Grouse]

Thanks Larry for the Pic. I like the idea and will try it as well.

 

[edmehlig]

Loggy, looks and sounds good to me. I'll have to try and find some. I'm always looking for things to help make things a little better.

Ed

 

[Anonymous]

Ed,,,just pour some out of your pot onto a cookie sheet, pound it out to the thickness you need, then cut the size you need using a utility knife.

 

[edmehlig]

DUH, what a great idea. Just for that, you need any Teflon Protectors? PM me your home address and I'll send ya a couple.

Ed

 

[Anonymous]

Sure! I'll try 'em... :wink:

 

[Loggy]

Hey Chief, welcome to the Mehlig Teflon Protector Field Testing Team!! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Loggy. It's gonna be brutal, but someone's gotta do it,,,right? :lol:

 

[quackmaster4]

I have always used leather. I have some from a deer I killed a couple years ago with my GPR and had the hide tanned and made into gloves, and saved the scraps to use in the rifle. I get really good spark now, but might try the lead to see if I could improve.

 

[cayuga]

I use leather in my locks to hold the flint. It seems to be working so I hate to change it. Maybe next time I mold some bullets, I will make a few lead strips and give the idea a try.

As for agates, I had an agate come with my Lyman Trade Rifle. If I could get more of them I would buy them in a heart beat. I bet I got over 80 shots off that thing before it finally gave out. I have never come even close to that with black english flints. And this idea of knapping the flint, well I have to admit I am all thumbs. So far, I call it shattering the flints.

I did buy some muzzy wheels and was going to give that a try, but a friend was using my dremel tool and burned it out, so I have to get a new one of them too.

Nice looking set up Loggy...

 

[PA RIDGE RUNNER]

Loggy I may have to try that lead strip too. Looks nice cept for the lock is plumb on the wrong side. Yes I shoot lefty. I learned to shoot a right hand flinter, left handed because at that time no one made a lefty. I can't say I got the first left hand model flinter but believe it may have been the second one off the line. To gain an insight into my plight just try to shoot your righty from the off side once and try not to flinch.