Flintlock today

[exMember]

Taking the ol flinter out here in about 30 minutes. Going to do some fine tuning and try the moose milk patch lube in this rifle and see how it goes. Most likely going to shoot 75 yards so I can file down the front sight and put it dead on.

Been a little while since I've shot her so lets hope my flinch isn't as bad as it was the last time out :lol:

 

[Spitfire1]

Yeah a flinty really separates the men from the boys....:lol:

 

[exMember]

not bad at all! It shoots POI at 75 yards on a fouled bore. About a 3 3/4" group. I am reloading some powder tubes and going to try some more shots now that i refigured out my pan charge LOL.

 

[Spitfire1]

Did you measure the speed of the balls Jon ? What load did you use ?

 

[patocazador]

What I know about flintlocks can be written on the edge of a penny. That being said, I read that quicker lock times are achieved using as little pan powder as possible and making sure that powder does NOT cover the touch hole. It said the flame/heat is what ignites the main charge not powder burning into it like a fuse. That fuse effect just slows down the ignition to cause a fairly long delay in ignition.

You probably already know that but it was an eye opener for me.

 

[Spitfire1]

You read right Pato.

 

[exMember]

Ive read that to, but its really boils down to is what your flintlock likes. Me personally, I add a touch of pan powder and then smack it so it dribbles into the touch hole, into the main charge and then a little more powder in the pan. She fires extremely fast doing it this way.

I have not measured the velocity YET but im sure it will be up there in the mid to high 1900's. I am getting my chrony read to set up now to see what the 300gr PT Golds are doing. I can bring the flinter out as well and take a look at that. I'll lightly swab between shots with the flintlock.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Yeah a flinty really separates the men from the boys....:lol:

 Yes, it does. The boys shoot better, because they haven't developed a flinch yet. 

 

[Spitfire1]

Nah ...because they see better !

 

[Okie Hog]

In the early 70s a guy named Russ Hamm solved the flintlock failure to fire problem with his "atomic frizzen".     The atomic frizzen is thin and made of depleted uranium:  It was soldered or glued onto the frizzen.   Somewhere among my scattered junk; maybe in WV, i have two Russ Hamm frizzens.

My old muzzleloading mentor had consistent  hang fires and misfires with an original flitntlock.  We put an atomic frizzen on the gun and his problems were solved.


The atomic frizzen in action:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437541

 

[Spitfire1]

I think a lot has to do with the way the frizzen was heat treated , too hrd or soft and the sparks will be weak.

 

[Marty1]

Wonder why :scratch:  the "atomic frizzen" died-out of production? 
Perhaps too modern for the traditional purist...after all, getting a spark when it really counts is part of the excitement.

 

[Okie Hog]

"Wonder why

the "atomic frizzen" died-out of production?"

Depleted uranium is slightly radioactive. 

BTW:  Depleted uranium is used in some armor penetrating anti-tank ammunition.   Besides punching a hole in the tank,  it incinerates the stuff inside.

 

[Spitfire1]

For another thing with the advent of in-lines the older traditional guns went out of fashion so the makers of the atomic frizzen had no customers left

 

[exMember]

Im sure some states outlawed it as well since it was so reliable.

 

[Spitfire1]

Will not put that past the authorities !