New-fangled percussion long rifle converted to old-fangled Flintlock

[RonRC]

I purchased a very nice Hatfield (1988) longrifle from one of our Frontier Muzzleloading community members a few months ago. It came with a perfectly fine percussion lock.

Being the cynic I am, I don't think these modern contraptions like percussion locks will ever catch on :evil: , so I decided to revert back to the dependable flint lock. :lol:

I bought an L&R flint lock that is made for the Hatfield rifle. In fact, the Hatfield rifles were made to use their percussion and flint locks interchangeably. In addition, I bought a flash (touch) hole liner from Track of the Wolf. The flint lock fits nicely, but the liner sticks out (sits proud) of the rifle barrel. Then, the frizzen hits the liner and won't close.

I picked up some tips on another site about fixing the problem. I placed the liner in a 5/16 nut and put the nut in a vise. That way, there was little stress put on the liner. I filed the top of the liner, installed it in the rifle barrel along with the flint lock, and tested. I had to repeat that procedure 5 times until the liner was flush with the rifle barrel and the frizzen would close. Success! Now I have a percussion and flint lock Hatfield.

Ron

 

[patocazador]

If the liner had a screw slot, it doesn't anymore. :lol: 
The White Lightning liners don't have one so it doesn't matter.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

sweet! 8)

 

[RonRC]

I left enough slot for a screwdriver.

The instructions said to use a 5/8 long by 7/8 wide flint. That is much to short. A 7/8 long flint works much better.
Ron

 

[Hilljack1]

The screw slot will erode from use and you will end up using an easy-out for removal...The slotted work, but I have found that the White Lighting are very consistent and last a good while...Besides vent are not normally removed for cleaning, this creates extra wear in the thread area and damage to the vent itself...Easier process to install the vent and flush it with the barrel with a mill file....Thanks for reading my thoughts and opinions...

YMHS
Hilljack

 

[RonRC]

Thanks, Hilljack!
Would you suggest leaving it as is for now and replacing it with a White Lightening later, or put a White Lightening in right away?
When filing flush with the barrel, how do you keep from scratching the barrel in the area of the liner?

Ron

 

[Standing Bear]

10+ years ago I had to replace my flush mounted liner (it had opened up to >5/64" and poi at 100 yds had dropped 2-3"). I installed a slotted liner. I already have a White Lightning and may replace the slotted one next fall as this one is getting gas cut.

Hooray for improving the Hatfield. Working on a neglected .36 pop gun now but instead of converting it I'll probably sell and keep looking for a .32 flint.

 

[BigAl52]

Shees you engineers are all alike. Take a perfectly good caplock and make some primitive caveman weapon out of it. Now it will misfire and the only thing it will be good for is another wall hanger.:no::no:

:cheers: :cheers:  Hi Ron

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Shees you engineers are all alike. Take a perfectly good caplock and make some primitive caveman weapon out of it. Now it will misfire and the only thing it will be good for is another wall hanger.:no::no:

:cheers: :cheers:  Hi Ron

Hahahahaha! :lol:

What is funny to me is that I kept the Hatfield in flintlock! 
I wonder how similar the two are now... 
I wonder why you did not look for a Hatfield lock... 
Would that have made the liner issue easier?

 

[Hilljack1]

You will get some minor scratching, you can minimize this by using masking tape, but unfortunately you will have some. But on the other hand this area you get flash from the lock going off, so it kind of heals itself..... Thanks for reading my thoughts and opinions...

YMHS
Hilljack

 

[RonRC]

Shees you engineers are all alike. Take a perfectly good caplock and make some primitive caveman weapon out of it. Now it will misfire and the only thing it will be good for is another wall hanger.:no::no:

:cheers: :cheers:  Hi Ron

And I call these guys "friends"?

Colonel, I found that L&R made a flint lock that was for the Hatfield and the Cabela's and Pedersoli knockoffs of the Hatfield. Then, I learned from Track of the Wolf that they had a liner that fit the threaded barrel insert of the Hatfield. The flint lock was just about a perfect fit. The touch liner was ever so slightly proud of the barrel (I learned the "proud" expression from more learned muzzleloaders). It was really close. I probably could have left it alone and just put up with a little contact between the frizzen and the liner.

The previous owner before you, Colonel, may have already fit a flint lock to the rifle I now have. How do I know? The instructions said that I would have to take out a little wood to make room for some of the screws and other parts of the flint lock. However, that already was done and I did not have to make any mods to fit the flint lock.

Young boys like BigAl get all excited about novel and innovative changes, so I am not surprised at his fascination with the percussion mechanism. It's just a youthful fad that will never have commercial success. :evil: :lol:

Admittedly, I have gone the direction of the percussion lock for concealed carry. Here is my carry firearm:

Ron

 

[patocazador]

During the percussion cap shortage, I read about several people who 'reverted' their cap locks to flintlocks so they wouldn't have to worry about shortages anymore. They could always find steel, sparking rocks (flint/chert), and, if necessary, make their own black powder.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

(whistles... impressed...) 

I need to give all my rifles to engineers and to old-timers for a while. 
Seems they tell me more about them in a couple weeks than I could 
know in a couple years. 

Thanks Ron. Thanks Bob. (replace 'old-timer' with 'deeply experienced 
and respected BP enthusiasts!') 

It may be possible that the Hatfield when it was made was made to allow 
a switch without all the fuss that came later. I know there was quite a bit of 
variation in quality/build depending on when it was made. But, who knows? 
You may be right though as that is the simplest answer. If they did play with 
it that much, they took great care of it. I am glad you are having fun with it.

 

[RonRC]

Here is the Hatfield with the new lock installed as well as a fuzzy photo showing the touch hole liner.

Ron

 

[OSR]

RonC - Nice looking rifle.

 

[OSR]

(whistles... impressed...) 

I need to give all my rifles to engineers and to old-timers for a while. 
Seems they tell me more about them in a couple weeks than I could 
know in a couple years. 

Thanks Ron. Thanks Bob. (replace 'old-timer' with 'deeply experienced 
and respected BP enthusiasts!') 

It may be possible that the Hatfield when it was made was made to allow 
a switch without all the fuss that came later. I know there was quite a bit of 
variation in quality/build depending on when it was made. But, who knows? 
You may be right though as that is the simplest answer. If they did play with 
it that much, they took great care of it. I am glad you are having fun with it.

The switch from flint to percussion was a normal thing in the past.  Leave it to the penny pinchers in government to come up with a way to save a few bucks.  Especially the Brits, they converted a lot of their military flintlocks to percussion as a matter of course, to save a few bucks.  It was a lot cheaper to convert than to purchase a new rifle.

 

[BigAl52]

All you old guys wanna engineer something to take you back to your childhood days and cannot accept modern day technology like a simple caplock. You would rather make your life more frustrating and play with a caveman weapon to entertain yourself in retirement. Al

 

[OSR]

All you old guys wanna engineer something to take you back to your childhood days and cannot accept modern day technology like a simple caplock. You would rather make your life more frustrating and play with a caveman weapon to entertain yourself in retirement. Al

Don't you remember Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier?  He carried a flintlock.

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/davy-crocketts-ol-betsy-found/

 

[exMember]

Look good!

Ron, what is that other flint below?

 

[BigAl52]

All you old guys wanna engineer something to take you back to your childhood days and cannot accept modern day technology like a simple caplock. You would rather make your life more frustrating and play with a caveman weapon to entertain yourself in retirement. Al

Don't you remember Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier?  He carried a flintlock.

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/davy-crocketts-ol-betsy-found/

I do remember Davey Crockett. But Jeremiah Johnson kicked butt with his caplock to. Al