The Romance of Flintlocks

[Delight523]

What is it about flintlocks that draws us, captivates us? For me, it's a bit mystical.
Flintlocks are simple and pure. Iron barrels and mechanisms made from ores forged by fire and muscle, mounted on stocks made from trees nurtured by the ground that gave up the ores. Fueled by organic minerals and compounds, ignited by- of all things- a lowly rock, they send forth balls cast from an otherwise low value metal that is now worth more than its weight in gold as it defends one's life or provides it sustenance.
A flintlock is more than the sum of its parts. It is a living, breathing creation wrought by our hands from the same Earth that we sprang forth from.

 

[smokepolehall]

Ok, glad you like them. They are fine looking rifles for sure. I like them myself, i may find/get/put together a nice kit in the future.

 

[RobRed]

To me it’s incredibly cool that they are a pre industrial.

I love how one could keep one going with no electricity, no modern tools, and no reliance on modern manufacturing.

 

[Squint]

We know that Flint locks belong to a different time., what game there was was not as head shy, people were not driving vehicles, making a lot of noise, no trains and only a handful of people. Game could be shot at a pretty decent range without a bunch of technical knowledge. I like the idea of the muzzleloader season that has to be flintlock only, or at the very least flintlock and side lock percussions. It has become far too easy with the equipment that's available to shoot giant sized animals with little effort and yet the effort to use a muzzleloader is not that harder, it's just more time consuming and requires a different style of hunting. I have nothing against inlines, 3006 and 270's, but I don't believe they should complete in the same field. There's nothing wrong with those that want to use these guns in that field, but it's nice that sometimes we can move back to a gentler times when you could hunt was a flintlock and get games successfully with round balls only.
Squint

 

[RobRed]

We know that Flint locks belong to a different time., what game there was was not as head shy, people were not driving vehicles, making a lot of noise, no trains and only a handful of people. Game could be shot at a pretty decent range without a bunch of technical knowledge. I like the idea of the muzzleloader season that has to be flintlock only, or at the very least flintlock and side lock percussions. It has become far too easy with the equipment that's available to shoot giant sized animals with little effort and yet the effort to use a muzzleloader is not that harder, it's just more time consuming and requires a different style of hunting. I have nothing against inlines, 3006 and 270's, but I don't believe they should complete in the same field. There's nothing wrong with those that want to use these guns in that field, but it's nice that sometimes we can move back to a gentler times when you could hunt was a flintlock and get games successfully with round balls only.
Squint

Come out for PA flintlock only season! Plenty of challenge getting one to go bang after a day of trudging around in the ice and drizzle

 

[Hanshi]

I have used flintlocks for so long (over 60 years), for hunting/targets and just fun I don't think about it as "different" or novel; to me it's just something I reach for when I need a rifle.