Flinting woes.

[Pittsburghunter]

I still have trouble getting real flint to work but when I do get a set up flashing I get like 20 shots before I have to worry again. Is this normal? Sometimes it takes 4-5 hits and readjustments to get a flint working right and some of the flints I try just don't fit at all. Today I had one flint that shattered half of it's face the first fall but it sparked so well we went on to shoot 20 trouble free shots. Is that about right?

[roundball]

ORIGINAL: Pittsburghunter

I still have trouble getting real flint to work but when I do get a set up flashing I get like 20 shots before I have to worry again. Is this normal? Sometimes it takes 4-5 hits and readjustments to get a flint working right and some of the flints I try just don't fit at all. Today I had one flint that shattered half of it's face the first fall but it sparked so well we went on to shoot 20 trouble free shots. Is that about right?

Pitts...
Is this TC's old style or new style lock?
What kind of flints are you using?

[Pittsburghunter]

Both, My new rifle and the Renegade you have seen. Actually the Renegade was a bit easier to set up and as you probably already guessed shot better than the new rifle. The new gun I can adjust any flint to fit but it smashes them.

Again, after I found a fit I have shot it over 20 times without even adjusting it. Both guns I now want to clean without removing the flint got any hints?

[roundball]

TC locks operate best with black English flints, bevel up and the set-up is as follows:

Close the frizzen, set the hammer at half cock,and clamp the flint in position so it's edge is barely just not touching the frizzen face...literally allbut touching the frizzen.

In this position you should be able to see that the flint will impact the frizzen at a slightly downward shaving angle...to shave off the bits of steel...if it appears that it will be hitting the frizzen too "straight on", too "square", then it won't shave/won't spark good, will dull quickly requiring frequent knapping,and often will cause the flint to shatterfrom the straight on, head on impact.

If it's not obvious that the flint will be hitting at a downward angle, then loosen the jaws and slide the flint back away from the frizzen 1/16" (or 1/8") so that when fired, the arc of the hammer will be further forward when the flint hits the frizzen causing it to be lower at a steeper angle.

My TC locks with 3/4" x 7/8" BEFs normally get through a 50 shot session without knapping, or with only one brief knapping, and often I finish two 50 shot sessions on the same flint, knapping 2-3 times during the second 50 shot session.

Here's a BEF, bevel up, with the hammer at rest full forward:

[sproulman]

on the older t/c hawkins with old lock etc,i had to leave the flint a knickle away and the bevel down.it worked fine.if you put bevel up and 1/16th ,oh my, good buy flint and frizzen.t/c had problems with lock and the frizzens.rmc has a great frizzen for hawkins.now with new lock on my hawkins,i do as roundball said.i am no expert only what worked and no one told me how, i learned by trying different things. i still cant shoot rb out of my hawkins, ha, i forgot my starter at range.man, i could not even push that rb in with that.018 patch.i am not giving up,going to get that hawkins to shoot a rb if it kills me.i was maxi man now a powerbelt man,ha.

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: Pittsburghunter

I still have trouble getting real flint to work but when I do get a set up flashing I get like 20 shots before I have to worry again. Is this normal? Sometimes it takes 4-5 hits and readjustments to get a flint working right and some of the flints I try just don't fit at all. Today I had one flint that shattered half of it's face the first fall but it sparked so well we went on to shoot 20 trouble free shots. Is that about right?

I have read some stuff by real expert flintlock users to the effect that some have gotten upwards of 50 or more shots from oneflint. But my locks must not be adjusted right, or I am using poor-quality flints, because 10 to 15 shots is as many as I've gotten from most flints I've tried.

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: Pittsburghunter

Both, My new rifle and the Renegade you have seen. Actually the Renegade was a bit easier to set up and as you probably already guessed shot better than the new rifle. The new gun I can adjust any flint to fit but it smashes them.

Again, after I found a fit I have shot it over 20 times without even adjusting it. Both guns I now want to clean without removing the flint got any hints?

If you can remove the hammer, you can wash all the fouling off of its' surfaces with a damp patch, then dry and oil the metal parts. Don't get the leather too wet, but you can sponge off the face/edges of the flint while it is mounted..... Use the same patch to de-foul the lockplate & pan.

[roundball]

ORIGINAL: eldeguello
I have read some stuff by real expert flintlock users to the effect that some have gotten upwards of 50 or more shots from oneflint.

Well, I'm certainly no expert and I get that very often so it may wellbe the flints you use or theset up, etc.

For example, using Tom Fuller 3/4" black English flints in my TC locks, I had a 50 shot range session Saturday morning with a .45cal andknapped the flint one time during the session...and justran a 50 shotsession this morning with a .50cal...neverhad to touch the flint at all.

Are you using black English flints, or French amber,or 'agates', etc?

[frontier gander]

sounds like the frizzen spring is to hard. I would just buy a new frizzen and a frizzen spring and check it out. If its a TC im sure you can call them and explain to them what its doing and how to go about fixing it.

[sproulman]

roundball,i bought one of those agate flints .i shot over 20 with it and it just started to round the edge a littlle.i took my mizzy wheel and put a nice edge on it. i bet i can get way over 50 shots with that agate flint.it is unreal.i dont like look of it but,boy, does it wear good.i bet close to 100.