How often do you replace your flints? Still new at the flintlock and went out the other night for an hour looking for a doe. Didn't see anything and it turns out I'm gladI didn't. On the wayout Iwanted to shoot the load out and found it wouldn't fire. After looking closely, the flint was the issue. Lesson learned, like bow hunting, replaceables should always be new before the hunt weather you think they need to be or not. Still, wondering howlong flintsshouldlast. This one didn't give me any issues in the last practice session but was obviously dull.
The length of how long a flint will last has so many variables it is hard to say. I have knapped them and got 60 shots off one Thomas Fuller Flint. Then again, I have put a new flint in, got maybe ten shots, and had it split right down the middle. If you knapp the flints you will of course get many more shots off them. I had an Agate that I got so many shots off it, I stopped keeping track.
When I hunt with a flintlock, I always have a new flint that I strike to the frizzen twice before I hunt with it. Then I know the edge is formed and it will go off real fast and normally 99.999% of the time if the pan powder is dry.
Buy some alcohol swabs at the pharmacy. They come pre wrapped in a pack of ten. I carry a couple of them when I hunt and from time to time will take one of them, blow the pan clean of powder, wipe the frizzen, the flint edge, and the pan, let it all dry, and then put new powder in it.
The other day I was shooting in a snow day on my range to see what makes the flintlock fail. I had a new flint and was shooting 3f as my pan prime. I have no idea what makes a flintlock fail in the bad weather as it behaved very well. It acted like the weather was nice and dry. I use a Thomas Fuller Black English Flint and was shooting a Lyman Trade Rifle at the time.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I will say I never had a misfire with my flinters here is why:
I use a new flint tom fuller BEF and if I strike the flint it becomes a range flint:I set up my flint to be 1/16 away and make sure it will hit square on the frizzen.
I also use a bevel down set up
I always carry a use flint if I need to unload the charge in the field
I also polish my frizzen and lock were the powder charge sits. and wipe with alcohol the complete lock and frizzen:I also do not use any breech plug grease on the ventliner and my barrel first shot clean runs the same pattern as a fired barrel.
How often do you replace your flints? Still new at the flintlock and went out the other night for an hour looking for a doe. Didn't see anything and it turns out I'm gladI didn't. On the wayout Iwanted to shoot the load out and found it wouldn't fire. After looking closely, the flint was the issue. Lesson learned, like bow hunting, replaceables should always be new before the hunt weather you think they need to be or not. Still, wondering howlong flintsshouldlast. This one didn't give me any issues in the last practice session but was obviously dull.
About every 50 shots is the common rule of thumb, or when the flint doesn't spark well. Get into a dark room, like a garage, and turn out the lights and shoot the gun empty to see how the "shower of sparks goes", if it does a lot your good to go, if it does just a little, then replace the flint. If your not sure that your shower of sparks is adequate, ask a friend who has a good shooting and sparking flintlook to see his shower in the dark. Big difference if it is not sparking right.
Chap Gleason
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Chapman Gleason
Purcellville Va
http://www.the-gleasons.com
Cain Outdoors, Muzzleloader Suoply, RMC Sports, October Country, most of the flints people carry will be/have Thomas Fuller Black English Flints. Other good flints are the French Amber (very expensive and not worth the extra cost) and the german agates.
__________________
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I use a diamond wheel to take the humpbacks off so they fit better and deeper into the jaws. But when they are dull, I still knapp them with a knapping tool that I built out of an old nail.
__________________
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
new flints?
