Well I for one ain't sure he was being sarcastic but if he was you bit and replied in a way that was kinda uncool. I would think if he posted "Oh wow 6000 shots I'm cool" or something like that you would be right but I just didn't read that in his post. If I feel someone is dissing me I just ignore them.

Anyway back to the subject and yes you have way more experience than me with flinters for sure, is it normal for some of them to chip big time the first fall or two and then settle in to be great flints? I am still setting up bevel down like most people tell me to do and after they chip I flip them over dry shoot a few times then go back to bevel down and load up.

It seemed to work last weekend but if I am going to hunt with one of these rifles I need to know it's good to go without worrying about breaking in the flint, or need to know that I need to do that.

Does that make any sense?

No, that's not normal...it's the classic failure pattern of a flint that's hitting too head on, too square into the frizzen...if they hit at a downward shavingangle they don't break like that

Hmmm, So may be I am not setting them into the jaw at a correct angle to start with? I try to make the flint top level with the plane of the jaw. I could play with that and try to angle it down more.

Pacing the flint with bevel down holds the edge too high and it hits the frizzen too square.....TC locks operate best with black English flints, bevel up, with the following set-up:

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 sition 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.

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

All right I will try the bevel up with the big flints next time or when the flint I have on now weares out

Like I said it's kinda funny once it wore in it really is shooting good. The funny thing is if you look at the face of the flint it looks like a mess.

It's awfully hard to do this remotely, but it sound likethe couple of 'shatters' end up shortening the flint just enough so it travels further forward in the hammer's arc before it hits the frizzen, which causes it to strike the frizzen lower and at a dowward shaving angle...no more shatters and lots of sparks...you just want to achieve that same thing with a new flint from the git go...don't want it shattering when you drop the hammer on a 10 pointer

up until now, i thought you werebest person i have ever had pleasure of reading info.i was only giving you a comment on those 6000 shots. i have only 100 out of my gun in 36 years.so, i was amazed at that many shots.i never had any sarcasam towards you here. next, the 3/4 flint is too wide. i agreed with the other person who also said they were to wide.i cant believe you would get so mad when someone offers their opinion also on here.i never meant to be smart with you in any way.rest assured, i will never respnd to you for anything, your info i gave to my friends will be thrown away.no one will ever say a word with your name on again at shooting range.to imply i am dumb at the end of your comments, if i could meet you, i would show you some simple steps.