General questions: flintlocks
#12
When you see the rifle, look at the frizzen. If the scratch marks start about dead center on the frizzen and then move down and the hammer has a definate S shape to it, then it is the old hammer. If the scratches start 3/4 of the way up the frizzen, normally that is a new frizzen. While they still have a S shaped hammer it is not as tight curled as the old ones. By the way, the old ones will shoot just fine.
Another trick I do is take a fuzzy pipe cleaner. Push that into the touch hole liner and close the frizzen to hold it. Then dump your powder, and patch and ball the rifle. Now slowly pull that pipe cleaner out of the vent hole. You now have powder behind the lip of the vent hole and you know it is clear. The old timers used a birds wing feather to do the same thing. Then when you prime the pan, it takes just a little spark to fall through that vent hole and you will have a BOOM!!
Good luck. I really enjoy shooting a flintlock. I can not explain why, but when you fire your first one, I dare you not to smile..
Another trick I do is take a fuzzy pipe cleaner. Push that into the touch hole liner and close the frizzen to hold it. Then dump your powder, and patch and ball the rifle. Now slowly pull that pipe cleaner out of the vent hole. You now have powder behind the lip of the vent hole and you know it is clear. The old timers used a birds wing feather to do the same thing. Then when you prime the pan, it takes just a little spark to fall through that vent hole and you will have a BOOM!!
Good luck. I really enjoy shooting a flintlock. I can not explain why, but when you fire your first one, I dare you not to smile..
#13
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
That rust wouldn't bother me at all ProHunter, so long as it's limited to the pan/frizzen area seen in the picture (i.e. the bore is clean). It appears to be fine surface rust. Just remove the frizzen and clean everything up with very fine (600 grit) emory paper. You want to polish the pan anyway, and 600 grit emory paper will do that well, or polishing compound on a felt polishing wheel in a Dremel tool. Get that rust off of the frizzen hinge and put some oil in that area. If there's rust in the screw channel, pulling a piece of cotton twine coated with polishing compound back and fourth through the hole should take care of it. (Bye the way, real men shoot flinters, and caplocks, and .22's, and Daisy BB guns, sling shots, spit balls through plastic straws, etc., etc.)
#14
Thanks again guys. Great tips from both of you. Dave, I have this feelin' I am going to have to make this deal just to see if I smile the first time. =) It sure sounds like fun and sounds like there is a lot more to getting these to shoot accurate and find the right combinations. I would love to shoot a deer with one!
#15
You will be hooked when you pop your first with a flintlock.
That will clean right up with a little effort. And the scratches look like an old style hammer. Also that vent hole is the small one. The RMC makes a real nice one. I have the same rifle and it has a fast lock time. Check that Frizzen spring and make sure it break open nice and clean. It looks like it might be sticky. But even a new frizzen is not that much.
I got a GMB 21 inch fast twist that fits mine, and that has to be one of the sweetest little carbine rifles I ever shot. Although my original 1-48 barrel shoots roundballs excellent. Sounds like I might have to shoot that tomorrow...
That will clean right up with a little effort. And the scratches look like an old style hammer. Also that vent hole is the small one. The RMC makes a real nice one. I have the same rifle and it has a fast lock time. Check that Frizzen spring and make sure it break open nice and clean. It looks like it might be sticky. But even a new frizzen is not that much.
I got a GMB 21 inch fast twist that fits mine, and that has to be one of the sweetest little carbine rifles I ever shot. Although my original 1-48 barrel shoots roundballs excellent. Sounds like I might have to shoot that tomorrow...
#16
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Sounds like I might have to shoot that tomorrow...
#17
STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your all making me want a flinter!!!
Try some roundballs out of it if you have never used them before. They are fun and cheap to shoot! Enjoy!
Kirk
Try some roundballs out of it if you have never used them before. They are fun and cheap to shoot! Enjoy!
Kirk
#18
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your all making me want a flinter!!!