Probably a silly question

The shortage of rimfire and centerfire has caused the factories to drop making percussion caps as they don’t sell as well as 9mm, 5.56, and the tactical calibers. They’re focusing all their resources on what’s most in demand, and it aint percussion caps lol.

Get a flintlock. Perfect excuse!

Good excuse to get a flintlock! I was just thinking about getting one. I had a TC rifle a long time ago, and now a Pietta 1860 pistol. The 1860 has been going with me shooting more than any of my other pistols lately.

I got caps directly from CCI not too long ago.

Appalachiannative said:

But really why is it that I can kinda find powder, easily find balls and have to hunt and hunt for caps? It's making me seriously consider getting a flintlock

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That's exactly what I did. And why.

Appalachiannative said:

That is pretty much what I assumed. For years now I've noticed limited selection for my .30-30 win but all the stores do everything they can to keep 9mm, 5.56mm and .223 rem around

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It's "tacticool"... just sayn

The "Outdoor Armory" seems to have primers and caps in stock. I have never bought from them, so not an endorsement.

Ugly Sauce said:

The "Outdoor Armory" seems to have primers and caps in stock. I have never bought from them, so not an endorsement.

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Be very careful of those places. I’ve heard more than one sob story about a “new” company popping up, taking folks money and then disappearing into the aether…

I just started shooting black powder a year ago and at that time I already knew caps were pretty much unavailable so I bought a flintlock.

How did that work out? I now own 5 flintlocks and still don't have or desire a cap gun.

Once you go to a rock lock, you won't want to shoot a cap gun again. Just too much fun.

Fyrstyk said:

Once you go to a rock lock, you won't want to shoot a cap gun again. Just too much fun.

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Until you get the dreaded "CLACK", and watch a nice buck run away. It happens.

I suspect the shortage of percussion caps is much like the shortage of center fire primers. The only place I've seen them for sale is by the scalpers on GunBroker and the prices there are just stupid. Haven't looked there for caps (I shoot black powder in brass cases) but I would bet it's the same for percussion fans.

Dave

noelf2 said:

Until you get the dreaded "CLACK", and watch a nice buck run away. It happens.

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I prefer flint over cap, but it requires a lot of attention to detail, and a good quality lock. If those criteria are met, you will never, as in ever, hear a "CLACK". My Jeager has never, as in never, or ever, as in many many years of shooting it, gone clack. However, your cleaning and loading techniques have to be perfect. If not, yes, then it can happen! If my Jeager ever does go clack, I'll be just as surprised as I would be if any cartridge gun I have did the same. (which would be a "click", and not a "clack"!)

I just watched a video yesterday of a guy hunting Javalina (SP?) with a flintlock. It looked like a good quality custom made gun, but man, it was flash in the pan after flash in the pan. He didn't know what the heck he was doing as far as using a flintlock. I noticed that every time he loaded it, he kept ramming his pick into the touch-hole really aggressively. I think he was packing the powder away from the touch hole which was the cause or one cause of his problem. His loading and cleaning techniques probably also sucked. But my point is, you have to know what you are doing before you take a flintlock on a hunt. But again, cleaned and loaded right you won't get any more miss-fires than you would with your cap-lock, .30-30, 7mm Mag, or whatever.

Just to play the devils advocate here, there was a reason the armies of the world move up from match to flint to percussion to self contained fixed ammo, and the “clack” was part of the reason, specially in rainy weather. Of course rate of fire had a more than primary reason also.

I enjoy my cap guns - and layed in a pretty good supply of caps well before this latest nonsense - but flinters are my first love, in the BP world. And yes, as @Ugly Sauce points out, a decent gun wielded by a knowledgeable man is just about as reliable as a cap gun, and nearly as fast - so fast that I can never quite tell if any little lag is just in my imagination.

The one flintlock that I have never had, though, is a top quality custom American long rifle. All of these shortages may be just the thing to finally get me to buy or build one.

woodnbow said:

Be very careful of those places. I’ve heard more than one sob story about a “new” company popping up, taking folks money and then disappearing into the aether…

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Totally agree with you woodnbow. Google the company ratings before buying. Also, the "company", Outdoor Ammory? yes, that's how they spell it. Not Armory. They have very bad ratings. We have to be vigilant now more than ever. just sayin'

As always, one of the easiest ways to identify the fraudsters is to look at the payment methods. If they only accept things like Venmo, that's a hard signal to stay away. "Outdoor Ammory" is pure fraud.

I guess it falls under the heading of: "too good to be true". I did find it odd that they had so much in stock, but again, I made it clear (I think I did) that I did not endorse them.

Appalachiannative said:

But really why is it that I can kinda find powder, easily find balls and have to hunt and hunt for caps? It's making me seriously consider getting a flintlock

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My friend, you could have predicted the answer. This bunch of enablers (and I'm one of 'em!) was certain to encourage you. Heck, I'm looking forward to the photos! I keep looking at Brown Bess muskets...

I've been tempted, too, but I can make caps, plus I'm refining my recharge process for #209 primers, which is what my little "breechplug" from Short Lane uses. I belong to a trap club and can get large quantities of fired hulls, with those beautiful little once-fired primers!

<Shatner voice>Must. Control. Visa card!</Shatner voice>
Dirty Bob (and soon to get dirtier when I start making—and biting/tearing—paper cartridges for my 12ga!)

whughett said:

Just to play the devils advocate here, there was a reason the armies of the world move up from match to flint to percussion to self contained fixed ammo, and the “clack” was part of the reason, specially in rainy weather. Of course rate of fire had a more than primary reason also.

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Well, the military concerns, or reasons are quite a bit apart from sporting rifles. The clack for instance, did not even matter when 100 guys on line fired, and some guns did not go off. Didn't make a difference. One big difference would be less time training the raw recruit how to maintain, load and fire his weapon. And, the position and condition of the flint in the jaws of the cock was probably never mastered by the more dim-witted soldier. So year, reasons were different and varied from the pros and cons of cap lock vs. flintlock for hunting. But...good advocating for that devil-dude!

Dirty Bob said:

I keep looking at Brown Bess muskets...

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The Brown Bess by Pedersoli is a good reliable flintlock, as it's a copy of the original lock, and not a modern "improvement" or modern interpretation of a flintlock. I had very little tuning to do on mine. It's probably the best bet other than having a custom rifle or musket made. Paying for a custom hand made gun however, is more than worth the price.