Flintlock maintenance and tuning

[Oldnamvet]

Ran across this on another forum and thought it would be of interest.



http://www.brigadeofguards.org/guar...tury Firelock Reliability and Maintenance.pdf

 

[SleazyRider]

Excellent, excellent article; a must read for flintlock enthusiasts. Didn't know that about wrapping the flint with lead.

Thanks for posting!

 

[[email protected]]

I read the whole thing, and it is just that, for interest.

 

[BCRider]

I like the idea of fitting the flints with the lead pads. The best part is that I can trim to fit the lead/flint combos ahead of time so that they are easy to swap at an event with little time lost.

Kwhi, what are your thoughts on the part about the end of the flints and where the cock comes to rest in relation to the pan? The idea of the nose of the flint coming to rest at the short distance over the pan seems to make a lot of sense.

The part about the flint edge contacting the frizzen about 2/3's up the face was also taught to me by the local flint users during my shoots with them. But then that's pretty much self evident that for a good shower of sparks that the flint needs to rub the frizzen for a good long time.

I'm going to give that pulling back while pressuring the frizzen a try as well. The idea of touching up an edge that is beginning to wear seems like a nice stop gap trick to extend the shooting instead of getting out a knapping hammer.

 

[[email protected]]

Well I don't use lead to hold the flint. I much prefer leather. Cut a small "V" in
the back of the leather so as your flint will actually touch the jaw screw. This will
hold it firm. The reason I don't like lead is that it causes the flint to hit the
Frizzen much harder. It is harder on flints and harder on the Frizzen. In some
cases it has actually broken the frizzen. When you are shooting in competition
and you are shooting your flint 50-100 times a day, you don't want something
that is hard on flints or Frizzen.
On sharping, I can see where that way of pushing the Frizzen against the flint
would work. I just knapp them myself. I have a little tool made from brass that
you hold on the flint and tap it with a small hammer across the flint. This gives
A perfect edge all the way across the flint. Will have to put a picture of it on here
The position of the flint when down should be in the center of the pan and
slightly above the touchhole. If it's too far down the blast from the touchhole
will dull it and you will be sharping your flints quite often. Here is a picture of my
lock. You can see where the flint hits the Frizzen and see where the edge is when
cock is down over the pan.

 

[Palehorseman]

I use something similar, it is to far right and the small brass hammer/screw driver is used to strike it and knap the flint.

 

[Palehorseman]

Blimy, double post

 

[Oldnamvet]

I was right, I figured this would spur some constructive criticism and exchange of knowledge regardless of whether you agreed with the information or not.

 

[[email protected]]

You just wanted to see if I really knew anything about a flint.

 

[[email protected]]

Well with all the tips and talk about Flintlocks, the proof is in the pudding, just
how fast do they really fire? Watch this video I made. Watch it several times.
This is in real time, no trickery here. This is the real deal.

http://youtu.be/DIUNBFw0YAE

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Isn't the relationship between where the flint strikes the frizzen and its final position (other than the length of the flint) a product of the geometrical relationship between the centers of each? A longer flint will raise the point where it strikes the frizzen but will also move the final resting point forward where a shorter flint will lower the point of strike and move the final resting point rearward. So once again we are stuck dealing with a compromise.

 

[[email protected]]

That's why you use the proper size flint.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Don't wrap your flint in lead. Unless it's a forged hammer, a casted hammer can be bent by the additional weight of the lead. Instead, wet some leather, stretch and wrap it around the flint. Let it dry on the flint.

Jim Chambers was the one who warned me about lead and flints on the modern, casted hammer.

 

[Oldnamvet]

You just wanted to see if I really knew anything about a flint.

Would I do that? Nope, I have read enough of your posts to know.

 

[Doak]

Great subject. There's so much to analyze. Over the years, I've built several Siler kits, each one driving my desire to discover more "secrets" of the flintlock, and improve performance.

The Siler lock is of German design, and the mainspring pushes directly down on top of the "horn" of the tumbler. This German design is not as fast an action as the English design, in which the mainspring, being under the tumbler "horn", pulls the tumbler "horn" down, through a link between the spring & tumbler.

Less parts to break in the German design.

So here are some things I've discovered...
Lead for holding the flint is a no-no. Because of the added mass, it slows initial movement of the hammer fall & increases stress on the hammer at stop impact.

The flint should contact the frizzen somewhere in the upper third of the length of the face of the frizzen.

When the touch hole & pan are in proper relationship, the gun fires long before the flint reaches the bottom of it's stroke. Sparks bounce off the fence, flash the pan, and set off the main charge when the frizzen's about 1/2 open.

The frizzen should snap open just before the flint reaches the bottom of the frizzen.
Two things happen at this time. The frizzen stop stikes the frizzen spring, and the hammer stop strikes the top of the lock-plate.

When the frizzen stops open, it takes a while for the frizzen to "settle down": the frizzen cam, and the frizzen stop, bounce, & oscillate on the frizzen spring, sending a vibration through the gun, however slight.

If there's over-travel of the hammer after the frizzen fully opens, the vibration of the hammer striking the lock plate, extends the the overall time duration of the sum of these two sources of vibration.

It's best to have both sources of vibration occur simultaneously, for the shortest time duration of the vibration(s).

This means that the hammer should impact it's stop at the same time the frizzen snaps open. The hammer will also not strike the lock plate, as hard, if it can't speed up after loosing contact w/the frizzen.

Maybe the ball has cleared the muzzle before the effect of vibrations, maybe not. Might depend on the length of the barrel. The effect of vibrations being on the point of aim. Any effect would also require repeatability in one's stance, posture, hold, follow thru, etc. for consistent accuracy.

A smooth, efficient flint lock gives the best accuracy.

There's also the "rocket nozzle" effect of the touch hole, which makes a flinter shoot to different points of aim, from off-hand vs. rested. That's a discussion for another time.

Kindest Regards,
Doak

 

[[email protected]]

If you notice my lock is mounted backward on my pistol. I wanted it that way
because it is a lot more accurate to shoot. When you dry fire, the sights don't
move. I had one before just like this except the lock was on the right side.
when it was dry fired the sights would always "Bobble" and dip down.

 

[Doak]

kwhi43, that's an idea that's ahead of it's timing!

It's very cool. Be neat to build a left handed lock & mount it backward on the right side of a rifle...for a right handed shooter.

I'm guessing that the mass in the barrel, hangin' out there as a moment of torque, counter weights the angular momentum of the lock-work going in the opposite direction. Keeping the whole thing closer to neutrally stable. Brilliant! That's way outside the box!

Kindest Regards,
Doak

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have read the PDF... it's a good manual on how to booger up a musket lock. Beware.
LD

 

[[email protected]]

Yes, I didn't think too much of it. Thought it might be more harm, than good.
Doak, The balance point is at the trigger. The whole piece was made as a
balance piece of work. It has things on it you would not believe. Like the hole
that the shaft on the cam on the cock goes thru on the frame. It is egg shaped.
Why do you say, it's so it will hold lube for the shaft. You can't put lube in a
round hole .

 

[Doak]

Esoteric, kwhi!

That round nub on the end of the rectangular shaft protruding from the tumbler; does it go into a bearing hole?

That thing belongs in the National Flintlock Hot Rod Association!

Doak

 

[[email protected]]

It doesn't really have a tumbler. That is a cam. The round end on the shaft is
the part that goes into the egg shaped hole on the frame. There is no half cock
either. Non needed. This is built for speed and to win matches.

 

[Packman]

That's a pretty unusual and rather specifically designed gun. Did you design/build it yourself?

 

[[email protected]]

No, it was made for me by Rob Lewis of Ohio.