Please explain flintlocks to me

[Ryden]

the author frequently has his characters hastily prime their muskets by slapping the side of the breech opposite the lock. I was always highly skeptical of that, but your comment makes me think there may be something in it.

Not even maybe, that is part of the loading instructions for my Swedish 1815 musket from the infantry handbook so the author knew his business.

 

[mdauben]

Too bad we don't have a "Like" button on THR, cause you'd probably get a lot of them for that post, BlackNet! Even though I was familiar with the different lock types, your post was still interesting and informative.

 

[BCRider]

When I decided that I needed a ball and black powder rifle I figured that I may as well leap in all the way and get a flinter. Having gone that way I found the caplocks I've tried seem all too anti climatic by comparison. For my tastes they are simply too close to a cartridge gun when the trigger is pulled. Mind you I'm not schlepping through the rain forests of BC in the muzzle loading pre-season. If I were that would be another story. But for range giggles there's simply nothing that generates grins like having a big flash and cloud of smoke appear in front of your face to the point where you have to lower your rifle and step to the side to see if you hit the target or not.

Texan Scott, if you like your caplock you'll almost certainly LOVE a flintlock. Come on in, the water's just fine!