switching cap lock to a flint lock?

rhino519

rhino519

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finally got around to shooting the muzzy i’ve got and i think i know why the flint lock is pricier then the cap lock, i find it too much of a hustle, especially when it’s colder and fingers loose the fine motor skills

is it possible for a half handy person to convert a cap lock gun to a flint lock?
i be got a safari/traditions deerstalker if that helps
 
If your Safari arms is the one I’m thinking of it has a patent breech/plug so may not be as easy you think. The hook or tang type like Pennsylvania or Davy Crocket style is a more simpler approach. I purchased a L&R flintlock from “track of the wolf” to replace the percussion lock on my Pedersoli Frontier rifle. Easy peasey.
 
Alot of the percussion flintlock conversions were done by using a drum and nipple to make the conversion.Basically on a flintlock you remove the touch hole liner and screw in the drum and nipple and replace the lock with a similar percussion one and vice versa to reconvert to flint.One thing when converting to percussion the drum must be fitted so the lock plate supports the drum.With a patent hook breech you would have to have a new barrel with a flint breech plug and also a new lock
 
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Painkillers said:
Well, lets just say that there is a very good reason the percussion cap was considered an advancement in black powder rifles.
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anyone can see how meteorological consideration are lesser of an issue with a cap, however from a military application; carring caps in a bag, jamming your cold hand, under pressure to retrieve a tiny thing to fit it onto a nipple, i can see many things go wrong, and i can imagine with the flint, that not being as much of an issue
 
How about trying to change a flint during a battle if your flint no longer sparks .Flints do lose their edge and do need to be replaced or reknapped to get an edge.Also wet weather can play havoc with a flintlock
 
rhino519 said:
finally got around to shooting the muzzy i’ve got and i think i know why the flint lock is pricier then the cap lock, i find it too much of a hustle, especially when it’s colder and fingers loose the fine motor skills

is it possible for a half handy person to convert a cap lock gun to a flint lock?
i be got a safari/traditions deerstalker if that helps
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Depends on your definition of handy (then divide by two ;) )

You need to replace the lock or modify the existing one (by adding a pan, frizzen, frizzen spring and new hammer)
Then deal with the barrel, replace the breech (which sounds like a patent breech) with a solid one and drill a new touch hole (or install a liner) You may/probably have to make a custom breech to have the barrel oriented to line up so the touch hole/liner will line up with the pan.

Your other option if you want to switch back and forth would be a new barrel and lock.

So as suggested it's going to be easier to just buy another gun.
 
rhino519 said:
anyone can see how meteorological consideration are lesser of an issue with a cap, however from a military application; carring caps in a bag, jamming your cold hand, under pressure to retrieve a tiny thing to fit it onto a nipple, i can see many things go wrong, and i can imagine with the flint, that not being as much of an issue
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If you only manage to get two or three rounds off before your killed or wounded, I suppose so? You are aware that flints are only good for 5-10 shots right?
 
Another thing to consider is a cheap percussion lock will normally pop a cap and fire the gun but a cheap flintlock will give you nothing but head aches.For a flintlock to normally be reliable and fast it has to be built and tuned properly.There is a lot of geometry that has to be just right to make a flintlock work smoothly
 
Painkillers said:
If you only manage to get two or three rounds off before your killed or wounded, I suppose so? You are aware that flints are only good for 5-10 shots right?
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5-10 shots? If so I would get flints from another maker like French amber flints from Dutrieux. Someone can get easily 5 times more shots from those. Another good maker is Karl Lee in England who made excellent English flints. Someone should avoid to get US made flints that are render of rather poor quality...
 
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rhino519 said:
handling the caps with cold fingers was no fun....


aaand I just 'discovered' a capper, why nobody has said there was such a thing? now i need one of those (this hobby is quickly adding up in $)
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Yes ..... you definitely want one of those - I find the snail type better than the stick type, works a little better and holds a whole tin of caps.

i think i know why the flint lock is pricier then the cap lock
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The hammer is more complicated (on a flint) plus the frizzen and spring, a couple extra screws equals more engineering, assembly and fitting time. A flint lock is considerably more complicated.
 
If a commercial rifle is made in both flint and cap it should be possible to swap locks. That leaves the breeching of the barrel. If there is a simple drum, an insert vent could be fitted. Some commercial rifles have more complicated breeching systems, and conversion to flint could be tricky.
 
rhino519 said:
i’m new at the muzzleloading game, and only have this one experience with the cap lock, am i deluding myself that a flint lock would be “simpler” to load/operate?
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You are. Flintlocks are considerably more finicky to operate.


chasseur said:
How about trying to change a flint during a battle if your flint no longer sparks .Flints do lose their edge and do need to be replaced or reknapped to get an edge.Also wet weather can play havoc with a flintlock
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And the wind. Loose powder in the pan is super fun in the wind.


Painkillers said:
If you only manage to get two or three rounds off before your killed or wounded, I suppose so? You are aware that flints are only good for 5-10 shots right?
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LOL, what? I've run a single flint for many dozens of shots. So many that I never bothered counting. Of course this requires a good natural flint, not one of those crappy saw cut flints.
 
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