Flintlock Muzzleloaders

The only India made gun I have taken apart, the plug did not screw in to the end of the threads. There were a couple of threads still exposed. The potential problem was not would the plug stand up to shooting but rather those exposed threads were a dandy spot to accumulate fouling that would slowly eat away at the end of the barrel. In a well made custom gun, the plug screws in tight to an internal shoulder to minimize fouling accumulating, and I would expect the threads to be filled with something like loktite so that there was no space for fouling to accumulate. I have an original belgian shotgun where there are no threads in a strip for and aft, apparently from having rusted away while the gun was still in use.

cheers mooncoon
 
In my experience, a properly fitted breech plug should not require any sealant or lactate because the mating surfaces are tight enough to prevent fouling ingress... that being said, not all are properly made. Lubing with water-soluble oil like ballistol after shooting is a wise idea.
 
camerl2009 said:
i bought a pistol from them i was not happy with what i got

heres the gun i seens with the tang screw holding the breech plug in

barrelsplit3.jpg

Barrelsplit1.jpg


this barrel also split this was with a blank charge if i remember correctly at a reenactment as you can see there using some cheap dom type tubing but its not the right kind it the kind thats not hot welded (aka the steel is heated to welding temp then drawn trough the die this is the right kind. the stuff used here is electric resistance welded witch is not the best to use)

this is not the only gun ive heard of with the breech plug not fitting right there someone i know who sent one back
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For the repoort by HP White Lab. on this failure, see:

www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/special

Note that there was no evidence that there was any defect in the musket.
 
there are lots of mistakes to be made and extra frustrations with a flinter
If you can turn your car on 9 times out of 10 and/or operate a door knob you wont have any trouble with a flintlock. Don't let anyone scare you off flint locks anything you need to know can be learned in an evening of CGN reading, a visit to a local ML shooter or a round of youtube watching.

IMHO if you are going to use caps why not put them in the primer pocket of 50-70 or 45-70 case and shoot a gun that can be more easily cleaned??? cap locks were a pretty fleeting interlude in firearms development and gave nothing of benefit that metallic cartridges didn't do better. for the same ballistics/accuracy you can either use a hunk of rock (flint) or you can source/store/carry/fiddle with yet another thing to buy (caps).

As to sourcing a flintlock decide exactly what you think you want and then scour america for it. you can get a 'factory' flintlock for a few hundred or get a real bargain and buy a exc condition used custom gun of quality for 700-1200. If you want to shoot a lot (hence clean alot) a "hooked breech" is invaluable. This allows you to take the barrel off with no marring screws or driving pins. A barrel free of the stock is alot easier to properly clean.

For a practical gun gun that fits in with the 'traditionalists' nothing beats a smooth bore 20 or 16 gauge trade style gun. A fusil de chase or an english fowler would also prove useful.

Have fun with it.


first step though is to get a few pounds of FFG in your possession.
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Yeah, flints are the bomb. Respect it, don't fear it. I highly recommend you have a mentor at first. After you know how to load and fire, go for it. Never mess around while you're loading, don't allow distractions. Or you may bulge your barrel. Don't ask how I know. ;)

I've had just about every thing go wrong that can and would still rather shoot my flint than any of the other, near 20 firearms, that I have.

More than likely, you can find a mentor near by where you live, right here on gunnutz, that will be more than glad to show you the ropes of flintlock shooting. It's not that hard, it's just somewhat specific. But above all, be sure you drive the ball home every single time without exception.

and above all, have fun. :)
 
hoping to someday soon pick up a new manufacture flintlock rifle for range duty and maybe try my hand at hunting. never fired one before would love to learn about them. if there's anyone on here lives in the Halifax area or goes to the MVRRC let me know I'd pay for materials if your willing to teach a newbie. might even have a friend to bring along, I'm a decimate history nut and no better way to learn history then using weapons used by men hundreds of years ago.
 
I bought a flint pistol .50 cal. smoothbore and was expecting all kinds of trouble,turned out to be more reliable than my cap and ball rifle (until I figured out how to make the rifle reliable). After about 300 rounds I am on my second flint and it is just about done,haven't tried Knapping yet but as I said I was expecting trouble so I bought 20 spare flints. If flints can be "repaired" then I think the 20 that I have will last the rest of my life.
I am currently paying almost twice as much for #11 and #10 caps as I do for .22LR ammo and they keep running out.
 
BigC396 said:
hoping to someday soon pick up a new manufacture flintlock rifle for range duty and maybe try my hand at hunting. never fired one before would love to learn about them. if there's anyone on here lives in the Halifax area or goes to the MVRRC let me know I'd pay for materials if your willing to teach a newbie. might even have a friend to bring along, I'm a decimate history nut and no better way to learn history then using weapons used by men hundreds of years ago.
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There are gunnutz in your area.

You should start a thread. I bet someone in your area will step up and help.
 
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