AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: bones92 on December 07, 2015, 07:24:49 PM
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Just a heads-up... if anyone might be interested.
IMA-USA has a deal on bulk flints... $29.95 per pound. Seems guys are getting 30-40 good flints out of each batch. Evidently, these were leftover in part of the large stock of arms coming out of Nepal, so they're quite old.
I ordered a pound, and I can post results when I get them, if anyone's interested.
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My guess is they are musket flints from the big load of military muskets they found in a warehouse in Nepal several years ago.
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Yes, I think you're right.
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I am very interested in what you receive, Bones.
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Just guessing.....they are going to be musket size and not the quality we're used to today. I'd send what you get to Rich Pierce if they aren't usable. He's good with rocks.
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You may be right, Mike.
Here's the page...
http://www.ima-usa.com/original-18th-century-british-and-french-flintlock-musket-flints-sold-by-the-pound.html
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You may be right, Mike.
Here's the page...
http://www.ima-usa.com/original-18th-century-british-and-french-flintlock-musket-flints-sold-by-the-pound.html
Those look pretty good. Even some French spalls in there.
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They do appear to be mostly good quality.
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I ordered some. At that price if nothing else they will be good for flint & steel fire starter kits.
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I'm ordering a pound just so I can tell my mother about them. She was born in Brandon. I was born up the road a piece;)
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I probably have the least need for a pound of these as anyone on this forum, but I've learned to take advantage of a good deal when it comes along. Plus, it's fascinating that these were likely made for British military issue, and are likely ~200 years old.
When they describe these as musket-sized flints, does that mean they will be typically large? I.e. 5/8 to 3/4" wide?
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Probably closer to an 1" or 1 1/8".
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What tools should I get in order to narrow these down? Could I potentially use a stone-cutting tool along the side to yield a more narrow flint without changing the chord contour?
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What tools should I get in order to narrow these down? Could I potentially use a stone-cutting tool along the side to yield a more narrow flint without changing the chord contour?
I'd use the "Rich Pierce" tool. ;)
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I have reshaped flints with diamond bench hones and water for lubricant.
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I'm getting some. Who knows? We may actually stumble on to something here.
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What tools should I get in order to narrow these down?
I made a jig, actually copied it, test fits onto my diamond-wheeled tile saw. The jig pictures and 'how to' were posted on another MZL'ding forum ...
Works GREAT to re-sharpen them to boot! And anything sharpened but too small for my 7" long Fusil de Boucanier, then fits my fowler, which then fits my Hawken ... until they're given to a friend w/ a small 36- cal flinter ...
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Received the flints yesterday. Here is the inventory of the ones I received:
French amber 12, useable as received 5, recoverable for use 7, chards 0
English 27, useable as received 3, recoverable for use 21, chards 3
Total 38
Sizes:
10/8 - 10
9/8- 18
8/8 - 4
7/8 - 3
Most look used, I would suggest they were removed from obsolete muskets brought into armory for storage.
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Hopefully I get the same luck. I expect to have to work on them some, but as long as most are usable I'll be pleased.
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I went out on a limb and got the 5 lb deal. None look unused, but many are usable. I am pleased with the number of French amber rounded back flints that came. None were smaller than 7/8 and one is a whopping 14/8 wide. Another is close to it, probably for a wall gun or cannon lock, I think. Although I was initially disappointed that they were all used, most are not used-up and they make an interesting collection of period material. I now have several lifetimes worth of musket flints!
An on-line source notes that French flints were the overwhelming majority in use in the F and I war, and even in the Revolution, and by 1812, about half the flints were English.
Bill Paton
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I bought a lb and received:
1 x 1 1/8 - 7
1 x 1 1/4 - 3
1 1/8 x 1 1/4 - about 17
These definitely are musket flints.
Ron
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I ordered a pound a couple of days ago. A friend and I will split the cost and the flints.
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I ordered 2 lbs. and they arrived Monday, Sorting through them, I found about a dozen that I cannot find an edge on. ie: all sides are well rounded. I will use these first to practice my knapping. Here is a rough summary:
14 cannon sized amber flints.
6 musket amber flints
24 musket black flints
12 rifle-pistol flints (3 black, 8 amber)
8 musket flints finely flaked top and bottom. I do not know what they are called.
79 flints total
I think this was a good deal.
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5 years on...
So IMA-USA still has these, and so I ordered a 2-lb pack. I figure at the least I can use the a Dremel diamond wheel to narrow some down. Should last me and my son indefinitely.
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Well, I bought 2 # about 18 months back. Every one was a used flint, and worn out. All but 6 or 8 were big musket flints. Sent them all back and got a prompt refund.
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It's been a while since I got the ones I ordered. Lots of big, and I mean big, flints, some the right size, some pieces that just happened to fit in Large Silers, and a few easily used as-is or broke to the right size. I still have most of them left and what I've used so far seemed to work just fine. Quite a few were amber flints and most were dark flints. I'd say it was worth it.
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you can trim or resharpen flints on a lapidary saw or trim saw.you hold them only with your finger. Harbor freight has one that works good .
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I just received a pound of their flints. $29.95 plus about $9.00 shipping. Counted 40 usable flints and 5 rocks.
About 20 were decent quality musket flints. The rest had humps or were odd shaped, but usable. A few would fit my Davis Colonial lock well.
Good value if you need musket flints. A bonus that they are over 200 years old.
(https://i.ibb.co/8KBt0TP/image.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GxJN0BC)
Some are large enough to saw in half and get two usable flints.
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4 years later I think I got the bag of flints Tony had and returned hahahaha
they were to be hand selected...yikes.
at .90 a flint Ill knap and use what I can.
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Sounds like I got lucky. I bought two pounds of flints, last summer. There were 110 flints, in that batch, of which, about 20 were not usable, or salvageable. Most of those Ok to good flints fit Chambers large locks and fusil locks and the rest were definitely musket flints, which is OK too. The OK flints could use a little work, but about a third of them were good to go, as they were.
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Had to order 2 pounds. One pound not available on 01/07/2025. Hope the cherry-picked ones were worth the extra $
Bob.
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Is there a Dremel bit that works well on cutting these? The diamond wheel, perhaps. Also, can we grind the striking edge with a dremel bit, or does it have to be knapped?
I'd like to see some videos on how to work these.
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if you grind use a good mask the dust is Very bad for your lungs
Did someone say knapping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zavFmFJb-FE works for resizing to ;D
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Got my 2 pounds of flints. I took the "select" option for $5 more. I would hate to see the "non select" flints LOL. Out of about 75 musket flints a few can be used immediately. Most will require freshening a new edge. Some will require a "Bigly" modification to use and some will need to be thrown away. I'm afraid to sort these numbers out as I would probably be sick.
Since T.O.W wants $3.50 for a musket flint these are probably economical if you are a talented and resourceful muzzleloading person. Since I am arrogant enough to think I am that person I will keep the flints. In an TEOTWAWKI after all ammo has run out situation these will be like gold.
I tell myself that I will probably eventually use them all in what time I have left on this planet.
Bob
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I got a big batch of these about 10 years ago. My experience was similar. Many are simply huge; most are thick and dull. I re-knapped a couple hundred of them.