Planning on building my first flinter, got a few questions.

[koger]

Ok, guys, I am building a southern rifle, iron furniture, 41" barrel, will have a maple stock. I have several builds under my belt, no flinter however. I am planning on using a Siler small flintlock, and want it to be interchangeable with a percussion, here are some questions. Also, the barrel will be 15/16, .54, if that makes any difference.

Which lock do I need to fit first.

What do I need to do to make the lock shoot quicker, tuning wise on the springs, or anything else, I need to do.

This will basically be a hunting rifle for deer/bear, round ball gun, so reliablilty and accuracy are both very important. All feedback from you flint veterans is appreciated!

[mountainman70]

Howdie,koger,welcome to the forum.I was taught to fit the flint lock first.The small siler is a good choice for this,in my experience.I had a very fine longrifle built by a long established builder,that had both perc and flint small silers,and other than removing touchole or drum,and fitting whicen evr you gonna use,it is a straightforward job.You definately gotta drill your lock screws in the same places,but after you fit the flint,you will have the proper holes to do the cap bustin thing.As an ol grump hivernan,I couldnt recon why any feller goin to all the trouble to build a proper Southern Rifle gun would want to 'dis hisself a putting a cap bustin thing on it.Why,them locks even look funny!!!lol,dont mind me ,nobody else duz!!!Good luck with your build,Dave

[Acer Saccharum]

Sorry, I cringe when I hear 'interchangeable' from flint to percussion.

For a conversion, this will require a vent liner that exchanges with a drum. This means screwing a liner in, then taking it out, then putting the drum in. After a couple of times of doing the ignition exchange, you are going to find that the drum tightens past ideal, and the nipple doesn't line up with the hammer cup anymore.

Then there is the safety issue of the drums occasionally blowing out of a loosely fitting thread joint. I am sorry, I really don't like drums. I wish I could say all this in a more positive light.

I'd rather see two rifles built, one perc, and the other flint. Safer, and much easier to build.

[gunmaker]

The little Siler is a very good lock---however most Southern rifles have a English type lock of some sort.  A great lock fast & reliable is Chambers late Ketland......Tom

[galamb]

Agree - interchangeable is thought of as swap back and forth at will - in this case you could end up with a useless rifle in fairly short order.

If you absolutely must have an interchangeable ignition system you would be far better off going with a second barrel to go with that second lock.

Use a hooked breech system (Hawken flint as an example), install the liner in one plug/barrel and the drum in the other.

But since you are most of the way there, why not just a whole other rifle.

And if you are going for the "lock swap", do your percussion first. It is far more critical that the drum is fitted so that it is correctly supported by the lock. If the touch hole is off a hair that is far better than an "unsupported drum".

 

[Ric27]

Yes, iksnay on the interchangeable lock. using two barrels is much easer to switch, safer in every way and when u decide what you want to shoot you can leave it that way and sell the other barrel.     

[koger]

If I get both locks, don't plan on switching back an forth much, if at all. I have did the machine work for several of these switch lock rifles over the years, 25+years of gunsmithing  bench work under my belt, have my own lathe and mill. I always put a recess for the shoulder on the vent, same size as the drum, and never had anybody have any issues with these, and they were changed out very few times. I will primarily bee keeping this a flint, still need feedback on tuning a flint lock, I appreciate the responses so far, good stuff.

[kaintuck]

I made a flintlock first......the was going to make only one more rifle......that was years ago, and I'm on rifle 12 I think.....
Just make a flint.....and half way thru, you be calling Dave keck, asking him to start a profile for another rifle in capper fashion.....

Plan on two.......

And it won't stop even thennnn.........we have this madness!
Marc

[Bill of the 45th]

Buy a Chambers Siler, and there should be no tuning necessary.  Silers built by others don't come with a lifetime warranty.  I understand the need for the small Siler to have interchangeable lock, but southern rifles didn't have Germanic locks, also large caliber Southern rifles are not comfortable to shoot because of the architecture, as they are designed to be shot with the butt on the bicep.  Just my two cents.

Bill

[Kevin Houlihan]

  I don't think that I've ever spoken to a flintlock shooter that wanted to build a new gun with an interchangeable caplock.  I've spoken to a few caplock shooters who wanted a flintlock, but didn't want to "commit."  Build a flintlock with a quality lock such as a Chambers made Siler and you will have nothing to worry about.  I did that years ago and never looked back - as a matter of fact my offhand shooting improved because I learned to follow through on a shot. 
Kevin

[bob in the woods]

I guess I'm alone in pointing out my preference for a larger lock on that 15/16th .54 barrel .   When you consider the barrel flats and the lock panel etc I just think that a large Siler size lock  fits better.

[Acer Saccharum]

What I sense is that you're unsure about the flint system, since this is your first flinter.

If you got a late English Chambers, you'd never even think about switching to percussion. (siler isn't appropriate for a Southern Mtn rifle)

I'm not trying to say the flint system is problem free, but a well made lock with a good flint, and a touch hole liner installed properly, you will never look back.

[Pete G.]

Do some research on the type rifle you want to produce. Either change your style of lock or change your style of rifle, and forget about the interchangeable lock stuff. It sounds like a lot better idea than it really is.

Right now you are on a path that will produce a rifle that you will look at in a few years and wish that you had not spent the time and money on.

[Ric27]

Ok, guys, I am building a southern rifle, iron furniture, 41" barrel, will have a maple stock. I have several builds under my belt, no flinter however. I am planning on using a Siler small flintlock, and want it to be interchangeable with a percussion, here are some questions. Also, the barrel will be 15/16, .54, if that makes any difference.

*That is a big gun and the small Siler although a very good lock will be small in proportion and of the wrong style for your iron mounted southern rifle unless it is going to be an 18th century gun with wide, flat butt and thick wrist. Then still it would be the large Siler for that.

Which lock do I need to fit first.
 
*put the flintlock on first. get it set up right and you my never consider changing.

What do I need to do to make the lock shoot quicker, tuning wise on the springs, or anything else, I need to do.

*The locks come from Chambers ready to go but can be improved on significantly. Polishing all the spring barring surfaces, and the the tumbler surface that the sear contacts with great care as To Not Alter the sear engagement surface angle on the tumbler or the sear it self.  Check for burrs and any thing that could be binding. The springs are good as long as they are not binding on the plate. There is more that can be done but is not easy to go into in this manner.

* The One Thing that you can do to insure quick and reliable ignition is in stall one of Chambers touch hole liners, you will want the large one. That will do more than any and every thing else you can do to have instant firing flintlock. Well except for keeping you powder dry.

  * that big 54 will be a great big game rifle, the best all around cal. I think. loads from about 55 - 70 3F kill anything on this planet. With the 3F you can prime with it as well and keep it simple.

 

This will basically be a hunting rifle for deer/bear, round ball gun, so reliablilty and accuracy are both very important. All feedback from you flint veterans is appreciated!

[t.caster]

I'm with Acer and others on this subject! Sounds like you already have some percussion rifles, so build this one as a flinter only, no hedging back & forth. I've done it and was unhappy with the results. Get a good flintlock as mentioned and you may never go back to percs. That is all I have used for target, woodswalks and hunting since I went flint, MANY years ago!

[Acer Saccharum]

I missed the utilitarian thrust, I'm in my own world of the art and history-based rifle.