Flint to large?

[RANGER94]

What do you do if your flints are to long?  I ordered the correct size listed at Track of the Wolf, most fit, but some are to long, and keep the frizzen open slightly? Do you trim the back to get them shorter?  If so - how do you do that?

Thanks!!!

Ranger94

[Bob McBride]

Knapp the back off. Specifically knapping out a notch for the screw and cutting out a circle in the leather so the flint butts the screw should do it.

[recurve]

You can notch the back of the flint with a pr of plyers (just watch out those flakes are sharp) hole in the leather helps

[MuskratMike]

What Bob McBride said. He beat me to the answer (as usual)! Merry Christmas!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I often take 1 1/8" musket flints (of which I have about 200) and shorten them to go in my PA Fowler and Virginia rifle, ie:  7/8".

I put a piece of folded heavy (1/4") leather in my machinist's vise, place the flint in the leaver with just the butt end sticking out, and with a piece of copper rod and a hammer, knap off the end to shorten the flint. 

[Hungry Horse]

I’m with Recurve, I notch the back of all my flints to keep them from twisting sideways. But, its a good way to shorten the flint as well.

  Hungry Horse

[flinchrocket]

You can also turn the leather so the fold is on the side instead of the back.

[Daryl]

LOL - I never thought of that, but yet, that would work, too.

[hanshi]

In the past I've shortened flints by knapping flakes from the rear and also by cutting notches in the leather to fit around the cock screw.

[Daniel Coats]

I've knapped the back of a Flint on a bench grinder before. Wear safety glasses and leather gloves 🧤

[Jeff Murray]

In addition to notching the flint, you can cut the  leather to allow the flint to rest against the screw.  Use a longer piece of leather folded over lengthwise and punch two holes in it so the holes in the leather will slip down over the back of the cock, with the fold behind the cock.  It looks like a U folded over flat and slipped over the cock so the flint rests on the leather and against the cock.  The other advantage of this setup is if you happen to lose your flint in the woods, the leather stays on the cock so you don't have to scramble for a replacement.

[Daryl]

Hadn't thought of that, Jeff - that's a great idea. I always carry some spare leathers in my flint wallet
but that method would eliminate that necessity.
I can't help but wonder, if the leather on the flint loosens, with the flint bearing on the screw, it this would
increase the broken flint scenario?  Perhaps a broken flint should be a warming to tighten the darn thing up.

[john bohan]

a tile saw will work well

[Jeff Murray]

Daryl,

Your thought about the flint breaking is valid.  All the pressure of the flint striking the frizzen is transmitted directly through the flint to the cock screw, with no padding.  Doesn't happen often but I have had a couple thin flints break after some use. 

[Daryl]

What I find discouraging, is a brand new flint, newly installed, breaks first shot. It happens.

[hanshi]

Of course the opposite is a wonderful happenstance when that rare flint simply shoots and shoots and shoots because it self knaps each strike.  I had one that never needed to be touched and it gave over 100 shots.

[Daryl]

Yes - THAT happens too & it's GREAT!  I've had fewer English or French flints do that, than Rich's river rocks.
Those are SOME tough pieces of real estate. I still have a bunch of them, gratefully.