Flintlock shooting

[hortonstn]

Do you ever feel something hit your face when shooting just like dust
Shooting LH rifle Left handed?

[TDM]

I'm right handed and shoot right handed flints, but yes, if you watch slow motion video of flint ignition there are sparks/particles flying everywhere. Luckily the design of locks throws most of this to the side and slightly forward. I personally have never been hit, but I know others that have. Eye protection is important, sometimes I forget, but I shouldn't.

[Daryl]

I will not shoot any muzzleloader without eye protection and you shouldn't either.
My wife has never shot a flinter, but back in the 70's caught a tiny piece of cap in her
right eyelid. She had a small green spot there for 30 years, and one day, it just fell out/
off while washing her face. No mark, just gone.
Had her eye not been closed at ignition, that cap frag would have pierced her eyeball.

[TDM]

I will not shoot any muzzleloader without eye protection and you shouldn't either.
My wife has never shot a flinter, but back in the 70's caught a tiny piece of cap in her
right eyelid. She had a small green spot there for 30 years, and one day, it just fell out/
off while washing her face. No mark, just gone.
Had her eye not been closed at ignition, that cap frag would have pierced her eyeball.

Can't disagree on that.

[alacran]

First time I went to Friendship, I was startled that the range allowed shooters to shoot without safety glasses or hearing protection.
Actually, I was dumbfounded by the stupidity.  Just from a liability standpoint this is stupid. Really made me question the credibility of the organization and its leadership.
There is no weapon that I will shoot without safety glasses of some sort. All the ranges that I shoot at will not allow you to shoot without safety glasses and hearing protection.

[Pukka Bundook]

People are grown up, so I would not presume to Tell them what to do.
The trouble nowadays, is everyone is telling everyone what to do.
I feel there is enough of this in the world already.

Just my six penneth.

This is not directed at any of the above posts, just my personal take on shooting and protection.

all best,
R.

[Frank]

I have had more problems with a percussion gun than a flintlock, especially with the drum and nipple arrangement. Always getting cap fragments hitting my forehead.

[Wingshot]

Like Frank described I too have experienced blown back shards of percussion caps to the face and even the hand. Flintlocks do shave steel and micro particles of the flint do fly but usually down and away. Eye protection is and should be a no brainer.

[smylee grouch]

Yes, protect your eyes and hearing. When you have macular degeneration and can only see with one eye in the first place this is especially important. I have had cap fragments pit the plastic lens's of my glasses in the past.

[Daryl]

Interesting happenstance with a good lock is I've never had a cap frag with a leaf-spring lock, either the one on my .69 & with ANY load, nor the L&R"Hawken" lock on my wife's rifle.
With ANY load, the hammer is always 'down' on the slightly expanded cap after the shot. I well remember the bouncing up to 1/2 cock on the TC rifle I had.

[ScottNE]

People are grown up, so I would not presume to Tell them what to do.
The trouble nowadays, is everyone is telling everyone what to do.
I feel there is enough of this in the world already.

Just my six penneth.

This is not directed at any of the above posts, just my personal take on shooting and protection.

all best,
R.

I tend to agree, but one also needs to consider each instance on its own merit -- telling someone what they can or can't eat, bullocks. Telling someone they can't drive like they're in a video game, pulling idiotic stunts around other human lives, by all means read them the riot act.

I personally wouldn't shoot any type of firearm without hearing and eye protection. While I'm not going to scold anyone who doesn't, I keep spares in my bag to at least offer. I am somewhat surprised that the norm in primitive shooting seems to be foregoing eye/ear protection, as opposed to a highly-developed obsession with safety measures in most other veins of the shooting sports.

[Pukka Bundook]

I think you defined it better than me, Scott.

[Darkhorse]

I mostly shoot while wearing a cap of some sort. On several occasions when shooting with it off I have had fragments hit me in the forehead but never (yet) anywhere else. Not only do I wear eye and ear protection when shooting I have occasionally wore safety glasses when deer hunting.

[Bob Roller]

Interesting happenstance with a good lock is I've never had a cap frag with a leaf-spring lock, either the one on my .69 & with ANY load, nor the L&R"Hawken" lock on my wife's rifle.
With ANY load, the hammer is always 'down' on the slightly expanded cap after the shot. I well remember the bouncing up to 1/2 cock on the TC rifle I had.

That TC was adjusting for the reloading process............wasn't it?
Bob Roller

[Daryl]

A mere 80gr. 1970's GOEX 2F would throw the lock up to 1/2 cock. Of course there was narry any cap left on the nipple.
That was with a .495" ball and .022" denim patching. Seems to me, TC said the max. load was 110gr. but my rifle shot
best with 80gr. 2F. It did not like 3F at all.

[taterbug]

One of my cousins down south repaired quite a few of those tumblers that didn't survive the 'half-cock rebound'.  Apparently replacement parts were in short supply back then.  he said the worst offenders were those that loaded to the point of 'full-cock rebound'.  A badge of honor in the '70's?

[John SMOthermon]

Is hammer blow back not a sign of nipple wear?

[Daryl]

Yes, John. In a good lock that the hammer does not move off the cap with a new nipple, that would be true. A badly worn nipple could allow the hammer to lift off
the cap.
In a lock with a weak and/or coil spring main spring, lifting off the cap with a new nipple is normal, when using hunting or accuracy type-loads.

[Nessmuck]

People are grown up, so I would not presume to Tell them what to do.
The trouble nowadays, is everyone is telling everyone what to do.
I feel there is enough of this in the world already.

Just my six penneth.

This is not directed at any of the above posts, just my personal take on shooting and protection.

all best,
R.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Heck...here in the “ Live Free or Die “ state of NH....we can still ride a motorcycle with out a helmet.  And drink water out of a hose.

[Jeff Murray]

I have worn glasses since I was a kid so that is easy.  I also wear ear plugs at the range, But, I do not wear ear plugs while hunting.  That would defeat the ability to hear what the surroundings are telling you.  Perhaps an acceptable exception to the blanket statements on ear protection?

[mushka]

I don't shoot any kind of gun without wearing glasses.  Only have one good eye and want to keep it.