My first flinter, the KIT Hawken type.

[BartSr]

I realize that you folks like to see traditional rifles.

I found a .45 cal KIT Hawken flinter in pieces last week for $100.  Most of it was there except the rib screws and the underlug.  I ordered the lug, screws and a spare frizzen.  Today (Sept/24/2015) took it out to the range.  Flint from Sportsmans Warehouse, 25 yds, 45grs Goex FFFg, same for prime, blue ticking lubed with bore butter, 0.440 Hornady RB.  Top target first shot is the one just under the wedge, way off.  The rest on the top target was trying to dial it in not being used to the slight delay of this lock type.  Bottom target was next the last two shots being the ones at the top edge of the red bull.  I stopped there figuring that It may be dialed in, for now anyway.


Now this has me hooked on flinters.  

Thanks for being patient with a non-trad rifle and info.

Paul

[smylee grouch]

Try a tighter patch/ball combo with some different lube. More powder also.

[Standing Bear]

I found that changing the sights from the bead and u notch to square sights helped greatly especially with the vertical stringing.
TC

[bob in the woods]

I cannot detect any delay in firing my flintlock guns. If I recall correctly, your rifle has a somewhat lengthy touch hole channel and the hole itself is on the small side [ 1/16 th in ? ]  . You may want to enlarge that touch hole a bit sometime in the future. Something to think about.
Also, my experience with those rifles is that they started to shoot tighter with 50 gr + and a .445 ball
The rifling on the one I saw was on the shallow side,
Flintlocks are addictive 

[BartSr]

OK guys, thanks for the heads up.  I Have some .445 RB's and piles of thick patches.  This barrel has a removable touch hole piece, so changing hole sizes is a can do.

Thanks,
Paul

[Candle Snuffer]

Nice find and not a bad price considering the market today. Just me, but I'd change out those sights for some fixed sights from Track of the Wolf. 

[BartSr]

I cannot detect any delay in firing my flintlock guns. If I recall correctly, your rifle has a somewhat lengthy touch hole channel and the hole itself is on the small side [ 1/16 th in ? ]  . You may want to enlarge that touch hole a bit sometime in the future. Something to think about.
Also, my experience with those rifles is that they started to shoot tighter with 50 gr + and a .445 ball
The rifling on the one I saw was on the shallow side,
Flintlocks are addictive 

.
I noticed that the amount of prime changes the delay, for this setup.  The removable touch hole is coned inside.  The fella I got the rifle from threw away the packaging for it.

[Daryl]

Hi Paul - the TC I had 42 years ago, showed a preference for a .005" UNDER bore sized ball, a .022" denim patch and a healthy charge of 2F, not 3F. It was a .50, however I also have loads for both a .45 and .40 using 2F - shooting the same accuracy as 3F, but with less pressure. The lower pressure at the same speed makes 'the load' easier on the patches and actually shot cleaner than the 3F load.  We found this cleaner shooting with 2f to occur in both .45's and .50's, which is why Taylor still uses 2F in his "Voluptuous" Virginia today.

To get the same speed and accuracy, I found I needed 10more gr. of 2F over the 3f load.

A nice smooth crown with no sharp edges or corners allows the starting of tight loads without damage to the patch.

[BartSr]

Daryl,

Thanks and duly noted.  Will try the 2F.  

Respectfully,
Paul

[smylee grouch]

Paul: If you are having some delay in your ignition, hang fire you might be using too much powder in your pan. Some will disagree with me on this but it might be something to try, using just enough powder to come up to the vent hole.

[BartSr]

Paul: If you are having some delay in your ignition, hang fire you might be using too much powder in your pan. Some will disagree with me on this but it might be something to try, using just enough powder to come up to the vent hole.

It shoots with about 1/3 of the pan full and banked sorta to the right, not up against the touch hole.  I purchased a different touch hole pick as the one I had didn't go all of the way through to the main charge.  The clue was that someone handed me a hat pin to clear the touch hole, that was the ticket!  Works better that way.  If I use 1/4 pan full with a dull/rough flint, it misses occasionally.

I have been using a .50 inch diameter punched leather piece to push down the powder, placed above the powder and under the ball/patch.  Just something to test.

I tried 50grs of Goex FFFg, .445 RB's, blue tick patch, shoots a bit better.  The crown needs a bit of a touch-up to smooth it.

So far the flints are lasting about 25 to 30 shots each.  I have re-hardened, using Cherry Red, the spare frizzen today after range time and will see how that one works, later.  I was told not to draw it down to see if that works better and eliminates the flint/frizzen gouging.  I only heat the upper (vertical) part of the frizzen during treatment.

I also tried placing a thick piece of leather under the flint+leather combo to raise the flint a bit, that helped a lot.  Got the flint to hit above center of the frizzen.  It seems to shorten the perceived "delay" a bit.

Thanks to all,
Paul

[Squirrel pizza]

Bart, all you've managed to accomplish so far is to open a giant can of worms. You paid $100 for your rifle and think you got a good deal. But it will never be enough. You've opened yourself up to, as you are aware, an addiction so insidious Dr. Phil won't talk about it. You will soon need a full stocked rifle. Then one with a neat patch box. A .54 cal. Hawken will sound like the next logical step, until you get that .32 Southern mountain rifle for squirrels. By then your addiction is a disease. $1500 is a bargain and $2000 for that Lancaster makes perfect sense. And then there's fowlers. Of course it's just a matter of time until you're doing Brown Besses. You will find yourself spiraling into a flintlock $#*! from witch there is no hope of recovery. I feel it is my Christian duty to try saving you from the torment and financial ruin you've opened yourself up to. It is I fear too late for me. I wish you all the best.   

[BartSr]

Bart, all you've managed to accomplish so far is to open a giant can of worms. You paid $100 for your rifle and think you got a good deal. But it will never be enough. You've opened yourself up to, as you are aware, an addiction so insidious Dr. Phil won't talk about it. You will soon need a full stocked rifle. Then one with a neat patch box. A .54 cal. Hawken will sound like the next logical step, until you get that .32 Southern mountain rifle for squirrels. By then your addiction is a disease. $1500 is a bargain and $2000 for that Lancaster makes perfect sense. And then there's fowlers. Of course it's just a matter of time until you're doing Brown Besses. You will find yourself spiraling into a flintlock $#*! from witch there is no hope of recovery. I feel it is my Christian duty to try saving you from the torment and financial ruin you've opened yourself up to. It is I fear too late for me. I wish you all the best.   

And to think I was addicted when I started collecting mulsurp stuff with a FFL-03.  They are now collecting dust in their "steel closet".  I like your analogy, and am still drooling at the pictures on this website.  Already I am thinking about building another but better quality.  Looks like I'll be either sleeping in the dog house and permanently eating beans & rice or sleeping in my car at the gate of the local range waiting for it to open up again.     

[Squirrel pizza]

Not to be a stickler, but did you mean MILSURP?

[BartSr]

Only rifles and pistols, none of THAT stuff, nice "trucks" 

[Jamie]

Bart, all you've managed to accomplish so far is to open a giant can of worms. You paid $100 for your rifle and think you got a good deal. But it will never be enough. You've opened yourself up to, as you are aware, an addiction so insidious Dr. Phil won't talk about it. You will soon need a full stocked rifle. Then one with a neat patch box. A .54 cal. Hawken will sound like the next logical step, until you get that .32 Southern mountain rifle for squirrels. By then your addiction is a disease. $1500 is a bargain and $2000 for that Lancaster makes perfect sense. And then there's fowlers. Of course it's just a matter of time until you're doing Brown Besses. You will find yourself spiraling into a flintlock $#*! from witch there is no hope of recovery. I feel it is my Christian duty to try saving you from the torment and financial ruin you've opened yourself up to. It is I fear too late for me. I wish you all the best.   

I can attest that the above quote is very true - I was caught earlier this year by a Lyman Trade Rifle, and I'm about to order the parts from Chambers to build a fowler.  Now, repeat after me "My name is Bart and I am a flintlock shooter...."

But I mention the Trade Rifle for a reason.  It has a fairly small vent, less than 1/16th". but will fire both reliably and with no perceptible delay as long as I pay attention.  Before priming I use the vent pick, pushing it into the packed powder of the main charge (you can feel it crunch) and giving it a wiggle.  Then I prime with FFFFg, covering the bottom of the pan so it will catch any spark that hits the pan, anywhere.

I'm a rookie, so I don't claim to know a lot but this procedure works well for me.

By the way, last time out I tried a shot primed with FFg, and it lit off just as well as the FFFFg, so I know I can use the coarser powder in a pinch (pun intended).   However, FFFFg is very useful for dribbling into the chamber behind a dry ball, so I'll keep using it.

Jamie

[BartSr]

Bart, all you've managed to accomplish so far is to open a giant can of worms. You paid $100 for your rifle and think you got a good deal. But it will never be enough. You've opened yourself up to, as you are aware, an addiction so insidious Dr. Phil won't talk about it. You will soon need a full stocked rifle. Then one with a neat patch box. A .54 cal. Hawken will sound like the next logical step, until you get that .32 Southern mountain rifle for squirrels. By then your addiction is a disease. $1500 is a bargain and $2000 for that Lancaster makes perfect sense. And then there's fowlers. Of course it's just a matter of time until you're doing Brown Besses. You will find yourself spiraling into a flintlock $#*! from witch there is no hope of recovery. I feel it is my Christian duty to try saving you from the torment and financial ruin you've opened yourself up to. It is I fear too late for me. I wish you all the best.   

--- Now, repeat after me "My name is Bart and I am a flintlock shooter...."---
Jamie

OK, I'll bite.  Currently I have piles of underhammer'd rifles that may just sit around languishing their fate.   

BartSr

[oldtravler61]

Bart listen to Squirrel. He knows what he speaks!! Sell that gun! Cause really  you are
 doomed! There's no hope if you continue. Stay away from gun shows with antique long rifles and contemporary rifles. There's still a chance for you ! But then Welcome to our addiction.