First time to shoot a flintlock

[JCurtiss]

Well, I shot my newly built flintlock this weekend for the first time; you can see the gun here.  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=38717.0

Things were going relatively ok for awhile. I was shooting a 50 caliber ball with 50 grains of Goex FFF and I managed to hit a 2-inch diameter bulls eye at 50 yards. However, on about the twelfth shot the main charge did not ignite, notwithstanding the primer igniting. I changed flints, but still no joy and decided that my vent hole must be plugged.  I didn't have anything small enough to clean out the vent, so I had to leave the range with powder and a patched ball still in the bore of my rifle . Fortunately I was able to safely pull the ball from the barrel once I got home.

Another problem I had was the seemingly excessive tight fit of the patched ball in the 50 caliber bore.  The balls I'm shooting are 0.495" diameter and the patches are 0.020" thick. I used my hickory ram rod for pushing the ball and patch home, but it was not easy.  I even swabbed the bore between shots to reduce fouling buildup, but it was still a struggle to get the ball seated against the powder.

Questions please:
1) Is it common for the vent hole to plug after only a dozen or so shots?

2) Is my ball and patch combination too large for my 50 caliber bore? If so, what would be the ideal ball/patch combination?

Thanks!

Jason

[George Sutton]

Hi Jason, if I'm target shooting I always pick my vent. It's not that there's anything wrong with the gun, it's a habit.

You may have crud building up on the face of the breech plug. They sell scrapers for this. 3 or 4 bucks.

As far as the load goes you can try a smaller ball or a thinner patch. I use pure linen from Jo-Ann's fabric. It's tan in color and measures .018.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different components. You'll get it figured out.

Have fun,

Centershot

[Longknife]

JCurtis, It would not be uncommon for your touch hole to get plugged even after a few rounds. The way to prevent this is to pick the hole before each priming. That way you are sure to get instant ignition. I wonder if your between the shots swabbing was pushing extra fowling on to the breech face? If the pan is igniting you should be able to pick the TH and with a fresh prime be OK... A .495 ball with a .020 (or even thicker) patch would be common in a .50 cal bore, (depending on depth of rifling) Maybe experiment with your lube, and by the way a 50 grn. charge is  a little light in your 50....my.02....Ed

[retired fella]

Welcome to the rocklock brotherhood.  Ain't it great.  I think longknife is dead on.  Enjoy the journey.

[smylee grouch]

Consider a different patch lube. Maybe a more liquid type or spit and see how that works out. As the others have noted, you might be pushing your fouling down with the clean between shots method. Working up a load for a new gun can mean trying many variables in the load.

[JCurtiss]

Thank you all for the advice.

I'm using a Ox Yoke patches that are lubricated, so I don't think lack of lubrication is the problem.

So perhaps I shouldn't swab the barrel between shots?

[bob in the woods]

Just my opinion, but it's based on literally thousands of shots fired in flintlocks. Oxyoke or any other of the available pre-lubed patches never worked for me. Maybe for hunting, but after a few shots, the fouling builds up. Try a nice "wet" lube, ...lots of it     My target shooting, woods walk patches are wet...not damp, ..wet!
Works like a charm, since the only fouling in the bore is from the last shot.

[Tony N]

Try Mr. Flintlock as your lube!  Works like a charm!!

~Tony

[leadslinger62]

 To Me, hey, what do I know??, a .495 Ball and a .020 patch seems like a pretty tight combo ?? I use a .490 with .018 Pillow Ticking lubed with Mr. Flintlock and can easily load and shoot with good accuracy. Usually do the pick thing too.

[Hungry Horse]

 I shoot .490 round balls, and .015 - .018 pocket drill in my flinter and would have to do some serious digging to even find my vent pick. I know the bore sized balls guys, with their .020 patching, and their two pound hammers, will say this doesn't work, but when you get tired of things not working, give it a try.

  Hungry Horse

[L. Akers]

Hey Jason, I use neatsfoot oil with some Murphy's Oil Soap added.  Like Bob, I have found that grease-type lubes foul badly in my barrels.  When you swab between shots if your jag/patch combo is too tight you are pushing crud down to the breech.  Your jag/patch should go down very easily--you are not cleaning on the way down, and you need a large enough patch that it will bunch up behind the jag on the way up the barrel.  Smaller diameter jag and bigger patch.  The cleaning stroke is pulling the gunk out of the barrel.  You'll have to experiment to find the size patch that'll work.  Expect to lose and have to retrieve patches that are too small til you arrive at a size that works.  You will have to experiment with loads to find what YOUR barrel wants--they are all different.  Good luck and enjoy the process.

[hanshi]

You can't beat spit for a lube at the shooting range.  I use Hoppes #9 Plus BP lube and never have to swab the bore.  Make sure the vent hole is at least 1/16" and pick it if you have a hangfire or a FITP.  I use Mink Oil for hunting where very few shots are fired.  But for squirrel hunting where several shots may be fired I use Hoppes; still, my first squirrel load in the morning is mink oil.

[David R. Pennington]

I normally use spit, just put the end of the roll of patching in my mouth while measuring in the charge. I find this the best for target shooting. During last Saturday's match the temperature never got much above 15 degrees so any water based lube would freeze about half way down the barrel. I saw some shooters trying to drive frozen patches down. I recently started using bear oil and love it. I will pre lube strips of pillow ticking and they load and shoot well especially for hunting or cold weather. I have been using the bear oil liberally in the bore after cleaning and it seams to me the bore is somewhat seasoned by it. I never use anything but plain cold water to clean except when it is freezing and then switch to alcohol.  I hardly never swab between shots any more. I shot about 25 or 30 shots Saturday with my .40 without cleaning but picked my vent after each shot. A clipped bird feather is just about as good as anything to open the vent. Look around on the ground and pick them up. Keep a little piece of brass wire handy in your hat band.
I think I had one or two misfires but I was nursing a piece of local napped Kanawha black flint that is typically not too good for gunflints.

[Dewey]

Where do you get your bear oil, David

[JCurtiss]

Ok, thanks again for all the information.

So, I'm now thinking about a 0.495" ball with 0.015" thick patch; does this sound reasonable?  Also, I plan to use 60 grains of FFF at 50 yards, comments?

Thanks!

Jason 

[SCLoyalist]

495 and 0.015 patching sounds a bit sparse to me, but it depends on the bore and groove dimensions of your barrel.   Who made your barrel; and what length is it?  Maybe there's a forum member with the same make and caliber barrel who could tell you what patch/ball and lube combo he uses.

[smylee grouch]

Your getting closer. Depends on how or who measures the 15/1000 patch. If it's a commercial patch claiming to be 15/1000, measure it your self as alot of those sold dont really measure up to what they claim they are. I think 20/1000 would be better but it also has to have a good tight weave lest it burn through on the sides. 60 grn. 3f sounds like a good starting point but depending on barrel you will want to look at other loads also.

[wormey]

I`ve been shooting flintlocks for close to 50 years.  One thing I was always taught to do and seldom see newcomers do these days is to wet your thumb and wipe off the edge of the flint and the front of the frizzen before the next shot.  Simple but it eliminates most misfires! Wormey

[bob in the woods]

  Word of caution on the "how to " part of using your thumb to wipe off the flint before a shot......You might lose a chunk of your thumb if you run it anywhere near the flint edge      

[EC121]

I used to use my thumb for the flint and frizzen until one day I stared seeing blood everywhere.  Now I use a wet strip of patching material.  Just tuck it in my belt.  As it gets dirty I use it to load and wet another strip.

[Kermit]

...waiting to hear from Daryl or Taylor.   

[Jerry V Lape]

I am not  concerned with advice on lubes, patches, thumb licking etc.  What I would like to address is how to deal with a loaded flintlock.  First, the advice about picking the touch hole then re prime to attempt firing again will most likely solve the problem.  If that fails try dribbling a little prime directly into the touch hole and then re prime and fire.  But if all that fails the charge and ball needs to be removed safely before you take it off the range.  Pulling a ball is real low on things I want to do.  So I carry a CO2 ball discharger in my gear with several extra CO 2 cylinders.  You need the attachment for flintlock touch hole for it (looks like a football inflator needle with the tip ground to a small enough diameter.)  They work and I have always been able to get the ball out with it.  If you decided to be traditional and pull the ball - do it properly to be safe.  Use a T handled rod and once the ball has been attached to the screw put the T in a tree crotch or use a piece of rope to attach that end of the rod to a tree. You pull from the butt end of the rifle.  Most muzzle loading ranges have a notched board attached to a post or something similar so you can pull safely. 

It really helps get past the frustrations associated with getting into a flintlock for the first time I you can find a mentor for the first few outings.  Usually there is a muzzle loading club around with an instructor who would love to help you.  If you can't find one, contact the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Assoc and they will be able to help you make contact. 

[Natureboy]

  I had a lot of trouble with inconsistent ignition with my flintlock when I first got it.  The drilled vent was a bit behind the center of the pan, and FITP were common.  So I had a Chambers "White Lightning" liner installed, centered over the pan and even with its rim, and now I don't even think about FITP.  .530 balls with 10oz bull denim, Lehigh Valley lube (also Mr. Flintlock).  I'm going to the range tomorrow for more experimentation, which, darn it, I just have to keep doing.  At least, that's what I tell my wife.

[hammer]

Mmmmmm.  Not a good idea ever to transport a loaded gun.   If the advice above doesn't get it to fire down range and you don't have one of those Co2 devices then dribble/squirt oil into the touch hole to neutralise the charge.   Then attempt to pull the ball or back to the workshop.

My tip is to keep the touch hole open with a thin wire when loading.  Wide enough to almost block the hole yet still let air pass.  Just into the touch hole opening, no further.   Lock in place with the closed frizzen.  That is with a leather stall on the frizzen for safety!   Attached to the trigger guard with a thong.   My brass wire has a loop that goes over the same thong.  Lets the powder get right to the touch hole without leaking out into the pan and leaving a powder gap the other side.  And I am a great believed that the touch hole size should just allow grains to leak through with no wire.   Larger grain powder, larger touch hole.    Remove the stall when opening the frizzen to prime - the wire will just fall out.

Target shooting lube has to be liquid.   Neatsfoot Oil is great, you will want wet patches not just damp.

Checking the flint edge, wear and tightness in the jaws together with the touch hole becomes a regular habit.

[WadePatton]

Flintlocks aren't plug and play. 

But they're easily managed once you work it all out, for yourself and how you do things.  You are going to continually get conflicting advice on these subjects.  Some advice conflicts are just different ways/notions of safety.  A lot of "info" is lore and bullhooey.  This site has the lowest level of hooey of all. 

I use a quill to pick and plug my vent.  My deer gun stays loaded until I shoot it, which this year was after season.  I dump the pan and plug the vent with a feather for safe condition that suits my notions.  I am satisfied that a blocked vent is as safe as I can make a loaded gun.

Congratulations on getting off 12 shots in one range outing.  This is an accomplishment for a first timer solo.