Flint Sizes

[jim4065]

I just got in a smooth bore "Tower" pistol with a 13/16" wide frizzen and a 3/4" wide flint. The Lyman GP rifle has a 11/16" wide frizzen and takes a 5/8" wide flint (per TOW). Is it a rule of thumb to buy the same size or the next available smaller size or what? My (poor) attempt at logic says to buy the same size or slightly larger flint so that you utilize every bit of available scrapping surface on the frizzen. Which is correct - or does it not matter? :confused:

[frontier gander]

lyman should take a 3/4" flint that what i used. CVA Plainsman i have uses a 1/2" wide flint and my traditions uses a 5/8" wide flint.

[405]

I like the rule of thumb angle with the flinters... whatever makes a bunch of sparks reliably. The length of frizzen engagement is a function of both the geometry of the lock and the length of the flint. I like to hit the frizzen about 3/4s of the way up the face. The width is variable also. Wide is good as long as it doesn't hit the barrel at the bottom of the fall.

[stubshaft]

If the flint extends past the edges of the frizzen there is a possibility of striking the barrel and fracturing the flint (don't ask how I know this).

[madcaster]

Sometimes,when at the range by myself,just practicing,I used old arrowheads that would fit the jaws of the cock and not hit the barrel walls,this saved my better flints for the serious stuff and showed my how my followthrough was.

[northmn]

When you fit a flint to the leather in the cock you should see to it that it does not hit the barrel. Flint width does not mean much, it is the length. The flint needs to be short enough not to contact the frizzen. Nothing real critical about them as knapped flints ten to vary in width and as you use them and knap them in length also.

Northmn

[bohokii]

just wondering does anybody make mischmetal "flints" like are found in lighters

it just seems weird in this day of making muzzleloaders that use shotgun primers why do flintheads have to still use a hunk of rock

[waksupi]

just wondering does anybody make mischmetal "flints" like are found in lighters

it just seems weird in this day of making muzzleloaders that use shotgun primers why do flintheads have to still use a hunk of rock

If they made fake flints, I wouldn't use them. I LIKE real flint. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. An ingenious solution to a non-existant problem.

[jim4065]

just wondering does anybody make mischmetal "flints" like are found in lighters

it just seems weird in this day of making muzzleloaders that use shotgun primers why do flintheads have to still use a hunk of rock

Wondered that myself - but then realized that following that path leads to all the "improvements" of Modern Muzzleloaders. There lies madness.