Flints

[drhall762]

While I am relatively new to blackpowder firearms other than my in-line, I know virtually nothing about flintlocks. Fired a few blank charges in a repro Brown Bess while in college but that is it! Suppose I should mention that this interest grows out of my purchase of a Lyman Great Plains Rifle, .54 caliber, in Flintlock configuration.

I gather from my reading that pan powder is best ground fine. In fact, it appears Swiss Null is so fine that it is not used for anything else. Okay, makes sense.

Now the question. What are the best flints to use? Is this a Ford vs Chevy thing or are all flints on the market about equal? Also, are there any currently available, synthetic flints on the market that give any demonstrable improvement over natural flint?

Thanks,

[rhbrink]

I shoot Goex black powder mainly because I have supply of it. For myself I prefer 4F for priming but some people like 3F.

Flints seem to be in short supply anymore must be all the hoarding? Just kidding I'm guessing that the demand is way down from what it use to be? I much prefer English Flint and you can find some from "The Track of the Wolf.com" as for the synthetic I never found any that worked as well or lasted as long as the English flints. But they do work and some people can make flints from local flint. Which I have tried and yes they worked but the spark was not nearly as hot or as dependable as the English and I'll add that I'm not a good flint knapper, there is a real talent there. There is a French amber flint that is OK but I don't see them offered much anymore. If all that is available to you is synthetic by all means try them and see how they work for you.

Richard

[flintshooter]

Skip the synthetic, use real english flints and keep them sharp. I used to get them from Dixie Gun Works or Dixons muzzleloading shop in Kempton, pa. The real ones last forever and are easy to sharpen.

[NSB]

My experience with synthetic flints is that they are generally good for about 30-35 reliable shots and then they quit sparking enough to ignite the pan powder reliably. I'd also suggest using the English flints. They last forever and can be sharpened. Synthetics are "OK" but just make sure you have a good supply on hand and carry them with you for hunting. I've occassionaly gotten one that just didn't work well right out of the gate.

[Hanshi]

Yes, you can't go wrong with English flints. Missouri chert makes excellent flints and I still have several knapped out by Rich Pierce, who may no longer be making them. They are excellent, however. Be aware that it's possible to come across a lousy flint in an order of otherwise fine ones. You can't always tell by looking, either. English flints are available from a number of sources with TOTW being one of them. Learn to knapp so you can keep yours sharp; it isn't difficult at all to do that.

[drhall762]

Thanks folks. Now to try to learn knapping. Think I'll just go with the English and forget the synthetics.

[waksupi]

Knapping a flint is easy, but not many know how. Find a piece of brass flat stock, about 1/4" thick, and about an inch wide. Place that on the very edge of the flint leading edge with the lock at half cock, and give it a light whack with the back of you knife or whatever is handy. A perfect edge every time, and no wasted flint. If you brass is narrow, just do part of the edge at a time. The guys who peck away at a flint with a knapping hammer get LOTS fewer shots from a flint.

[PTS]

My Pedersoli’s like Tom Fuller English Flints; I get mine from TOW; 5/8” square fits my lock fine.

[DIRT Farmer]

I was given a bunch of sawed flints many years ago when I was teaching 4-H shooting sports, have not been guilty of buying any.
I generaly get mine from Troy at Stonewall Creek Outfitters. The last bag of 50 cost me 80$ as I remember.
Simular to what Waksupi does I place the squrae brasshead of the knaping hammer aginst the flint face and tap it with a tool.

[Bullet Caster]

Thanks PTS. I really didn't know what width English flint fit my Pedersoli .50 flinter. You say 5/8" and that's good for me. I haven't had to replace any of my flints yet but now I know what size to buy in the future. Thanks again. And yes I use English flints too. BC

[downwind]

If you place the flint in the cocks jaws as in use(if not in lock already) you can put the heal of the frizzen on the very leading edge of the flint putting downward pressure on the frizzen while raising to cock at the same time it will cleanly knapp your flint and it will automatically be parallel to the frizzens face. NO POWDER IN PAN + BLOCK VENT HOLE just in case

I use this method all the time, works great!

Anyone I have shown this method to becomes a believer right away

HOPE THIS HELPS
DOWNWIND

[lmcollins]

I don't try to Knap anymore. I just carry spare flints and change them when they get dull.

The secret is to grind them a bit to touch them up on a bench grinder with a grinding wheel that is used to sharpen carbide lathe tools. The wheel type is referred to as a "green wheel." They are available at any industrial supply place. You waste flint by knapping them. My friend says, "but they get shorter..." but they still spark. Shim them out with a bit of wood or leather to the frizzen as they get shorter.

Think about it. Do knappers make every flint just the same? Do you think that the "oldtimers" didn't do the same thing. Flints where often precious. I'll bet they even hoarded the pieces as Longhunters or Moutainmen. If you got a lathe you've got a green wheel. Try it. I'd when I thought of it way back in te 70's, and have been useing it ever since.

Do it if you have a bench grinder. If you have to: go online to MSC or one of those places. I think even Grizzly carries green wheels.

[Stonecrusher]

I would second Hanshi on the Rich Pierce flints. Fantastic spark and a price you couldn't beat. Unfortunately He quit quite a few months ago after a shoulder injury I hear. TOTW and Stonewall Creek supply good flints. Stay away from anything fake!

[drhall762]

I will try the tip on the green wheel for sure. Use them to grind my carbide lathe tools.

[PTS]

Bulletcaster: My Pedersolis are the frontier series. I have a Kentucky rifle and the Pennsylvania Long rifle. They use the 5/8" SQUARE flint. TOW is one of the few places that sells the Square Flint. I use a piece of leather in the jaws not the lead that comes with the gun.

[richbug]

I will have to try the green wheel. I have a coffee can full of 200 year old Brit surplus flints that are mostly dull. I have tried knapping them, but break as many as I improve.

[OverMax]

Wouldn't it be nice if we all could recognize flint when simply lying on the ground.
I find it hard OP to offer any information as others have covered the topic in front of me pretty darn well.

[Stonecrusher]

Wouldn't it be nice if we all could recognize flint when simply lying on the ground.

Seems like most that I've found turned out to be leaverite. It would have been better to leave 'er right where I found it!

[OverMax]

Seems like most that I've found turned out to be leaverite. It would have been better to leave 'er right where I found it! Well that makes two of us then. "What appears to be often isn't."

[m1ashooter]

3F powder in the pan and English Flints.

[drhall762]

Forgot one question at least: Bevel up or bevel down or does this make any difference? LGP Rifle came in today. Bevel down on flint but I have seen them bevel down. This would be easier if I had been born in 1755.

[Freightman]

I have several large chunks of Alabates flint from the Lake Merdith area in the Texas Panhandle can it be used? It is quite common here.

[waksupi]

If it will spark, it will work.

As far as bevel up/bevel down, first be sure you use some leather to hold the flint in the jaws. Try it both ways, and put the hammer in the fired position. The one that points more directly at the center of the pan is right.

[drhall762]

Thanks. That makes perfect sense.

[flintshooter]

I've always used bevel down, another guy I know always uses bevel up. Like was said above, whatever puts the most sparks in the pan. It may even be different with different flints. They are their own animal.

[OverMax]

Typically its bevel up. When in Half cock and your flint locks frizzen is in the closed position over its pan. You would set the Flint 1/8 inch away from its frizzen. And the necessity too also adjust the flints leading edge so to be squared all the way across its frizzen at the same equal distance. (1/8th inch away.) This info (above) was written in and provided by a T/C manual that came with my Hawken rifle.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Green Wheels are fine for grinding, or dremel equivalents, but those cheap chinese "diamond " hones about 2" X 6" work nicely and are often very cheap. I don't think finely ground flint dust in the air is good to breathe no matter how you generate it .

You can put a bit of water in a tupperware lid to rest your flint in to keep your flint wet when using the china red, yellow or blue backed hones to hold down the dust. Likewise you can figure out some way to control dust when wheel grinding.

Not mentioned here are thoser crummy humped flints that frequently don't even fit but come in the ones you buy from the vendor. A hone can reduce the hump in several minutes even by hand work. Be wary of those vendors with a big box of flints dumped in for customer selection. Pretty soon the best are chosen and your choice is down to 2nds and thirds.

If you shoot a lot buy straight run bulk from someone you trust and look at it as an investment. I suggest you sort your flints and use the worst first for practice or non critical shooting, thus your flint ignition gets better flint in order of importance. Learning to knap a sharp flint is a critical skill to learn.

BvT

[lmcollins]

For pete sake - no grinding dust is healthy.

You aren't supposed to stick your nose down on the wheel anyway. We aren't sawing flints, we are touching them up. Try it. One of you two guys with a green wheel try it, and tell these idiots how easy it is!

Also, tell them how well it works....

[drhall762]

I tried it on an old flint that was given to me. Very fast and even. Except for the holding process, no different than grinding my carbide except not nearly as hard it seemed.

[lmcollins]

We have a winner!

Very fast and even. So, I bet you cannot knap them that even, and you only have to take a minimum off to get it sharp.