Should I just forget about a flintlock now ?
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JCooperfan1911
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Don’t!
Powder will come back. There’s a market. Goex might not even be gone, just sold.
A good lock will give you 50 shots (or a lot more) from a flint if you learn to sharpen them (pretty easy) and flints are just rocks. No excess taxes, restrictions, or nonsense to ship. Flintlocks are a hoot! Get you one and don’t freak out. But I recommend a good gun such as a Kibler or a custom gun. They’ll be much easier on your flints than the cheap imports, and just much better guns. If that’s out of your price range, various folks make replacement locks for the imports that will give you much better service.
Powder will come back. There’s a market. Goex might not even be gone, just sold.
A good lock will give you 50 shots (or a lot more) from a flint if you learn to sharpen them (pretty easy) and flints are just rocks. No excess taxes, restrictions, or nonsense to ship. Flintlocks are a hoot! Get you one and don’t freak out. But I recommend a good gun such as a Kibler or a custom gun. They’ll be much easier on your flints than the cheap imports, and just much better guns. If that’s out of your price range, various folks make replacement locks for the imports that will give you much better service.
Larry Pletcher has proven time and again on slo-mo video that a flint lock is not actually even close to a percussion lock in ignition speed. But the times for both are so quick it's extremely difficult to notice the difference between them. A flintlock does NOT ignite the charge in the barrel either when the cock strikes the frizzen or when it finally comes to rest.
A cap lock will run 1/3 to 1/2 faster than a flintlock. The differences to start with are so miniscule as to be almost unnoticed. Times for both are fractions of a second. Percussion speeds are a bit more consistent than than a flint lock but both vary, sometimes significantly. For a flintlock the speed is greatly affected by lock preparation, the shot by shot change in flint sharpness and other factors. For a couple of decades I've used flintlocks exclusively and a knowledgeable, experienced shooter can count on extreme reliability from the lock. I own a couple of percussion rifles but always rely on my flintlocks when hunting; and I hunt with them all the seasons including the general rifle season.
Prime makes a difference but not as much as one would suppose. I prefer 4F in the pan but even 2F does well. Flintlocks are simply loads of fun and as accurate, or more so, than many modern rifles. Either cap or flint is fun and the claimed "advantage" of one over the other evens out.
A cap lock will run 1/3 to 1/2 faster than a flintlock. The differences to start with are so miniscule as to be almost unnoticed. Times for both are fractions of a second. Percussion speeds are a bit more consistent than than a flint lock but both vary, sometimes significantly. For a flintlock the speed is greatly affected by lock preparation, the shot by shot change in flint sharpness and other factors. For a couple of decades I've used flintlocks exclusively and a knowledgeable, experienced shooter can count on extreme reliability from the lock. I own a couple of percussion rifles but always rely on my flintlocks when hunting; and I hunt with them all the seasons including the general rifle season.
Prime makes a difference but not as much as one would suppose. I prefer 4F in the pan but even 2F does well. Flintlocks are simply loads of fun and as accurate, or more so, than many modern rifles. Either cap or flint is fun and the claimed "advantage" of one over the other evens out.
Mosin77
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The fact is, there’s a bit of a run on black powder right now due to the Goex news. But a significant proportion of bp shooters seemed to always prefer imported powder anyway, so when the supply logjam of panic + Covid supply chain issues eventually clears, there should be plenty of powder available. But maybe not as easy to get for awhile. If you want a flintlock, get one.
Daveboone
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I have gotten back into black powder shooting heavily this year, and for the first time ever flintlocks. I have a supply of powder and can sit back and see what the market does to the powder supply. I have to believe a domestic company would want to fill the niche. If not, we shall see what more imported powder comes our way. I have started looking into making my own. The simple three ingredients can be ordered very cheaply from ..among other places, Walmart!
Be advised, making black powder is illegal.
In the United States, federal law says you can make gunpowder for your own use on
your own property, but you can't give or sell it to anyone else without an ATF license.
Then again, New York is, of course, ... "different"
https://legalbeagle.com/6808278-new-state-black-powder-laws.html
You might want to check further on actual manufacture.
your own property, but you can't give or sell it to anyone else without an ATF license.
Then again, New York is, of course, ... "different"
https://legalbeagle.com/6808278-new-state-black-powder-laws.html
You might want to check further on actual manufacture.
AlexanderA
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I wouldn't feel comfortable making my own black powder. There have been terrible accidents, even at commercial powder plants.
Ugly Sauce
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Dang. Using my speed loads, loading and priming from a paper cartridge with 2fg, I didn't detect any lag in ignition when shooting at this bear. But normally I use 4fg to prime. I would agree that a cap lock is faster, from a technical standpoint, but I don't think we can perceive that with a fast flintlock. I've noticed when shooting at the range, after the gun starts getting quite fouled, ignition might slow down a bit. From a cold clean barrel, my Jeager with it's set trigger goes off before I expect it to. First thing I perceive is the boom, the bang, and the recoil.
I was planning to switch to 3fg for priming, so that I could just prime from the pistol flask when/if I was packing a B.P. pistol, but have changed to 4fg for my revolver loads, so, back to 4fg.
Having blown all that hot air, even 1fg will work for prime. I've done that often with my Brown Bess, using cartridges, as she likes 1fg for the main charge. Normally I prime her with 4fg. And as mentioned, you can make your own prime from a coarser grained powder.
And yes, a flintlock can be 100% reliable. My Jeager has never, yes never failed to fire. You just have to have the "attention to detail" personality disorder. A little OCD helps.
gtrgy888
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I say buy a flinter if you want one, and wait out the shortage. Producers will eventually wise up and learn that when you manufacture black powder and caps, people actually buy lots of the stuff! A novel thought, but it could catch on soon.
gtrgy888
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This is an underappreciated point. Lock time on revolvers with a long hammer pull is significant!
Cowhide Cliff
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I call BS, my flinters are more reliable than a lot of percussions. I've had far more misfires and problems with percussion rifles than flinters. I do wear safety glasses as when shooting any firearms.
243winxb
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An expert, as i am sure you are, will have a lot less problems.
I watch & sometimes help some of our 1500 members, that have not yet mastered muzzle loaders in general. They have less problems with percussion.
Ugly Sauce
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Flintlocks are not for everyone, that's for sure.
My brother 2 years ago got a Hawken in the box from the 80s…. Like new. He was always a side lock fan as I was into the Tc and modern. First couple shots with a Patched ball and 80 grains… He was drilling bulls at 85 yards off hand. I did it and his pal as well. Was awesome to say the least… The delay as it ignited the powder and class that it has, It’s like no other.
So of course my Brother says “ Ya need to put down the Synthetic Mz’s and get something cool”. I searched and looked …. Finally I got what I wanted. A Double barrel 58 cal Kodiak Pedersoli. Mesured the bore, Got the correct patch size and loaded with 80 grains… First 4 shots hit bulls at 25 and 50. Throwing them bowling balls is a real joy. Had to show my brother up.
Anyhow- I’ll be getting some Black powder soon- perhaps 5lbs or more… Just in case.
So of course my Brother says “ Ya need to put down the Synthetic Mz’s and get something cool”. I searched and looked …. Finally I got what I wanted. A Double barrel 58 cal Kodiak Pedersoli. Mesured the bore, Got the correct patch size and loaded with 80 grains… First 4 shots hit bulls at 25 and 50. Throwing them bowling balls is a real joy. Had to show my brother up.
Anyhow- I’ll be getting some Black powder soon- perhaps 5lbs or more… Just in case.
FF can be made into FFFF pretty easily, without all the stuff to make regular BP. Just a screen, some solvent, a bowl and time. As long as the EU has BP, the US probably will. May cost more, but cost per shot is not a huge deal breaker. Even a %100 increase is still pretty minimal for the 100 shots per year enthusiast .
That is a really fine looking rig you have there.
Not true.
Armored farmer
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Too bad the pic isn't better, the horn has a cougar chasing abuck scrimshaw on it. The priming horn has a quail scrimshaw. Both made by the same guy that built the rifle.
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The pic is just fine. I love that stuff. I am an old guy. Modern black rifles have NO ROMANCE!
I have often thought of a flintlock as the ultimate end of the world rifle. As mentioned above, you can develop the talent to make black should you desire. Also, you don't have to buy flint. Flint is a common rock. You can develop the talent to knap your own should you desire and you have the patience for it.
Well, I would hope you would be making small amounts outside. I would hazard an informed guess that you would be much more likely to buy the farm in a traffic accident on the way to work.
I’ve got a CVA Electra- Have a 50 cal mold and lead, Recharge the 9volt with a solar energy and Make gun powder. Ignition is supposed to be multiple times more than a 209. Yet a Flint…. would work also if ya really want to be prepared
Well, the only fly in the ointment is batteries are life limited by recharge cycles. Solar panels have a life also. Not much chance of ever running out of flint, or lead for that matter.
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