Flinters - lets see ‘em.

[Mallardsx2]

My proudest kill. Man was it ever cold that morning. I mean brutal col.d 0 without wind chill. I then proceeded to pull one of the horns off dragging him out....lol

Killed him with round-balls my grandfather had hand cast back in 84 a month before he died. The gun was given to me from a friend. It was his dads. His dad lived across the road from me until his death at age 90. He was a nice man and was very influential to me growing up. Almost like a second grandpa to me.

I should note that it was so cold outside (5 degrees not counting the windchill) that I had a bad hang-fire and the deer saw the flash and lunged forward and I hit the deer in the guts. This was about 5 minutes after daylight and I tracked him for 5 miles on a drop of blood every hundred yards.. I shot at him 3 more times, broke 2 ramrods and finally killed him at 4:00 in the afternoon in re-growth clear cut at a distance of about 15 feet while he was covered in snow. It was quite a Chinese fire drill of epic proportions....Not my cleanest kill but certainly one of my more memorable and best tracking jobs I have ever done.

The deer was aged at 7.5 years old...I have a buddy that ages teethe.

 

[rwc101]

What is the difference between a percussion and flintlock rifle.

Percussion rifles were a later development. Not widely available until 1830s-. They use a hammer and percussion cap filled with shock-sensitive explosives to spark powder in the bore. Flintlocks have a chunk of flint in the lock that strikes steel and creates sparks that first ignite powder in the flash pan and travels into the bore to ignite the main charge. Flintlocks were popular 1610-mid 1800s.

 

[BrentD]

So if I’m going to make one, would it be better to buy a kit or do I make it “freehand”. Is there that big of a difference? Also, What is the difference between a percussion and flintlock rifle.

There are all levels of kits and parts. At one end of the spectrum is something like a Lyman Great Plains Rifle kit. Very serviceable rifle, and a very easy kit to assemble. Most of the work is done for you and all the parts are made, of course, to go together. So, that's one way to do it.

In ascending degrees of difficulty, you can select parts from a dealer like Track of the Wolf, Pecatonica River, or Log Cabin Shop. With careful research and some help from the vendors, you can end up with parts that will all work together properly. Things like stock blanks can have a barrel channel and not much else to being mostly preshaped, including a mortise for the lock - and obviously the lock has to fit that mortise (not be too small for instance). Locks, stock and barrels come in different sizes, as well as shapes, so they can help you with that. Which stock you select and how much fitting and positioning has to be done is going to have a lot do with how much difficulty is involved.

As for percussion vs. flint, again, it depends on details. A drum percussion is pretty simple - basically just like a flintlock, in fact, many flints were converted to percussion with a drum. Percussions with a bolster, snail breech plug (think like a Hawken percussion rifle) is a bit trickier, involving a drip guard, but not a big deal.

Half stock rifles are a bit more work because you will need to configure it with a nose piece and an underib with ferrules, but again, not overwhelming.

If you get a stock that has at least a barrel channel and ram rod hole in it, you are pretty good to go. The lock mortise helps also, but if the mortise isn't placed right relative to the barrel channel when you get it and/or get the barrel and breech fitted first, then you won't be able to position the lock correctly, so there are trade offs.

There are some books I could recommend if you are interested, probably many newer ones since I was last looking. Tools are minimal and cheap but a drill press is a great, but not quite essential help. Otherwise, chisels and knives and scrapers and you are good to go.

By luck of being a university rat, I have access to better than average libraries that have really good books on the early colonial and American rifles. Mine is sort of "Carolina" style because I just happened to like that. You can read up on different styles and periods and select parts or kits accordingly.

 

[BrentD]

Mallardx2 - that is an epic story! Way to persevere and close the deal. Many would not have. My first flinter deer was also shot in brutal cold. But she dropped on the spot - standing on glare ice, and could not get her feet under her to get up. She died in a moment anyway, but getting her off that ice was hard enough in itself.

Killing a deer or other critter with a gun you built or a family gun with bullets you made, it is just always special.

He looks old! Did you age his teeth?

 

[mdeerjunkie]

There are some books I could recommend if you are interested, probably many newer ones since I was last looking. .

What are those books?

 

[BrentD]

What are those books?

Damn, I knew you were going to call me on that. The two, how-to books I used are on one of those forever loans to where I don't not recall. I want to say the best one was by Joe Kindig and if you punch his name into Amazon you will find several books by him but they are all historical books of the architecture of various schools of muzzleloading rifles. Not how to books. So I may have cross-conflated his name with those books. I'll have to make some inquiries. Meanwhile, I highly recommend the https://americanlongrifles.org/ website and forum - it's a place where the Big Boys hang out that make the best of the best. But they can be super helpful. Also https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ forum. Lots of help in both of these places.

 

[Sagebrush1]

Here is one of my proudest kills. I took it from a fully primitive camp solo, packed it to my truck with all pre-1840 gear.

Thanks for all the replies. I love this stuff.

 

[rwc101]

Here is one of my proudest kills. I took it from a fully primitive camp solo, packed it to my truck with all pre-1840 gear.

What, if anything, did you use as a pack?

 

[shb]

.58 plains rifle













This is a refreshing thread, keep it going.

 

[Mallardsx2]

 

[Mallardsx2]

 

[Mallardsx2]

Killed quite a few deer over the years with flinters but I dont have any high dollar pretty guns.

 

[Sagebrush1]

What, if anything, did you use as a pack?

I made a hide sack and tied it to a branch over my shoulder. Some guys have wooden frames, but I have yet to make one of those.

I carry hemp rope for the hide sack.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Damn, I knew you were going to call me on that. The two, how-to books I used are on one of those forever loans to where I don't not recall. I want to say the best one was by Joe Kindig and if you punch his name into Amazon you will find several books by him but they are all historical books of the architecture of various schools of muzzleloading rifles. Not how to books. So I may have cross-conflated his name with those books. I'll have to make some inquiries. Meanwhile, I highly recommend the https://americanlongrifles.org/ website and forum - it's a place where the Big Boys hang out that make the best of the best. But they can be super helpful. Also https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ forum. Lots of help in both of these places.

Thanks for the advice. I found a few books you were maybe talking about. I decided to go with a kit to start out. If I enjoy it there will probably be many more made after that on my own. This will be the first time I’ve ever owned or shot a muzzleloader/flinter so super excited.

 

[rwc101]

Thanks for the advice. I found a few books you were maybe talking about. I decided to go with a kit to start out. If I enjoy it there will probably be many more made after that on my own. This will be the first time I’ve ever owned or shot a muzzleloader/flinter so super excited.

Which kit did you choose?

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Which kit did you choose?

It’s a traditions woodsman flintlock.

 

[AmericanLongrifle]

I only have a percussion at the moment. I am planning on building a flinter soon. Good to know that there are still people out there that appreciate the old ways.

 

[Greyman]

My next rifle will definitely be a flintlock. Been wanting to for awhile.

 

[BrentD]

Thanks for the advice. I found a few books you were maybe talking about. I decided to go with a kit to start out. If I enjoy it there will probably be many more made after that on my own. This will be the first time I’ve ever owned or shot a muzzleloader/flinter so super excited.

Fantastic!

However you are there is sure to be a muzzle loading contingent, and probably an official representative of the national muzzle loading rifle association even. I've never met one of those guys that would not fall all over themselves to give you a hand if you need it. The problem will Be finding them, but they tend to lurk around rifle ranges . It is not uncommon for the muzzle loaders to have their own muzzle loading range tucked away somewhere also.

 

[Jim/Wa]

Somewhere I’ve got better pics. This is my newest flintlock. It’s a 54cal “late Lancaster”, circa 1800-1820, that I built specifically for elk. My go to for the last 20 years is an Isaac Haines 45cal longrifle, circa 1760, that I’ve taken many whitetails in Pa and Va when I lived back East. Now it only sees use in January when I go back to hunt the late flintlock season in Pa.